The Position of the United States as an Iron Producer. [Volume: 8, Issue: 2, 1888, pp. 76-78]

76

UNITED STATES ASSOCIATION OF

[VOL. 8,

The Position of the United States as an Iron Producer.
In the JOURNAL, pages 51 and 55, we presented a graphic illustration of the pig-iron production of various countries, and gave
their respective weekly outputs in the years 1873 and 1886, and
in the article we fully discussed the relative importance of Great
Britain and the United States. In a late issue of the Iron Age
some additional figures are presented to which we give place as
showing our true position. Our contemporary claims to have collected the most authentic figures which have been issued by
government officials and trade organizations in the leading countries of the world. Taking the highest known production of each
country, it gives the following table in gross and metric tons, according to the system of weights adopted as the standard in the
countries specified:
MAXIMUM PIG-IRON PRODUCT.
COUNTRIES. Years. Tons.
Great Britain,.................. 1882 8,586,680
United States,..................... 1887 6,417,148
Germany,....................... 1887 3,907,364
France,......................... 1883 2,069,430
Belgium,..................... 1883 783,433
Austria-Hungary,.................. 1884 734,346
Russia......................... 1882 498,400
Sweden,........................ 1885 464,737
Spain,..................1885 159,225
Other countries,........................ 200,000
The aggregate of 23,820,763 tons is the utmost production of
pig-iron of which the united countries of the world have as yet
shown themselves capable. Of that production Great Britain's
share was 36 per cent., and that of the United States was 27 per
cent. Comparing the figures of the other countries it will be
found that the United States produced as much as Germany,
France and Russia combined. Great Britain, however, is not
keeping up her heavy output of 1882, her production having declined steadily from that year until 1886, when she produced but
6,870,665 tons, or only 453,517 tons more than the output of the
United States in 1887. She rallied in 1887 to 7,441,927 tons,
which is still far below the figures of 1882.
The figures compiled by Mr. James M. Swank, general manager