New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-30
THE UoBLD BEATEN IN IRON-MAKING.


adjustment were initiated this present se"soh'
THE WORLD BEATEN IN IRONMAhING.
The production OF pig iron, it has repea'euiS
hocp said is now greater than it ever was IN any
previous year in this country, and greater 'ha IL
is now or ever has been in Great Britain. Inc
oe;cioI figures Of the Iron and Steel Association
bear out this statement fully. While the 'o'"i
production in 1891 was 6,279,s70 gross TONS anu
900. 1913 tons less than in 1890, the production III
the last half of the wear was 4,911 1853 gross tons
whereas in the second half Of 1890, 1t was pu,
l642I0O tons That was in its day marVel
neither this nor any other Nation had ever maue
so much iron in six months before. But now even
that record is surpassed by 260,573 tons, ana ac
cording to current reports the output has further
increased since the new year began by the addi-
ton Of several furnaces to the productive llst.
For this country the output in 1891 shows o
great decline Yet it was more than l,O29,ooo
tons greater than the production OF Great britain
in 1891 and was not far from the maximum ever
attained in that country. The London Econo-
mist" estimates the production in Great britain
last year at 7,250,000 tons, and the official re-
port made the output 7,0O4,2l4 in $780, and
s,322s24 in 1889. But in 1882 it was 1885,
$50 TONS which. until 1890, was the greatest
quantity country tHti piouuCtu AL
Evidently even then the British production was
not nearly as much in either half year as the pro-
duction during the last six months in this country
so that the industry now surpasses not only all
past records in the United States but all past
records in any country.
1t is an encouraging fact that the stocks Of UNI
sold pg-ron are "a, 5SS tons less than they
year ago. This indicates that the consumption
during the last half-year must have been much the
largest ever known BY comparison Of stocks
June Goth and December LIST, it is found that they
increased 1921 tons, while in the second half
of 1890 they increased 2o2.74s TONS indicating
consumption of American iron alone amounting to
4,738,972 tons for the last half of 1901, against
4,340,442 for the last half Of The previous year
The cause is we'll known The prolonged Councils
vile strike stopped many furnaces, and others had
previously been closed in the Mahoning and
ShenangO Valleys in the effort of producers 10
get cheaper ore and coke and freights, that the
output was reduced 10000 tons weekly. vast
amount of business which should have been done
by manufacturers in the early part of the year
was unavoidaby deferred because they could not
get iron, and much of II by consent Of parties, so
That il was afterward crowded into the second
half Of The year.
The consumption OF 1891 would have been
much greater nut TOT rnc StaGNa'loH III lIt Idl
business. Only l,2l9,S7i tons OF BeSsemcr rails
were made in 1891, against l,797,is0 in $500.
and this enormous decrease means a decline Of
about go, 900 tons IN the consumption Of iron in
that way. Allowing eighth for the loss In
turning iron into steel and steel into rails, and in
crop ends cut Off, the quantity Of iron consumed
in ral-making would be 1,372,3js tons in 1891
against 2O22,l7j in 1890. When these quantities
are deducted from the indicated consumption Of
American iron, the consumption of iron in other
uses than rail-making appears to have been
G042,l00 tons in 1891, against 6,S02,5i9 In 1890.
But the work OF manufacturing was crowded
into the last half Of the year that the difference
in consumption, not for rails, was approximately as
follows: -
First halt. 3oS4e2S 33o2 2C3
Second haH.................... J,SJ1,212 3-i' 5io
1t is a striking fact that. while the production in
Pennsylvania decreased 81 900 tons last year, and
in Ohio 100000 TONS the Southern States pro-
duced I,9l4,O42 net tons against I,953,45o in the
previous year. West Virginia lost $4,000 TONS
but the other Southern States taken together pro-
duccd more iron last year than in any previous
year. Nearly all the loss in the Northern States.
also was in the two States above mentioned. in
IL. l1l.-fE- .eV.l-