Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-23
PRODUCTION OF MINERALS
Report of the Geological Survey for
1898.
Total Amount Taken From the Earth
the Greatest in the History
of the Country.

The official report on the mineral produce
tlon OF the United States for the calendar
year 1898 has been made public by the
geological survey. 1t shows that since
1850 the total value of the mineral pro-
ductfon of the United States has increased
from 1863 900 to SCOT $50 ooo in 1saS
nearly 40 per cent. The normal Increase
deduced from this record of nineteen wears
Is at the rate of S1S,0000OO annually bur
during the five years since 1892 the rate
OF increase has been nearly SO 900 eco
annually. While the normal rate of in
crease may lie somewhere between these
hgures, the totals are marked by great
Irregularities From 1894 to 1895 the in
crease was nearly 800 1000 600. and in the
following year the increase was only a lit
tie over Sl,oUN.oUD, While from 1892 to 1884
there was decrease. owing to the business
depression, of over 1921 ,G00,no0 From 1896
TO 1877 the increase was about SIS 900 COO
ABOUT l5 per cent, while from 1897 to 1898
the increase was S6G9Io, JS4.
Largest Product in History.
The 1898 total product was the largest
in history, exceeding that of 1899. which
heid the record prior to 1898, by nearly
soo,oo0,e0o. This is due to a general in
crease all along the line of mineral pro-
ducts. all of the more important of these
che showing some gain The value of all
metallic products in 1898 was S34i O161. o.
as compared with S302. 19s, 300 in 1897, a
gain of S41, s97. SOS. All Of the metals ex-
cept nickel made large gains. copper, lead,
zinc, aluminium and antimony reaching
their maximum in both production and
value, but, while the amount of pig iron
produced in 1898 was greater than in any
other year yet the value of this producf
was considerably less than in 1890 or 1870
though it increased S2l.4:i4. 701 over 1897,
this beng more thar one-half the total in
crease IN the metallic products from 1877
to 1888.
The non-metaliic products increased from
SGT 800 in 1897 to S352. 1873. ST. a gain
OF S2o,oI2.a06. The largest contributor to
this gain was bitumnous coal which in
creased from $119 81 "a i'm 1897 to sl3o
oS6,3l3 in 1898. gain of S13,U19,OSa The
value OF the anthracite. however, fell off
nearly sf'ooo,ooo The other products show
ing important gains were stone petroleum.
natural gas and mineral waters.
Products and Their yaIue.>t
The official figures of production and
value of the principal products follow:
Iron and steel-Pig iron. Lib 1874 long
tons; Bessemer steel ingots, 66o9.017 tons;
open hearth steel, 2.23o 800 long tons; iron
cres, 19,27S,369 long tons, valued at 22,Ol2,-
542; gold, value s64. 1853 900, an increase in
product: silver, "a, 43S0D ounces; coming
value $1o,3S44S5, commercial value,
~, us 40; copper, 526,5l2,9S7 pounds; value,
s61. S65,2f6 lead 231 800 tons; value ST..
345. 10; zinc 1880 short tons; value,
$40, 3S5,91o; quicksilver, 81 ,092 TASKS; value,
81, lSS62l; aluminium, 5,20,G0 pounds;
value S11I6W0: metallic anthony 1,120
short tons; value, s1si,0JO, 50 per cent being
derived from imported ores; manganese,
1887 long tons; value, $129 lS5; nickel,
13.411 pounds.
Fuels-Coals, combined product of an
thracite and bituminous. 196, 405,953 long
tons, equivalent to 219974667 short tons,
a $40 per cent increase. OF the total 14S 742,-
StS long tons were bituminous; coke 49,
o47.59 short tons; crude petroleum, 55354.
2'3 barrels; natural gas, value, $14 $50 600;
stone, Ss6, 24 in value; clays. s10,0Oo.GO0
value: Portland cement. 1852 2S4 barrels;
natural rock cement, S,276.424 barrels: CO.
rundum and emery $275.064 value; product,
4O6i tons; phosphate rock. COO. s94 long tons,
s2,613.2o2 value: gypsum 291 .6SS short tons;
value, $3.50: salt, 17,61o634 barrels of
go pounds s6.2l2,5J4; borax, 5000, 900
pounds. $1.1a0.00O; pyrite. 19336i long tons;
precious stones, s16O,920 in value; asphalt
tum, 763s7 short tons. S675, $40; limestone
for iron f1ux, 5,275.S19 tons. worth 81 6sS-
600; mineral waters. IS, S53, 464 gallons sold,
worth $S,05l ,S3i.