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IS IRON ORE, COAL, PIG IBOS, AM'
GREAT BRITAIN.
As we years ago explained in detail, the iron industry of
Great Britain hail a very slow growth until the last quarter of
the last century. For many years prior to this period the domestic
production of pig iron especially had almost ceased, and other
countries were called upon to supply her with this raw material.
Iu 1740 the production of pig iron in Great Britain was only
17,350 gross tons, and as late as 1788 it was only 08.300 tons.
The British colonies in America, as has already been shown in
this paper, exported pig iron to the mother country for many
years before the Revolution, and we have no doubt that in 1740
the colonies exceeded her production in that year.
The onward march of the iron industry of Great Britain which
began near the end of the last century has until recently left far
in the rear the iron industry of every other country, but it is a
curious fact that iu the closing years of the present century it
shows signs of again entering upon a period of serious reaction
in many leading branches. Other progressive countries not onlv
successfully contend with her for the supply of their own iron
markets, but they are with equal success invading neutral markets
which she has heretofore monopolized, and are even formidably
confronting her in her own home markets.
Iron Ore. —The following table of the production of iron ore
in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1*55
to 1893 we have compiled directly from Mr. Richard .Meade's
Coal and Iron Industrie* of the United Kingdom (London: 1882)
and from the annual reports of Her Majesty's Inspectors of
Mines, otherwise known as Mineral Statistic*.
1855
Years.
1838
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866..-
1867
Gm*s tons.
9,553,741
10,483,309
9,573,281
8,040,959
7,880,316
8,024.205
7,215,518
7,562,240
9,088,960
10,064,890
9,910,045
9,965,012
10.021.058
1868
1869
1870
1871
1372
1873
1874
1875
«"«
1877
1878
1879
1880
Years.
Gross ions.
10.169,231
11,508,525
14,370,655
16,334,888
15,584,357
15,577,499
14,844,936
15.821,060
16,841,584
16,692,802
13,726,370
14,379,735
is, 026,050
1S«I
1882
1883
1884
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1893
Year*.
Gran ion*.
17,446,065
18,031,957
17,383,046
16,137.887
15,417.982
14,110.013
13.098.041
14,590,713
14.546.105
13,780,767
12,777.689
11,312,675
11.203.476