The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-11-29
THE BEssEMER RING.
From the n. Y. Herald.

THE BEssEMER RING.
From the \. Y. Herald.
A ridiculous statement has been in cir
culation during the last three or four days
that in consequence of the proposed stop
page of three Bessemer steel works in the
west-viz., the North Chicago rolling mill
the Joliet steel works and the Vulcan
works of st. Louis-2O. 900 men would be
thrown out of employment. Coupled with
this statement is an intimation that the
threatened stoppage will be caused by the
fear of what is called adverse legislation,
which means a repeal of the bonnties by
which the Bessemer ring has been en-
enabled to tax the railroads of the United
States from $1,000 to $4,000 per mile for
several years.
It is time to expose this game of bluff
These works have not stopped and need
not stop unless they are so badly placed
far away from coal and iron-that the
expense of hauling their material to the
works is SO great as to make them in
capable of being operated at fair cost.
In the census year the production of
Bessemer and open hearth steel was $50,
039 tons. in which entire work only 10
S95 men and boys were employed. who
earned S455 each. They used 1852, TAI
tons of pig metal. which was produced by
=
who averaged 80 tons each as their pro
duct; this use of pig metal in steel works
therefore represented II. 700 men. In the
production Of this pig metal a little more
than twice that quantity of ore was used
which was raised At the rate of 300 tons
each per year by iron miners, whose aver
age earnings were $500 each; 1he force re-
quired in this part of the work numbered
less than 500 In the reduction of the
ore to pig metal about 24 tons of coal
were used to ton. equal to 1880, 600
tons and in the Bessemer works S16,073
tons were also used. making a little under
100000 tons in all. This coal was mined
by zen and boys who averaged 1912
each per year, and whose average output
of coal was 400 tons each. The force re
quired was therefore under 1900. The
total number of persons engaged in the
product of Bessemer and open hearth
steel in the last census year was there
fore
In mining coal -. ............. 1000
In mining iron 1890
In conversion 10 pig metal: 200
In steel works 10, 1876
Add for charcoal and other lesser materials. S65
Grand total 40 eco
The product of Bessemer metal in 1881
NCdlSuUdI year WAS OOSs 10f TONS tit Is
now alleged that the capacity of all the
works is 1000, 900 tons, an increase of
about 81 per cent If the proportion of
hands has continued the same the number
now employed is therefore substantially
81, 500 In all, but improvements have al
ready reduced the number.
The three works named used six con-
verters out of q total of thirty, and they
are of less than average size, representing
not over one sixth the capacity of all or a
product of about $50 600 tons; and a force
of men and boys numbering little over
10000 instead of 10000, whose average
wages are from S1.25 to $3.50 per day.
We have been building somewhat over
10000 miles of railroad this year. which
required 100 tons of rail per mile. Besse
mer rails are also in quick demand in sub
stitution for iron on old roads The pro-
duct of Bessemer rails in 1881 was /, $780,
3O2 tons, of iron rails 488 ,5S1 TONS open
hearth steel rails %, 217 tons; total, ,844,-
100 tons. There is now d wholesome
check to the construction of new railroads
and If the rate of construction should go
down to 5000 miles year in 1888 the
demand for rails would be reduced 400, 900
or 500, GOO tons for new construction.
But there is another element in this case
which makes the threat of these western
AAAlo noIc aos0It, uI1csS An6y are so much
out Of place as to be incapable of working
under ordinary conditions and for a fair
commercial profit 1t is this Under the
present heavy traffic steel rails wear out
about as fast as iron used to, and they can
not be rerolled into rails. The substitution
OF steel for iron and for worn out rails is
computed at about per cent year. On
$4,000 miles of railroad, at 100 tons per
mile, they would require from 10000 to
1000, 600 tons, or one-half the capacity of
all the converters now in use. The Bes
semer ring has played this bluff game long
enough. The threatened stoppage Is only
natural consequence OF check TO a pre-
yious unwholeseme demand. Ths Iessss,