Mar., 1913
T H E JOURhTAL OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D EATGINEERIATGCHE:VfISTRl/
THE STEEL I N D U S T R Y The total production of stcel for 1912 was about 29,745,000 long tons, of which about 62.5 per cent. was basic and 37.5 per cent. acid. The United States Steel Corporation supplied about 45 per cent. of the steel production of the United States; it earned approximately $108,178,307, a n increase of $3,822,744 over 191I , although the tonnage of shipments increased about 35 per cent. and the prices rose about $6.00 per ton. The iron and steel trades are now in a strong position, and this prosperity seems likely to continue for some time. There was a n increase of 2 0 . 1 per cent. in exports of iron and steel, including machinery, over 191I , while there was a decrease of 0.04 per cent. in the imports; and the foreign trade for 1913 should be strong. THE PRODUCTION OF AMMONIUM SULFATE I N 1912 The world’s output of ammonium sulfate during 1912 was ncarly 1,290,000 tons, more than half as much as the total initput of nitrate of soda. This production was thus distributed: Toxs(e) (:errtiany. . . . . . . ..................... l’iiited Kingdoni., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I.nited S t a t e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:runce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belgium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r\ustria-llungary and remainder of Europe. . . . . . .
Total output.
..
465,000 379,000 155,000 68,500 49,500 170,000
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,287,000
( a ) The figures given throughout refer t o ammonia production calculated into its sulfate equiralent, as customary.
I t will thus be seen t h a t Germany is now the largest producer, ivhich is partly ascribable to the development of the by-product coke-oven and producer plants, and partly to the increase in German consumption; in I 9 I 2 , there was a decrease, instead of a n increase, in the German exports. The production in the United Kingdom was as follows: TONS Gns works.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coke, carbonizing and producer gas plants.. , , , , , , Shale oil industry., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Iron works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Total British o u t p u t . . . . . .
,
. .
...........
166,000 132,000 61,000 20,000 379,000
I n 1912, the Unitcd Kingdom exported 286,864 tons of ammonium sulfate, 39,333 tons of which went to the United States, 86,659 tons to Japan, and 66,731 tons to Spain and the Canaries. Unless Germany enters into the export trade more prominently during 1913, the producers of the United Kingdom look for an increased demand from the UnitFd States and Spain. Prominent British traders still regard the United States position as the crux of the market. About 2 I j,ooo tons of ammonium sulfate were consumed in the United States in 1912, of which amount 60,000 tons were imported. Of the home production, 155,000 tons, about 7 5 per cent. was produced by the by-product coke plants, and the balance by the bone-black and coal gas industries. The increase in production over 1911 was 28,000 tons, due to the larger operations of the by-product coke industry. At the beginning of 1912, there were 4,624 by-product coke ovens in operation and 698 in course of construction. Additional by-product plants are announced for 1913, and it is expected that the domestic recovery of ammonia will be carried out on a largcr scale hereafter. At all events, American manufacturers are not being intimidated, apparently, by either synthetic ammonia ur fixed-nitrogen. THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY I N THE UNITED STATES IN 1912 T h y ( A m . Gaslight I., 98, 46; The Gas A g e , 31, 8 5 ) estimates
253
the crude petroleum production for 19 I 2 in comparison with that of 191I , as follows: BARRELSO F 42 GALLOAS
STATE
1911
California. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oklahoma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Illinois.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louisiana. . . . . . . . . . . . . West Virginia. . . . . . . . . . . Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pennsylvania. . , , , . . , . Indiana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kansas. . . . . . . . . . . . . S e w York.. . . . . . . . . . . . . Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colorado. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other S t a t e s . , . . . . . . . . . . Total production..
..
1912
81,134,391 56,069,637 31,317,038 10,720,420 9 795,464 9,526,474 5,517,112 8,248,158 I , 695,289 1,278,819 952,515 472,458 226,926 194.690
87,000,000 52,000,000 28,000,000 10,000,000 11,800,000 10,500,000 8,500,000
220,449,391
220,200,000
~
Y ,ooo, o m 1 , 200,000
1,3oo,ono 700,000 sn0,ooo 200,000 500,000
The Engineering and Mining Journal, 95, 152, gives a lower estimate, namely, 218,970,815 barrels. The decline in production during 1912 exerted an influence on the price; for example, Mercer, Pa., black, quoted a t $0.87 per barrel a t the beginning of 1912, was quoted a t $1.53 a t the end of the year; North Lima, Ohio, jumped from $0.84 to $ 1 . 2 2 , Indiana from $0.79 to $1.17, Kansas and Oklahoma from ,%.jo t o $0.80, and Electra and Henrietta, Texas, from $0.53 to $0.85. Judging from the dividend disbursements by the constituents of the “old” Standard Oil Company, 1912 was a year of prosperity for the Eastern oil companies. While the California oil companies made a creditable showing in dividends, the year closed badly for them, owing to the Standard’s refusal to take low-grade oil after the existing contracts expired. The exports of mineral oils from the United States for the year ended December 31, were 1,736,230,014gallons in 1911 and 1,844,530,045 gallons in 1912. The exports in 1912 included 173,522,223 gallons of crude; 1,023,681,414gallons of illuminating oils; 213,j59,784 gallons of lubricating oils and parafin; 17j,089,;71 gallons of naphthas and gasoline; and 2 j9,276,851 gallons of residuum. During the year the demand for gasoline greatly increased; there was a considerable extension in the use of oil-driven tractors and agricultural machinery, and the employment of oil engines to reduce power costs in remote districts became more fully appreciated. Modern refining methods were described in brief during the year by Thomas T. Gray (The iLfiizeruZ Industry, 20, 5 7 7 ) , w h o also jndicated some technical problems requiring solution. CONDITIONS O F THE PLATE GLASS INDUSTRY I N THE UNITED STATES’ The annual production of plate glass in the United States is about 60,000,000 square feet, about 4; per cent. of which is produced by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company and the rc mainder by the following clevcn separate companies : Allegheny Plate Glass Co., Glassmere, Pa. American Plate Glass Co.. Kane, Pa. Columbia Plate Glass Co., Blnirsville, Pa Federal Plate Glass Co., Ottawa, Ill. Ford, Edward, Plate Glass Co., Rossford, Oliio. Heidenkamp Mirror Co., Springdale. P a . Kittanning Plate Glass Co., Kittanning. l’a. Penn-American Plate Glass Co., Alexandria, I n d Saginaw Plate Glass Co.. Saginaw, hlich. St. Louis Plate Glass Co., Valley Park, %Io. S t a n d a r d Plate Glass Co., Butler, Pa. 1 Much of this information has been taken from The c ; l a . s ~ i ~ o r k e rS1, , Nos. 16 and 1 7 (1913). For a review of the present status of t h r WIII~OIV glnss industry in the 1.nite.d States, see Tiirs ~ O I ~ R N . A I5.,. ’10.
