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

No. 3.]

CHARCOAL IRON WORKERS.

179

BESSEMER PIG IRON.
The growth of the steel industry may be appreciated by the increased production of Bessemer pig-iron which in 1886 was
1,319,929 net tons or 20.7 per cent. of the total product of pigiron; in 1887 was 1,638,907 net tons or 22.8 per cent. of the total
product of pig-iron; in 1888, was 2,958,836 net tons or 40.7 per
cent. of the total product of pig-iron.
Pennsylvania made 59.8 per cent. of all the Bessemer pig iron
in 1888. Illinois followed with 18.0 per cent. and Ohio with 11.4
per cent. By localities, the vicinity of Chicago was the largest
producer of Bessemer pig-iron. with a total of 551,076 net tons.
Allegheny county, Pa., comes next with 532,590 net tons, and
the vicinity of Harrisburg, Pa., follows with 423,661 net tons.
CHARCOAL PIG IRON.
The output of the charcoal blast furnaces in 1888 (598,789 net
tons) shows an increase of 20,607 net tons over 1887 or 3.5 per
cent., while the quantity of all kinds of pig-iron made during
1888 showed an increase of 1.1 per cent. over the preceding year.
An examination of the statistics shows that the record of 1888 in
its output of charcoal iron was only exceed by the years 1881 and
1882.
Facing page 24 of Vol. V, of the JOURNAL, we gave a graphic
illustration of the development of pig-iron manufacture with the
various fuels from 1854 to 1883, inclusive, and on page 211 of
Vol. VII, of the JOURNAL, a table was printed showing the quantities of pig iron made with the various fuels and the percentages
of the total which each represented for the years 1854 to and including 1886. Supplementing this table we have the following.
data for the years 1880 to 1888, inclusive: