ccxxxiv GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



The total quantity of pig-iron, converted by the Bessemer 

 or pneumatic process was 140,404 net tons in 1872, 183,534 

 tons in 1873, and 204,352 tons in 1874. The secretary esti- 

 mates the probable production of Bessemer rails in the United 

 States during the year 1875 at fully 250,000 net tons. 



The following additions to the Bessemer works in the 

 United States in 1875 are reported: The Edgar Thompson 

 Steel Company, Limited, made its first blow on August 26th 

 last; started its blooming -mill on Friday, August 27th; 

 and rolled its first rail on Wednesday, September 1st. The 

 works at once went into full operation. The Lackawanna 

 Iron and Coal Company followed on the 23d of October. 

 This company makes the tenth that is now engaged in mak- 

 ing Bessemer steel rails in this country, and we learn that 

 the foundations for the Bessemer plant of the Vulcan Iron 

 Works at St. Louis have lately been laid. 



The secretary of the association furnishes, furthermore, the 

 following statement of the quantity of Bessemer ingots made 

 in Great Britain in gross tons: In 1870, 215,000 tons; in 

 1871, 329,000 tons; in 1872, 410,000; in 1873, 496,000; and 

 in 1874, 540,000 ; and draws attention to the fact that when 

 the three new Bessemer establishments are all put in opera- 

 tion making eleven in all the capacity to produce Besse- 

 mer steel will be as great in this country as it now is in 

 Great Britain. 



The following table shows the production of steel, other 

 than Bessemer, in this country during the past ten years in 

 net tons : 



Year. Tons. 



1865 15,2(52 



18G6 18,973 



1807 19,000 



1868 21,500 



1809 23,000 



Year. Tons. 



1870 35,000 



1871 37,000 



1872 38,000 



1873 50,000 



1874 47,481 



The production of open-hearth, or Siemens-Martin steel, is 

 steadily increasing in this country. In 1872 it amounted to 

 3000 net tons; in 1873 to 3500 tons; and in 1874 to 7000 

 tons. 



We compile, finally, from the foregoing statistics of the 

 production of pig-iron, rails, bar-iron, steel, etc., in the United 

 States in 1872, 1873, and 1874, the following table of the ag- 



