St. Paul daily globe., 1884-12-23
Ayers SarsapariIIa,
SOUTHERN IRON.

The Eztent to Which the Fsrnaces Of the
soHth are COmPstin9 Wth Pennsyf-
rGnfa.
A writer in the Philadelphia TINES SAYS:
Every now aud then little commotion Is
started among manufacturers of the North
as u the danger Of successful competition
on the part Of manufacturers In tue same
branches in the South. year or more ago
much was said as TO the probability Of South
ern cotton goods pushing into markets here
tofore controlled by New England manufact-
urers, and the railroad companies were APP
pealed to by New York commission houses 70
protect them against Southern competition
through favorable freight rates. A vast
amount Of figuring has been done to aseer-
tain what degree Of competition Southern
cotton manufacturers are likely to offer, the
outcome Of which Is so far not particularly
discOur1ging 10 Northern manufacturin z in
teresls.
Recently another hubbub has been raised
over the probabilities OF Southern pig-irou
crOwding OFT Northern pig-iron and inter
ested parties have been at great pains to as
certain 10 what extent Southern iron has
been use in the North In preference to
Northern pig; how Il suits and what econ
omic advantages there are in IL The gener-
al conclusion arrived at in New England is
that certain ma<es of Southern iron can be
prOiIably used in place OF Pennsylvania iron
and in other cases mixed, and tue business
in Southern irons seems 10 be slowly extend
ing. In this market su1d demand has
grown up for irOp for a certain purpose aud
this has given rise 10 little more movement
in Southern irons, whicn is probable 70 ter
mlnato with the giving out OF this temporary
demand.
Out Of one hundred aud seventy two an-
hracite and bitumin,-us hla furn b, In Dp-
Grafton on November Ony tEenty-two were
10 operation in the Southern states, leaving
TWENTY-FIVE out OF blast. o. these one,
coke furnace, Is in Georgia. There are seven
furnaces in all in this state, but six are char
coal. with Il total annusl capacity o. 2f,OOO
tons. Alabama has ten coke furnaces aud
at present i've are in blast and five out. The
list Is as follows: The A ice, capacity 60, 900
net TONS; the Bibb, 4.500; the Edwards.
ll,000 tons (out); the Eureka, two stacks
80, 600 tons; the Mary Platt, at Birm ngham,
Is, 600 tons; the SlOss. AT Birmingham fvr.
stacks, 60, 900 tons, the Woodward, 5000
tons; total. PIC, 500 tons per aunun of whici
at present. less tban 100. 900 tons per aunum
Is made, though the estimated capacity is
., $40 tons per week. The prospects of the
pig-iron industry can be best judged by the.
fact that i've furnaces are projected Ia that
state, one at Alpine, two at Russellville, one
at Birmingham and one az Sheffield.
Alabama has eleven charcoal furnaces
capacity, s., 600 tons. The business oflic,
for these furnaces are mostly in Cincinnati
and Louisville. In Tennessee there ar,
eight bltuminous furnaces, Of which five ar,.
In operation, three idle and two building
The list is as follows: Two at Chattanooga.
capacity 46, 500 tons; one at Oakdale, eapac-
ito 81. 600 tons; two al lockwood, capacity
40, 600 tons: one at Sewauee ana two at
South Pittsburg, capacity 80, 1000 and so, 600
tons respectively; total bituminous capacity
2i7, 500 tons, besides the enormous English
plant in course OF erection at Dayton by 81
Titus Salt, representing a syndicate OF Brit
ish capitalists, which is being built 10 pro-
duce 100, 900 tOhs. Tennessee has nine
charcoal furnaces, with a capacity Of 35. 600
tons. The present bituminous capacity In
blast is estimated at about 1900 tons per
week.
Virginia has twelve coke furnaces, as fol-
lows: The Buffalo Gap furnace, capacity,
5000; Longdale, 29, 1000 tons; Low Moor,
40, 600 tons; Lynchburg, IA, 600 tons; Pow
hatton, 5000; aud the Princess, TO- 600
tons Gust about starting). Victoria, an Eng
lish concern at Goshen, so, 600 tons The
Powhatton, Lynchburg. Gem and LongdaIe
are largely Philadelphia enterprises. Justice
s. Cox, Jr., & Co., represent the Gem. Vir-
ginia has thirty-One charcoal stacks. Ca
pacity, 10O. 900 tons per annum. One stack
Is 10 be built at or near Luray. Philadelphia
iron-makers are deeply interested In iron
making in the South and are by no means
permitting any prospective advantages 10 be
monopolized by others.
The present production Of bitumiuous or
coke furnaces in the southern states, includ-
ing West Virginia. Is about 9, 900 tons per
week aud Of charcoal furnaces about 8. 600
tons, total Of II, 900 tons The present Idle
bituminous and coke furnaces in those states
have capacity of 1900 tons per week. The
cost OF iron making in the SOuth has been
variously estimated and ranges from SO to
$l3 per ton, which, with freights ranging to
North Atlantic ports from 81, 10 to S4.75,
gives cost here at from Sl4 10 to SIS, accord
ing to quality. The recent activity in South
erH iron means nothing, because much Of Il
is for pipe-makfng, which does not call for
pipeiron. Besides, an accumulation has
been going on and the holders are anxious
for cash.
1t is not always safe TO draw conclusions
from all the facts in sight. The iron indus
try in the South has vast possibilities before
Il. Northern manufacturers see IL and prove
It by extending their interests in that direc
ton. The strongest safeguard of northern
makers is the cost Of carriage from furnace
TO market. The home cost varies from 81
to $3.50 per ton, while Southern iron costs
from three 10 four times that sum. Still
competition and enterprise and the unexpec-
ted may all combine 10 force a rearrange-
ment in the pig-iron industry that will re-
dound TO the benefit Of the South