Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-01-18
In Iron and Steel Our Country now Loads
the World.
Scientific American.

In Iron ana Steel Our country now Aooub
the World.
Scientific American.
Tho United States may now be said
to be independent of other countries
both in the mining of its ores for steel
aud iron and also In the manufacture
OF the finished product. Heretofore it
has been asserted and believed that
this country could not furnish the re-
quired ores for steel and resort has
been had to imported ores; but the
great demand for this important min
eral has stimulated new researches
and efforts, which have been crowned
with success.
The Lake Superior region, for ex-
ample, has been so greatly developed
that the larger portion of the supply
now comes from that source.
The output OF Superior ore for 1889
is stated to have been seven million
tons and the estimate for 1890 is nine
million tons, of which three million
tons have already been sold at an adj
vance of 70 cents to $l.25 per ton
above last years rates. 1t is under
stood the entire product will be taken
by western iron men. This may make
almost an iron famine here in the east
it is not believed the Cuban ores can
be supplied in sufficient quantity to
meet the steel demand of this region.
There Ia hope of steel ores in the south
ern states. As for Spain, its whole
product of seven and a half millions
of tons is required for England,
France, Belgium and Germany. All
these countries depend largely upon
foreign importation for the best steel
ores. This country alone occupies the
satisfactory position of possessing it's
own steel ore beds. Many of the
southern mines now worked, although
yielding excellent ores for iron, contain
too much phosphorus for making the
best steel. II has, however, been as
certaincd that by the adoption of the
basic process, now extensively used in
England, the irons from most of the
southern coke furnaces can be made to
Weld excellent steel. The introduce
ton of the basic process is now in
progress at the south and prospects
for large production of good steel in
the near future are cheering. In adj
dition 10 this there are other mines
moro recently opened that are Begin
ming to furnish first class steel ores.
The prices of iron and steel have ad-
vanced in Europe TO a greater extent
than in this country, and consequent
~, except in filling back orders, there
is at present little or no market here
for the foreign production. Americans
now have almost exclusive possession
Of the American market. This state
of things is likely to continue so long
as high prices are kept up in Europe
but when a decline takes place and
English iron makers are willing TO
sell without profit, and their steamers
return to the old practice Of bringing
over pig iron without charge as bal.
last, and rails for u trife above moth
ing, it is possible they may work into
the market again to small extent.
The great progress which has been
made in this country in mine develop
ment and in the manufacture of steel
and iron will be evident when we
consider that it is but little more
than twenty years since the manufac-
ture of steel rails was begun in this
country. In 1867 our production OF
steel rails was only 1850 tons. In 1887
it was 2,265,600 tons, or double the
quantity made in England. As to pic
iron, we are now producing in the ag-
grcgate about eight millions of tons
q year, all of which we consume, and
England produces about the same, OF
which she exports much. In steel
production the United States is ahead
of Great Britain, our production be-
ing about three and half millions OF
tons per annum against three and u
quarter millions for England. AS for
iron, our product is also much larger
than that of the royal kingdom, ours
being about two and half millions OF
tons against one million eight hundred
thousand tons English production.
Tho advanced prices for iron and
steel are having bad effect upon the
British shipbuilders, and unless low
ering soon comes, many Of them will
euff,.r loss on existing contracts.