cxciv GENERAL SUMMAKY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS. 



By WILLIAM H. WAHL. 



IRON AND STEEL. 



The same remarks with which we introduced our resume of the 

 condition of the Iron producing and manufacturing industries of 

 the country in last year's Recoi'd will apply with equal force to our 

 l^resent statement. These were, in brief, that, though presenting 

 certain favorable features, the condition of these industries was much 

 the same as at the close of the previous year. An inspection of the 

 accompanying statistical tables will afford the reader an oversight 

 of this field of industry, brought down to as recent a date as the 

 returns at our command will permit. 



From the annual report of the secretary of the association, it is 

 announced that the production of pig-iron in 1875 was 2,266,581 net 

 tons, against 2,689,413 tons in 1874, 2,868,278 tons in 1873, and 

 2,854,558 tons in 1872. A comparison of these figures shows a de- 

 crease of production in 1875, as compared with that of 1874, of 

 422,832 tons, or more than 15 per cent. The actual production of 

 1875, as ascertained, is somewhat larger than our estimate published 

 in last year's Record. Of the total pig-iron product of 1875, 908,046 

 tons were anthracite, 947,545 tons were bituminous coal and coke, 

 and 410,990 tons were charcoal iron. 



The number of completed furnace stacks at the close of 1875, not 

 including abandoned stacks, Avas 713, against 693 at the close of 

 1874, and 657 at the close of 1873. During the year 1875, therefore, 

 20 stacks were added to the productive capacity of the country. Of 

 these 713 furnaces, at the close of 1875. 293 were in blast, and 420 



7 / 7 



were out of blast. 



Of the total production for 1875, it appears, on further analysis, 

 Pennsylvania made 42.4 per cent.; Ohio, 18.3; New York, 11.7; 

 Michigan, 5 ; New Jersey, 2.8 ; Wisconsin, 2.7 ; Missouri, 2.6 ; Illi- 

 nois, 2.2 ; Kentucky, 2.1 ; and the remaining iron-making states each 

 less than 2 per cent. 



The following table shows the production of pig-iron (of all kinds) 

 for the years 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1875, arranged by states, based 

 upon statistics collected from the manufacturers by the American 

 Iron and Steel Association : 



