The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-02
EDWARD ATKINSON ON IRON.
4 Growing Picture of Great Southern Pos
Sibilities.

! BALTIMORE, MD, Sept. 23.-ln view
Of the expected visit of five or six hun
dred of the leaping iron and steel max
urs of Europe to the United States in
October, to spend month studying the
iron and steel making resources Of this
country, Edward Atkinson, Of Boston,
contributes to this weeks issue Of Man
uf;ieturers' Record an elaborate paper
on the iron and steel interests of the
world. Mr.. Atkinsiu's paper is the
result of the most elaborate investiga-
ton
He shows that this country is the
greatest consumer Of iron and steel in
the world. Owing to the nearness Of
the ores and coal in yards of this coun-
try, as against the long haul Of trans
portation of ores from Spain and Africa
70 Great Britain, and the increased depth
and Geat Of coal mines Of England, be
believes that iron and steel will be made
in this country at as low cost as in
England, Notwithstanding the higher
wag' in the United States.
Mr.. Atkinson believes that the
worlds consumption of iron and steel,
which is now increasing so rapidly, will
for the next ten years full tax the pro-
ductive powers of this and all other
iron-making countries to keep up with
it, and hence that while there may be
fluctuations, prices on the whole must
steadily tend upward throughout the
world. Basine his estimates on careful
calculations made by himself, by Abram
;. Hewitt and others, holds that the
present worlds production of 5000, 900
net tops Of pig iron, (which tile Unit
ed States will make during 1880 about
ten million tons, must within the next
ten years, or in 1900, be increased to not
less than 100000 tons, even at the
lowest possible rate ofincrease based on
the rate of growth that has continued
from 1856 up to the present time.
The calculations are based on the
normal rate of growth for the last 50
years and do not take into considera-
ton the possibility and, in fact, the al
most certainty Of a greatly increased
demand by the reason Of the opening
up Of Africa and Asia.
This enormous increase in the de-
nand for iron and steel will, Mr.. At
kinson claims, require the utmost effort
of production at every point where the
raw material can be assembled at rea-
sonable cost and where furnaces can
be operatated to advantage either upon
European or North American CONT
nent.
1t is in the South. however, that Mr..
Atkinson believes the worlds iron and
steel production will centre, and this
industrial advance "may," he says,
"and probably will, settle the race ques-
ton"
"Supremacy in the production of
iron," says Mr.. Atkinson, "must go to
the point Where the facilities for work
ing the mines and the cost of assemb-
ling the materials at the furnace are
least, because at that point the highest
wages can be paid for skilled workmen,
| accompanied by the lowest cost of pro-
duction, which will be due to such
favorable conditions. One may not
venture Yet to name the specific place
orplaces, but suffice it that if one should
stand upon the top of the highest peak
| among the great Smoky Mountains in
the heart of the Southern Appalachian
| chain and could bring within his vision
all that could coN4c within radius of
- to 100 miles, he might be able to
establish lie centre O. an iron and steel
! production which would not be far
| away from what has keen called the
''centre of gravity' Of the population of
this country.
! "1f he could then bring within lis
vision the whole of the area inclosed
within circle of 80 miles in diameter,
centcring on the Great Smoky Noun
tains, ne might trace the lines made by
the erasion of the erivers and the gaps in
the ranges on which the rails may be
| laid to the northwest at the southern
| border of Ohio and to the southeast on
the way towards the Atlantic ports of
South Carolina, over which the metal
produced at the possible future centre
Of the iron production Of this country
may bedistributed on the easiest grades,
either for domestic consumption or for
the supply of foreign markets"