Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-01
Increased American Production

1
| have been the same as in the previous year
and an allowance Of 100000 tons to cover
| minor producers.
Increased American Production.
During 1903 1t is believed that the world $
production OF pig iron will be between 49,
100000 and 100000 tons The pig iron
production of the United States will show
an increase close to 100000 tons While 1t
Is too early to give exact figures for Ger
many. Great Britain and France, it is GER
| tain that all three Of these countries will
! show an increase in their output
| The United States. with per cent of the
worlds population. produces 40 per cent Of
| the worlds pig iron. The actual consump-
| ton OF pig iron In the United States is over
600 pounds per capita. The average for the
United States. Great Britain and Germany
| the three largest producers, is 800 pounds
This leaves all the other countries an aver
age OF less than twenty-five pounds, al
though these other countries include many
that are civilized.
While the population in the United States
| Just doubled In the thirty years from 1870
to 1900, the production Of pig iron increas-
| ed seven-fold. bringing the production to
quarter Of a ton at the present time for
every man. woman and child in the coun-
| try II every other nation consumed as
much per capita. the worlds production of
| pig iron would have to amount to close to
| SOC, 100000 tons a year.
| The pig iron production of the United
| States in 1902 was more than double that
of Germany and that Of the united king
dom; 1T was approximately million tons
| in excess Of the combined product of those
two European countries.
Steel Production.
| The steel production Of the whole world
for 1902 was 36.479, 1913 tons. The steel pro-
| duct in the United States was about three
| times as large as Great Britain's and about
| twice as large as Germany's, while It's in
crease as compared with that of the entire
world was smaller than in the case of pig
| iron. But the increase in steel production
| last year as a whole was proportionately
much greater than that in pig iron. This
is due in large part to the increasing use
| OF steel in the United States for all con-
structive purposes and to the substitution
of cast steel for cast iron in the construc-
ton of locomotives and machinery.
The known supply of Iron ore is Of less
than sixty years duration, according to
| the highest authority in estimates.
Alabama seems to have a good supply of
| iron ore in reserve. Last year the value of
pig iron produced in the Birmingham dis
trict was $27O. 900. 600. and this year 1t will
reach $3O0.O000OO There are not less than
100000 people continuously employed there
in the different industries correlated to the
making of pig iron, and the amount of
money invested in ore lands, coal and
limestone properties and furnaces aggre-
gates $500. 100000.
Development Of Birmingham.
In the tremendous development of the Biz
mingham districts iron and steel trade the
paramount factors have been the enormous
deposits Of ore. coking coal and fuxing ma
terials, in close proximity. and all chemi-
cally available for use. Twenty-four years
ago. In the Birmingham district there were
only four blast furnaces. Now there are In
blast In the immediate district over thirty
furnaces: while In various parts of the
state. adjacent to the district, there are
twenty-five other pig iron producers
In the newest furnaces, now rapidly dot
ting the iron territory, iron has been made
with a ton of coke. as compared with 2lh
tons of coke to the ton of iron in the older
furnaces. The first steel produced in the
birmingham district was made in 1888
This was purely an experiment But for
the last six years basic open hearth steel
has been commercially manufactured The
three principal iron and steel makers in the
Birmingham district, Republic Iron and
Steel. Tennessee Coal and Iron and Sloss-
Sheffield, have each magnificent plants,
splendidly equipped.
Where the Output Goes.
Their output goes to England France.
Holland. Denmark. Norway, Switzerland
and Austria in Europe; India, China and
Japan in Asia: Australia. Argentine and
Brazil in South America; Cuba. Mexico and
the Hawaiian Islands. 1t is estimated that
the iron IOunuTleS OF the district will con-
sumo 100000 tons of pig iron this year.
With the building of the isthmian canal
the district will be placed in a position to
compete in the markets of the world and
to sell it's products on equal terms as to
transportation facilities with any nation.
The iron ore resources Of Alabama are of
immense value. The ore Is divided into two
classes. the red and brown ores. The red
ore is the most important. It is available
in enormous quantities. It is both hard
and soft. So close to the surface does this
ore lie. and so thick are the veins, that it
has been placed in the furnace for less
than 20 cents per ton. The brown ores
constitute about Is per cent Of the bulk of
the ores mined in the district. It Is from
this that the best foundry iron is made.
Within the next decade Birmingham will
be one of the greatest producing centers.