The Washington times., 1902-01-27
MINERAL WEALTH
OF THE COUNTRY
Geological Survey Gives
Some Interesting Facts.
PIG IRON In PENNSYLVANIA
The Keystone State Produced Larg-
est Amount in the Appa-
lachinn Field.
PIG IRON In PENNSYLVANIA

What is known as the Appalachian re-
gion is the great mountain distric. ex-
tending from western New York on the
north. about 800 miles, southwesterIy into
Alabama.
This region is the seat of the greatest
mineral industries of the country, either
in the production of the raw materials,
or in their manufacture into some higher
form OF finished product. It embraces in
whole or in part. the States of New York,
Pennsylvania West Virginia. southeastern
Ohio. Virginia, eastern Kentucky, Tennes
see, western Georgia. North Carolina, and
Alabama.
Coal and iron are the basis of indus
trial wealth. and the story of their pro-
duction and manufacture in this section
forms most interesting part of the
Mineral Resources of the United States,
1900, recently published by the United
States Geological Survey.
Pennsylvania Leads.
brief review shows that this region
furnished over 5000 OOe long tons of iron
ore of the total of little over q, SOC. 600
y
perlor region in Michigan Minnesota. and
Wisconsin furnished about 20. 800, 600 tons,
ieaVlng something like 100000 tons for
all the rest of the country. But when we
foilow this iron one step further to it's
conversion into pig iron, we find that the
Appalachian region, with Pennsylvania
far in the lead, produced in round num-
bers, about 9,500,0 600 long tons of the
total output of 13,7S9,2i2 tons. and if we
follow this pig iron a step or two further,
we find that this same region produced in
round numbers. about 100000 long tons
of the total of 6.6S47 40 tons of Bessemer
steel ingots; about 2.S50, ,000 long tons of a
total of 3,39Sl35 tons of open hearth
steel; more than three-fi of the total
of 2,361,921 long tons of Bessemer steel
rails, and about two-thirds of all the wire
nails produced in 1900.
Disproportion Explained.
TIL" explanation of this disproportion of
manufactures is readily seen in the pro-
ductirn by Pennsylvania OF all but about
100000 short tons of the output of 81, 1885,
3l9 tons of anthracite coal: in the pro-
duction by this region of little over 81
per cent of the total output of bitumi-
nous coal; in the production of fully %
per cent of the total output of coke; in
the production of over 81 per cent of the
total output of s., ,362, 70i barrels of crude
petroleum, and of natural gas to the value
Of about Sl6,0O0000 out of total of $685.
coo, 463
Abundance of Fuel.
The abundance of fuel of the region
compels other sections 10 pay tribute to
1t. The iron ores of Lake Superior and
the iron ores OF Cuba alike find their way
TO the furnaces of Pennsylvania. West
virginia shows bow powerfully transpor-
tation affects the region within itself and
disemhowels one State to feed another
West Virginia produced in 1900 in round
numbers. %, 600 short tons of btu
minous coal, 4.7i7,O00 tons of coke, 49,
10000 barrels of crude petroleum, and
natural gas to the value of about SO. .O0O,-
900, and yet she is credited with only 1866
Ios long tons of pig iron. and her pro-
duction of steel and manufactured iron
was not sufficiently important to cause
her 10 be distinguished from other
StafpS'' in tho raports