Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-04

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, January s.
(SpeclaL)-The year just closed has been
by far the most prosperous in the history
Of the southern iron Industry. During. the
period - .e months prices have prac-.
tically# do while the Volume OF pro-
duction has increased fully % per cent
The regularity and steady run OF the.
furnaces have broken all previous re-
cords. At the opening OF the year prices
ranged from s11 to s13 per ton. while
prices range now from So to s2 per ton:
Meanwhile, there. is an enormo bus demand
for spot iron, feature Of the market
which commanded little attention AGAR
ago.
Some Of the, larger producing concerns
have sold six months ahead the year
1903, while others have disposed of neir
product at the prevailing pricessWell into
the approac ching year. A significant TEA.
5ture Of the situation is the substantial
growth Of the cast-iron trade. The de-
7mand for pipe is greater than ever before
considerably greater than the prevailing
supply.
At the opening ofathe year the number
Of furnaces III active 5aoperat1 ton was
ttirty-one, with ten idle. The close Of the
present year S1CllSSSSS
in blast and seven out Of blast During
the wear two new furnaces have been
added TO Ala bama's iron-producing ca
pa city. They are the new furnaces Of the
Republic Iron and Steel Company at
Thomas. and the fifth furnace OF, the Ten
nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company
at Ensley.
NEARLY. TWO MILLION TONS.
shinments Of. iron, steel, and cast-tron
pipe from the southern iron field, EN-
nracing# Alabama and Tennessee and the
Middlesboro district, in Kentucky. Tor
the year 1902 tthe month of December
being estimated), amounted to l,seo'1s'
tons. as against 1855, 674 tons in 1901,
gain OF 2554 s26 tons OF this amount,anou
two thirds came from Alabama: ana prac-
tically half from the Birmingham district.
From the Birmingham district ATOMS
the shipments were 800, COS tons. as against
SG9, G51s tons last year, a gain during 1n l
period Of ] .254 tons. The steel shipments
totalleds 10000 tons, all being from the
district Of Ensley, Ala,
SHIPMENTS OF PIG.
The shipments Of pig iron alone from
| the southern iron field during the year
were 1,777,533 tons. as against L52lsuts
| ions In 1901. OF this amount only 1903 tons
| was exported, as compared With I.s IONS
! last year.
! The falling OFF in ezportau tons IS ex.
planned by the fact tina the domestic &c,
mand during the year has been 50 grea'
As absolutely to shut out the foreign buy
er a $ such iron as was sold abroad was
| delivered under old contracts made before
| the home consumption became SO grea1
as it now is In fact, the southern =. 1ur-
/ naces withdrew from the foreign mar.
/ ket months ago, and even had snlppet
l back for domestic consumption some o.
| the iron which had already gone aproa s1e
This fact is significant as 1ndlcatlng -, ,1s
/ enormous home demand for pig n metal st1as
CAsT-IRON PIPE PRODUCTION.
cast-iron pipe shipments for the yea
were IL, 465 tons, the month or Decenpe
i being estimated. Last year these move
nents amounted to 15S,5s5 tons. ana ina
! Yea was up to that time a record breake
=, "a st-iron pipe production. For the Biz
j mincham district alone these shlpmen- !
veres 81 600 tons, as against q, 134 tons tn
! year before.
The year closed with a. daily furnac
ca pacity of $500 tons OF pig iron, a
a gainst 5,275 tons per day a year ago
The seven furnaces out OF blast IN tnl
/ field areYall undergoing repairs prepare
l tory to an early resumption & OF WoIh
/, Most of them expect to get into operation
/
i pis-iron output for 1908 promises even t
4 exceed the remarkable record Of las
year. ,v,-v-,,1,r,1, .
i Perhaps the most significant develop
8 ment Of the year in the metal lndusts
was in the production of steel. It IS Eoni
i two or three years since steel manuIac
4 ture was first undertaken in this State
IN regard to the outlook for the iro
and steel Industry in the South for 1870
4 representative men in the trade are a uni
B in saying that the coming year holds on
greater promise than any in the h1stor
Of the southern iron trade. The deman
I is such that iron men are una BILE to Sc
I how there can be any considerable IA
q in prices. On the contrary, they look 70
higher prices. aud on that account a.
q unwilling to sell a year production
a advance. Every preparation is made. =
4 the largest production ever known WIZ
he