The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-10-03
IRON AND STEEL.
Interesting Paper from Hon. Eu"s
Atkinson Upon the Mineral sltua.'on
and Prospects.
THE VIEWS OF AN EXPERT.

BALTIMORE, oept. Sv.-AA >
visit of 500 or 500 of the leading iron ana
steel makers of Europe to the united
States in October to spond month study
ing the iron and steel making resources
of this country, the Hon. Edward Atkin-
SON. of Boston, contributes to this week
issue of the Manufacturers Record an
elaborate paper on tho iron end steel In
terests of tho world.
Mr.. Atkinson's paper is the result OF
several months study Of the subject, anu
of the most elaborate investigation. Start
| ing out with the statement that "since
the foundation of modern industry and
commerce is based upon tho non-precious
metals, and more than any other upon
iron, it becomes of national Importance to
determine the future conditions OF the
production of this imperial metal" Mr.
Atkinson shows that this country is the
greatest consumer Of iron and steel IN the
world
Owing to the ncarness Of the ores and
coal in parts of this country, as against
the long haul or transportation OF ores
from Spain and Africa to Great Britain,
and the increased depth and heat OF the
coal mines of England, he believes that
iron and steel will be made in this country
at as low n cost as in England, notwith-
standing the higher wages in the United
States. Mr.. Atkinson believes that the
worlds consumption of iron and steel,
which is now increasing 30 rapidly, Will
for the next ten years fully tax tho pro-
ductive power of this and all other iron
making countries to keep up with it, and,
hence, that while there may be fuctua-
tons prices on the whole must steadily
tend upward throughout tho world.
THE WORLDS PRODUCTION.
Basing his estimates on careful calcula-
tions made by himself, by Hon. Abram 5.
Hewitt and others, he holds that the pres
ent worlds production of 2o,OOO,OOO net
tons of pig iron, of which the United
States will mako during 1880 about
I0, 900, 900 tons, must, within the no1t ten
years, or in 1900, he increased to not less
than 100000 tons, even at tho lowest
possible scale of increase based on the
growth that has continued from 1856 up
to the present, while the rate OF increase
Of late years, during which tho demand
for iron has so broadened, will show that
tho world will need and must have not less
than $4,000, 900 tons in 1901. These cal
culations arc based on the normal rate OF
growth for the last fifty years, and do not
take into consideration tho possibility,
and, in fact, the almost certainty, of
greatly increased demand by reason of
the opening up of Africa and Asia. On
this point Mr.. Atkinson says:
"Grcat continents arc now boing de-
vcloped by the railway and tho construc-
ton of the railway leads to o continuous
demand for iron and coal for use in other
purposes. Wo may not attempt to fore
cast the increasing demand for iron which
would ensuc from the construction Of the
Trans Siberian railway, or of the railways
which will soon open Southeastern Europe
and Western Asia, or of the railways which
NAV parallel the Euphrates. We neod
not now consider what would ensue when
China begins to build railways, because
China contains within its own borders iron
and coal in abundance. We may not COM
putc the demands of the great continent
OF Africa, which is now sure to DO opened
in every direction by the railway. Let US
limit our own consideration for tho mo-
ment to the development of the continents
of North and South America, especially
the latter
1T MAY SETTLE THE RACE QUESTION.
This enormous increase in tho demand
for iron and steel, will, Mr. Atkinson
claims, require the utmost effort of pro-
duction at every point where the raw
materials can be assembled at reasonable
cost, and where furnaces can he operated
to advantage, either upon the European or
North American continent. 1t is in the
South, however, that Mr. Atkinson believes
the worlds iron AMI steel production will
center, and this industrial advance "may,"
he says, land probably will settle the race
question"
Mr.. Atkinson publishes in full, rs a sub
stnntnton Of the South position, letter
from Col George b. Cowlam, of Knoxville,
Tenn, and Maj. Goldsmith B. Wost, Of
Jacksonville, Ala, setting forth the min
eral wealth of the Central Appalachian
region of the South, and long statement
from Hon. Abram S. Hewitt, on tho same
subject, in which Dir. Hewitt says there
are vast bodies of magnetic ores in that
region suitable for making Bessemcr
steel so close TO the coal that his calcula-
tions showed that Bessemer pig iron could
be produced there Mt not over $40 ton
Col. Cowlam says:
Comparatively speaking, this Southern
Appalachian coal field contains forty times
the amount of coal accessible to ecOnom-
ical production and distribution contained
in the coal fields of great Britain before
pick was struck in the ground. The coal
field, as q whole, is heavily timbored with
virgin forests of white, red, black, Span
ish chestnut and post oaks, yellow poplar,
white and yellow pine, hickory, chestnut
and other valuable woods. Its soils Of
sandy loan produce good crops of grass
and small grain, and is especially produc
tive Of fine fruit and vegetable crops, and,
enriched by lime or phosphate or grass
turned under, becomes very fertile farm
ing lands. Its bracing and dry mir and
pleasant temperature give tho region very
remarkable exemption from fevers and
pulmonary diseases, and it's frequent Sum-
mcr rains, brought about by its elevation,
save its soil from Summer drouth. All
the natural conditions arc favorable for
economical mining and cheap and COM
Portable living.
"In the mountain strip made up of the
great mountain chains of the South. the
highest ranges east OF tho Rocky noun
tains, and embracing all tho formations
from the lower measures of the lower
Silurian down to the oldest Of the crys-
talline rocks from Maryland through Vir-
ginia, North Carolina and South Carolina
and into Georgia, there havo been found
large beds of very high grade iron ores,
mainly magnetics, and more rarely spec
ular ores. The magnetic ores arc puro
Bessemcr ores, and range from so per
cent up to as high as SO per cont metallic