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

No. 3.]

CHARCOAL IRON WORKERS.

177

PRODUCTION BY STATES.
Taking now the States we find that Pennsylvania still holds
first place with a product of 3,589,186 net tons, or 49.4 per cent
of the total make. This amount is approximately divided into
anthracite and bituminous pig-iron, with a small quantity of charcoal iron. The output of the coke blast furnaces of Pennsylvania
equals 40.8 per cent. of the total make, and 85.1 per cent. of the
iron rated as "anthracite" was produced in Pennsylvania. The
charcoal iron made in Pennsylvania was but 2.5 per cent. of the
total make. The records of 1887 and 1888 show that Pennsylvania made 2.6 per cent. less pig iron in the last year than in the
preceding year. The increase or decline according to fuel used wa|
in coke iron an increase of 11 per cent., in anthracite iron a decline of
15.2 per cent., and in charcoal iron an increase of 27.1 per cent.
Ohio also holds its place next to Pennsylvania with a product
for 1888 of 1,103,818 net tons, a gain over 1887 of 13.0 per cent.
Most of the product was made with bituminous fuel, and this represents 22.8 per cent. of the total make with this fuel in the
United States. The output of the Ohio charcoal furnaces in 1888
showed an increase of 17.8 per cent. over the figures of 1887, but
the make was only 3.7 per cent. of the total product of the country.
Pennsylvania and Ohio together made 63.6 per cent. of all the
coke iron produced in the country last year, and their combined
output of all kinds of pig iron represents 64.6 per cent. of the aggregate production of the United States.
Illinois follows Ohio as third in importance, its product in 1888,
which is all made with coke, represents 12.2 per cent. of the coke
pig-iron made in the country, and 8 per cent. of the total output of all our blast furnaces. Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois
made in 1888 72.5 per cent. of the pig-iron of the United States.
Alabama, which in 1887 held fifth place, has advanced to fourth
in rank, the gain over 1887 being 79.9 per cent in coke iron, and
the loss in charcoal iron 1.1 per cent. The total output of the
State in 1888 was 53.5 per cent. greater than in 1887. Compared
with the production of the country, Alabama made in 1888 6.2
per cent. of all the pig-iron, 7.5 per cent. of all the coke pig-iron,
and 15.7 per cent. of the charcoal pig-iron.
Tennessee, New York, Michigan and Virginia form a group of
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