Mineral Products of the United States. [Volume: 8, Issue: 4, 1889, pp. 230-232]

230

UNITED STATES ASSOCIATION OF

[VOL. 8,

Mineral Products of the United States.
THE sixth report on "The Mineral Resources of the United
States," by David T. Day, Chief of the Division of Mining Statistics and Technology, United States Geological Survey, for the
calendar year 1888, contains detailed statistics for this period, and
also for preceding years.
METALS.
The principal statistics for iron and steel for 1888 were: Domestic
iron-ore consumed, about 12,060,000 long tons; value at mines,
$28,944,000; an increase over 1887 in quantity of 760,000 tons,
but a decrease in value of $4,956,000. Imported iron-ore consumed, 587,470 long tons; total iron-ore consumed in 1888, about
12,650,000 long tons,* or 150,000 tons more than in 1887. Pigiron made in 1888, 6,489,738 long tons; value at furnace, $107,000,000; an increase over 1887 of 72,590 tons in quantity, but a
decrease of $14,925,800 in value. Steel of all kinds lro(luced in
1888, 2,899,440 long tons; value at works, $89,000,000; a decrease
from 1887 of 439,631 tons in quantity and of $14,811,000 in value.
Total spot-value of all iron and steel made in 1888, in the first
stage of manufacture, excluding all duplications, $145,000,000; a
decrease of $26,103,000 as compared with 1887. Limestone used
as a flux in the manufacture of pig-iron in 1888, about 5,438,000
long tons; value at quarry, about $2,719,000.
According to the director of the mint, the gold product was
1,604,927 fine ounces, valued at $33,175,000. The silver product
was 45,783,632 fine ounces, of the commercial value of about
$43,000,000. In addition to the product of our own mines, some
10,000,000 ounces of silver were extracted in the United States
from foreign ores and bullion.
The total copper product, including the yield of imported ores,
increased to 231,270,622 pounds, or 115,635 short tons, during
1888, which is 46,053,291 pounds more than the product of 1887.

* This agrees very closely with the estimate made in the last issue of the
JOURNAL, page 155, of 12,700,000 tons.