American Pig-Iron in 1888. [Volume: 8, Issue: 3, 1889, pp. 170-180]

I

170 UNITED STATES ASSOCIATION OF [VOL. 8,
just as soon as lie receives it. Last month four molders using the
Barr chill did not. all told, lose as many wheels from chill cracks
as the fifth molder using the old style chill.
American Pig-Iron in 1888.
In round numbers six and a half million gross tons of pig iron
was the product in 1888 of the 589 furnaces reported as existing
in the'United States. The exact figures collected and published
by the American Iron and Steel Association, are 7,268,507 net
tons, or 6,189,738 gross tons, an amount that exceeds by 72,590
gross tons or a little over one per cent. the output of 1887, which
had previously represented the maximum annual product of the
American blast furnaces. The total number of furnaces in blast
July 1st, 1888, was 290, and on December 31st, 1888, 333. If
we assume the average number in blast for the year at 320, it will
show that the blast furnaces which were active in 1888 averaged
an annual product exceeding 20,000 gross tons each.
The production of pig-iron in 1888 classified according to the
fuel used was as follows, compared with the production in 1883,
1884, 1885, 1886 and 1887:
NET TONS.
FUED USED. 1883. 1884. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888.
Anthracite coal.........~.. 1,88,59. 1,,.6,453 1.454,3.0 2,099,597 2,3.38,389 1,92.5,729
Charcoal.................. 571.726 458.418 399,844 459,557 578,182 598,789
BituminouS coal and coke... 2,689,650 2,544,742 2,675,635 3,805,174 4,2;0,6:5 4,74;:,989
Total.................. 5,146,972 4,589,613 4,529,869 6,365,328 7,187,206 7,268,507
Mr. James M. Swank,vice president of the American Iron and Steel
Association, says that "the anthracite figures include all pig-iron
made with mixed anthracite and coke as well as that made with
anthracite alone. The production of iron with anthracite coal
alone is now annually less than that made with charcoal (it was
277,515 net tons in 1888).
If a tin-plate industry should be established in this country as.the result of tariff legislation our production of charcoal pig-iron
would doubtless largely increase. In an abundant supply of
charcoal we have a great advantage over Great Britian, which
now makes scarcely any tin plate from charcoal pig-iron."