The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-11-19
BLAST FURNACE STATISTICS.
The Condition OF the Furnaces and
stocks of Pig Iron on the First Of No.
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Through the continued kindness Of the
manufacturers Of pig iron and by free
use Of the telegraph wires We are enabled
to give our readers herewith correct and
detailed exhibit Of the condition Of all the
blast furnaces Of the country on the 1st Of
November, and Of the stocks OF pig iron on
hand and unsold at the same time. Before
the reader turns to this exhibit we call his
attention to the leading facts which Il es.
tablishes, and to some antecedent facts
which are valuable for comparison.
We commenced the present year with
4l7 furnaces in blast and 270 out Of blast.
BY the first Of June we had reduced the
number in blast to S5l, and month later,
on the first Of July, we further reduced the
number to 3S4. The total reduction in the
number OF furnaces in blast in the ak
months from January to July was, there
fore, So. This was very great shrink.
age, and as q result OF 1t we said In July
and have since repeatedly said that there
could be no overproduction of pig iron 80
long as there should be no i.crease Of far
naces In blast. We are now gratifed in
being able to state that on the. first Of No.
vember the situation as itstood on the first
OF July has been maintained. The number
OF furnaces in bias. on November first was
33l, or three less than on July first
CONDITION OF STOCKS.
The facts In regard to stocks are still
more favorable. On the Let Of January
there were 3S3, 1865 gross tons OF pig iron in
the hands OF makers and their agents. By
the 1st OF July tho quantity OF pig iron thus
held had increased to 52S.5O0 gross tons.
This increase OF la ,9S5 tons had been &C.
complished while the s. furnaces above
mentioned were being blown out, or, to
state the matter differently, these furnaces
were blown out because 1t was not known
that stocks were increasing. We can now
say that nc, these SO furnaces have been
blown out the tendency to an increase oil
stocks has not checked, but that very
great decrease in the quantity unsold on
tho lst OF July has also been effected. On
November LIST this decrease amounted TO
90, 22SG gross tons, leaving 4S2, ,354 tons un-
sold on November lat, against 52S 500 tons
on July lst. These stocks were divided as
follows according 10 fuel used.
FuRL, USED. Ju,y1. Nov. !.
BituminouS,....-... .........lv6 W. J2oh3u
Anlhratit ..'."'isb,.Ss ts'o0
ChAl coal l1o'o
Total. $50 43!Sa
. On the 1ss Of November there were no
stocks worth mentioning in the hands Of
speculators, nor were there at any Of our
ports any noteworthy stocks OF foreign pig
iron. OF hypothecated stocks at that
date we can hear oil none worthy OF notice
except the Marshall pig iron at Pittsburgh.
This we have not included in our statistics
Of unsold stocks in July or November.
Taken altogether our statistics OF furnaces
in blast and stocks uDsold on November
lst are favorable 10 the pig iron makers,
especially when 1t is considered that stocks
in the hands Of censumers are notorious!y
low, owing to the prevalence for several
months OF the "hand 10 mouth" policy.
FURNACES TO BL:wlN.
During the month Of November the fol-
lowing furnaces will blow in: seven char
coal--three in Pennsylvania, and one in
each Of the States Of New York, Georgia,
Alabama and MicAigan; three asthracite-
two In New York and one in Pennsylvania;
and nine bituninous-touri in Ohio, two in
Alabama, and one in each Of the States OF
Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Tennes.
see. This gives total Of nineteen furnaces
to be blown in in November. During the
month OF November the following furnaces
will blow out: six charcoal-two in Ohio,
and one in each OF the States Of Connecti-
cut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Michi-
gan; three anthracite in Pennsylvania;
and six bitumiuous-three in Ohio, two in
Pennsylvania, and one in Missouri. This
gives q total OF fifteen furnaces to be blown
out in November-!cur less than are 10 be
blown in.
The total number OF furnaces in West
Virginia is twelve; Of these, five were in
blast January lst, three July lst, and five
November lst. The five charcoal furnaces
have been idle all year. July lst there
were On hand 5.l94 tons Of pig iron; No
vember lst this was decreased TO 3,lSS
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