CEMENT MATERIALS AND INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED 
STATES. 
By Edwin C. Eckel. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The marvelous growth of the American Portland-cement industry 
during the last decade has created a widespread interest in the raw 
materials and in the methods of manufacture of Portland cement — 
the most important of the cementing materials. This interest is not 
confined to those who have a direct financial stake in the industry, 
as the product is so widely used, and its uses are so rapidly increas- 
ing, that some knowledge of its manufacture and properties is of 
advantage to everyone connected, directly or indirectly, with engi- 
neering or building operations. In its importance to our present 
civilization cement is surpassed among mineral products only by iron, 
3oal, and oil; in rate of increase in annual production during the last 
iecade even these three products can not be compared with it. In 
1890 the total production of Portland cement in the United States was 
535,500 barrels, valued at $439,050; in 1903 it exceeded 22,000 000 
mrrels, while the value was over $27,000,000. 
The rate of growth of the industry is shown graphically by fig. 1 . 
The value of the annual production of Portland cement in the 
Jnited States has been plotted on this diagram for the sixteen years 
888-1903, inclusive. During the sixteen years which witnessed the 
evelopment of the American Portland-cement industry two of the 
reatest gold discoveries in the world's history were made — in Colo- 
ado and Alaska. The annual gold production of Alaska and of the 
Cripple Creek district in Colorado have been accordingly placed on 
he diagram. These two great gold strikes impressed themselves on 
very citizen of the United States, while the Portland-cement industry 
as attained its growth in comparative obscurity. Yet on comparison 
t will be seen that the gold production of Cripple Creek is only 
lightly greater than the output of Portland cement, while the pro- 
luction of Alaska sinks into comparative insignificance. On examini- 
ng the diagram it will be seen, moreover, that the greater part of this 
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