L. MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING. 



459 



L. MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING. 



PIG-IEOX PRODUCTION IX THE UNITED STATES IX 1874. 



From the long-expected statement of the Secretary of the 

 American Iron and Steel Association, which has just ap- 

 peared in the Bulletin^ we are enabled to give the following 

 official facts and figures concerning the production of pig- 

 iron in the United States for the year 1874. From the 

 statistical information in possession of the Association, the 

 production for 1874 was 2,698,413 net tons, against 2,868,278 

 net tons in 1873, and 2,854,558 net tons in 1872; show- 

 ing a decrease of 178,865 tons as compared with 1873, and 

 of 165,145 tons as compared with 1872. Notwithstanding 

 this decrease, however, the production for 1874 is much 

 larger than had been generally anticipated by those best in- 

 formed. 



The accompanying statistical resume will give a general 

 view of the subject in its bearing upon the past three (3) 

 years : 



The comparatively (and unexpectedly) large production 

 of pig-iron in 1874 the Secretary inclines to attribute partly 

 to the strong hope that was entertained by many manufact- 

 urers at the outset of the last year that the depressing ef- 

 fects of the financial panic would soon disappear; and partly 

 to the fact that, of the 413 furnaces that continued to make 

 iron, nearly every one of the large, new, and improved fur- 

 naces erected in 1872 and 1873 was included, while those 



* Including three spiegeleisen furnaces in New Jersey. 



f Two furnaces were abandoned in 1874. J Estimated. 



