Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 November 1901 — IRON RECORD BROKEN. [ARTICLE]

IRON RECORD BROKEN.

The Total Output of Pin in October KeAchcd 1,400,000 Tons. Reports from pig iron manufacturers, covering production in October, show that the month was a record-breaker. The output reached the great total of 1,400,000 tons, or at the rate of 16,800,000 tons a year. The furnaces in blast Nov. 1 had a weekly capacity of 320,824 tons, based on their actual yield in October. This is, in excess of any previous record. In its weekly review of the trade the Iron Age calls attention to the facts given above, and also shows that so great is the still-growing demand for steel that railways which have not already ordered not be able to get supplies for delivery next summer. The entire output 'of the rail mills of the United States Steel Corporation for next year is under contract at this date. The pig iron situation is strengthened by the great difficulty still experienced in securing coke by reason of the shortage of cars. More furnaces have been banked in the central West during the week and the production this month will be curtailed to a considerable extent. This will affect particularly the output of steel, the supply of which was not equal to the demand when everything was running smoothly in October. Coke and anthracite furnaces reporting stocks, including practically all the furnaces making foundry and forge iron, had only 223,089 tons on hand >fov. 1, against 299,824 tons Oct. 1, which is a reduction of 76,735 tons. The charcoal furnaces reported a reduction of 11,007 tons in the same time. This is the heaviest reduction in stocks in a single month in a long period, and It was made concurrently with a great increase in production. It would be difficult to find stronger evidence of the activity prevail-, ing in the iron trade. Prices are not likely soon to recede.