INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1873. cxix 



resented ; while the furnaces and mills were worked to their 

 utmost to meet the orders which came in upon them. 



The production of pig-iron in the United States for 1872 

 was 2,830,070 net tons, or 2,526,848 gross tons. In 1873, 

 the ascertained production during the first six months of the 

 year was 1,393,075 net tons ; and the estimated production 

 for the entire year 1873 is 2,695,434 net tons, or 2,406,637 

 gross tons ; showing a i:)robable decrease in production, as 

 compared with that of the previous year, of 134,636 net tons. 

 It is regarded as probable that, had not the financial crisis in- 

 tervened, the total iron production for the year 1873 would 

 have exceeded 3,000,000 tons. The estimated capacity of 

 all the furnaces in the United States is 4,371,277 net tons. 

 The total number of furnaces in the United States, exclusive 

 of abandoned and projected furnaces, is 636. The total num- 

 ber finished and put in blast in 1873 is 42, of w^hich a num- 

 ber are among the largest in the country. 



The American make of rails during the year 1873 will prob- 

 ably be about 850,000 tons (of which 120,000 tons will be 

 Bessemer rails), as compared with 941,992 tons produced in 

 1872, showing a decrease of nearly 100,000 tons. 



The product of the forges and bloomeries of the country 

 is estimated for 1873 at about 50,000 tons, against 58,000 in 

 1872. 



Concerning the production of steel, it appears that, while 

 there is the same fallinsf off in the fiojures indicatingr total 



O 3 3 



production as compared with the previous year (28,000 tons 

 as compared to 32,000), the introduction of improved proc- 

 esses for its manufacture (the Bessemer and Siemens-Martin 

 processes) show an encouraging development, as the summary 

 below appended indicates. 



There are eight Bessemer works for the conversion of steel 

 and the rolling of rails at present in working condition in the 

 United States. These are located at the following places : 

 Troy, N". Y. ; Johnstown, Pa. ; Bethlehem, Pa. ; Harrisburg, 

 Pa. ; Newburg, Ohio ; Chicago, 111. ; and Joliet, in the same 

 state ; while the capacity of the Harrisburg works is in course 

 of being doubled by the erection of a new plant, and the Ed- 

 gar Thompson Steel Works, near Pittsburgh, Pa., will be com- 

 pleted in 1874. The total capacity of the Bessemer works 

 now in operation in the country is 170,000 tons. 



