The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-02-20
BEATING THE WORLD.
Extraordinary Development OF the Iron
and Steel Production of tho United
States and tho Demand Grows
with It.
Ltrom the Iron agc.l

(From the Iron agc)
1t may be doubted whether many people
realize that the United States is the only
country making rapid progress in the de-
yelopmcnt of its iron and steel indus
tries. All are familiar with the bare fact
that the production of iron and steel IN
our own country has been pushing ahead
at an enormous RATE within the past de-
cade But the impression seems TO be
quite common that Americans are SIMPLY
keeping up with the rest OF the world.
The coycrsc of this statement Will cor
rectly represent the situation The rest
of the world is not keeping up with the
United States. 1t is almost ten years
since Great Britain made its maximum
output OF pig iron. AT no time since theh
has the condition of British trade war
ranted the putting forth of extra efforts
TO meet the demand. At that time, in fact,
a stock Of unsoId pig iron was accumu-
lated which has been an incubus on the
British gig-iron industry ever since.
Last wear, when we were increasing our
productian so enormously, the blast fur
naccs of Great Britain actually made less
than thev did the previous year 1t IL
true that the reduced production may be
attributed to a strike among Scotch blast
furuacemcn, but there would have been
a speedy settlement of the strike II the
condition of trade had made it desirable
to opcrate the furnaces. But even in its
wear of greatest production Great Britain
did not turn out as much pig iron as the
United States did last year.
Germany is the only country besides
our own which is actually making progress
in the production If pig iron, but its pro-
gress is quite slow as compared with ours
1t will he remarkable if the statistics OF
the years production show an outpYt even
half as large as that of this country. 1t
is most extraordinary jump for Germany
to take when it gains 100000 tons year,
while the United States of increases its
annual production 100000 tons, and has
been known to advance 900, 600 in SIM
gle wear. All other countries arc nsiS-
nifcant producers of pig iron as COM
pared with the United States, Great
Britain and Germany. France appears to
IL, l. i fl,n Hu FRY ctau *
of forward Belgium makes quite a stir
in the world with its cheap manufactured
iron, vet two Of our large works will
together make 4 larger annual product
than all the Beigians combined. More
pig iron is made in Ohio by 80 per cent
than in Belgium while Pittsburgh and the
Shenango Valley make about as much as
all France Sweden makes less pig iron
than the Lehigh or the Schuylkill Valley,
although Swedish iron has long played
such Il prominent part in the trade of the
world Russia ags behind Illinois i'll an
nual tonnage, and from present appear
ances is hardly likely to catch up to that
cntcrprsing State.
In steel Germany makes a better show
ing as to the rate of increase than in pig
iron. but even in that branch it lags very
considerably behind the United States.
Great Britain is making some progress in
increasing its steel production also, but
not rapidly. With a steel trade of puny
proportions in 1870, only II years were
needed TO enable us to overtakc the
mother country in the production OF steel.
In one Of these years we made twice Is
many steel rails rs Great Britain. Ia
| SIS and $50 the race between the United
States and Great Britain was neck and
neck, but it is believed hat in the past year
the United Kingdom was again left in tie
rear. Passing from the three great leaders
in the steel trade, it may he mentioned
that all other countries in the entire world
combined do not make rs much steel as
Germany alone. Taking the pig iron and
steel statistics for the entire world, it may
be stated that excluding the United States
at the close OF 1889 showed bare in
crease Of 30 per cent over 1878, but steel
showed an increase Of 225 per cent. In
the same period precisely the United
States made a gain in pig iron of 800 per
cent and in steel 1863 per cent. II the
figures for 1890 were 1t hand they would
show heavy increase for this coun-
try and probably no increase for other
countries.
The inference to be drawn from these
statements and comparisons il obvious.
The iron and stee! industry Of the United
States is not growing simpl" because the
demands Of the whole civilized world are
growing at the same rate, but, first, be-
cause the consumption Of iron and steel
in this particular country is growing at Il
fusier rate than elsewhere in the world,
and. second, because we have within our
own boundaries the resources to meet thc
requirements Of that consumption. In
this respect, as well as in others, the
United States is unique, and the expert
ence OF no other country can be guide to
our operations.
WHAT BECOMES OF MINERS WIDOWS?
All Eut Il of the 81 Made ForlOrn in the
4avont;aie Disaster Were Soon Married.
WIAKEsBAREE, Feb. I1.-Attcr q great
mine accident, such rs recently occurred
1T Mammoth, the question is FIRE.
quently asked: What becomes Of all
the widows and orphans?" This ques-
ton is answered by the statistics from the
Ayondalc disaster in 1869, when lOs
miners were killed. The Ayondule disas-