WAR EFFECTS STEEL INDUSTRY I FOREIGN MANGANESE SOPPLyJhAS BEEN CUT OFF I A serious phase of the Interruption to commerce caused .by tho European war is the shutting off of the foreign supply of ferromnnganese from the steel manufacturers ot this country. Tlio United States Geblpglcal Survey states that the domestic marketed production ot ferromnnganeso and splegejelsou In 1912 and 1913 was 227,939 long tons and 22C.475 long tons, respectively, while the Imports of theso alloys for those years were 100,152 long tons and 128,147 long tons, respectively, of which ferret manganese constituted 99,137 long tons In 1912 and 128,070 long tons in 1913. The Imports ot these alloys therefore constituted 30.5 per cent .and 36 per cent, respectively ot the Available supply) in 1912 and 1913. England and Germany havo furnished furnish-ed most ot these Imported alloys in recent years. By far the' greater part ot the ferromanganese produced In tho United States is manufactured by steel companies for their own consumption, con-sumption, so that those manufacturers manufactur-ers who have heretofore depended on torolgn supplies must either make arrangements ar-rangements to purchase the needed alloys from other domestic companies compan-ies or else enter tha-lleld as producers produc-ers themselves? In either event much more ferromanganese may have to bo manufactured In the United States if the foreign supplies are cut oft for any1 considerable period. Added Impetus Im-petus may there'fore .be 'given to certain cer-tain projects which' are under way Involving the utilization ot manganl-terous manganl-terous Iron ores ot the Cuyuna range, Minnesota, lu the manufacture ot high manganese pig Iron and ferromanganese ferromanga-nese at certain! blast furnaces in Pennsylvania. Domestic Production Less Than Demand With regard to manganese ores the situation presents features of still greator Interest. Notwithstanding tho abundant supplies of manganese in tho United States its domestic pro; duction has been relatively, small, but the Imports have been so large as to lndlcatea strong demand for manganese ore. For Instance, during dur-ing tlio last ten years the annual do-'mestlc do-'mestlc production ot manganese ore has ranged between 1500 and 7000 long tons, whllo tho Imports ranged between 108,000 and 3435,000 long .tons. In 1913 the domestic production produc-tion of 4,048 tons, which was the largest slnco 19utS. was insignificant compared with ttvf imports of 345,090 tons and constituted only a little over 1 per cent of the available supply. Ancither illustration ot the great disparity dis-parity between the domestic production produc-tion ot manganese ore and the imports im-ports may be noted In the fact that the total production ot the United States so tar aa recorded, going back to 1838, la 414,78 long tons an amount not greatlyln excess ot the importations during' the single year 19913. Tho .Imports of manganese ore-Tecorded since 1868 have reached the grand total of 3,859,616 long tons, and the records are Incomplete for the first twenty years ot this period. The 'foreign situation as viewed by D. F. Hewett early In 1914 was summed sum-med up in a Geological Survey publication pub-lication on the production of manganese manga-nese and manganlferous oro as follows: fol-lows: ""'Imports of manganese ore Increased" Increas-ed" approximately 15 per cont fron 1912 to 1913 and this increase came almost wholly from Russia. Unless Industrial or political disturbances' Interfere thore Is no doubt that a supply of ores will bo available from the deposits of Russia, India, ami Brazil for somo years to como." As tho disturbances that havo arisen aris-en will undoubtedly Interfere to a greater or less extent with tho shlp-mont shlp-mont of foreign mangancso ores it is cheering to know that-tho United, States possesses within easy reach of manufacturing centers abundant reserves of manganese hnd manganl-ferous manganl-ferous ores. Sources of Manganese Tho following notes on the domestic domes-tic sources ot manganese may be of interest In the present connection: For commercial purposes materials containing manganese are separated Into four classes (1) manganese ores, (2) manjunlforous Iron ores (3) manganlferous silver ores, nnd (4) manganlforous zinc residuum. Though manganese forms a part of about a hundred mlnornlB and is a rolatlvoly widespread oloraont, prac-tjcally prac-tjcally all tho manganese ot commerce com-merce Is dorlvod from matorlal containing con-taining ono or moro of tho minerals pollanlto, pyroluslte, psllomolnno, wad manganlto, brnnnlto, and frankllnlto,. t V Commercial manganese ores are those which contain at least 35 per cent of mnganesp and'otherwlse conform con-form to tho specifications of the'lrade In which they aro used. Dopostts of manganese ore occur in many parts ot the United .States but aro ?aot abundant in the 'Appalachian, and Piedmont regions, In 'the southern Mississippi Valley, and on the Pacific Paci-fic coast. Small deposits occur In the Now England, Rocky Mountain, and Groat Basin regions. The principal prin-cipal producing districts up to tho present time have been fSv James River Staunton River and Blue Ridge regions In Virginia, tho Cave Springs and Cartcrsvllle districts in Geogrla tho Buteavllle district in Arkansas, and the Llvormore and Tesla districts dis-tricts in California. Districts ot minor mi-nor importance are the New 'River region In Virginia the northeastern Tennessee region, the -McCormlck region re-gion in South Carolina, and the Little Lit-tle Grande district in Utaht. Mining and shipping in Vlrglna is now confined con-fined to the Blue Ridge and James River Staunton River regions. Manganlferous iron ores consist of mixtures of manganese and Iron oxides ox-ides and hydrous oxides, which, (ho usually containing manganese In excess ex-cess ot 5 per cent, may contain af little as I per cent. The proportion of iron in such ores is highly variable but usually exceeds 40 per cont. Manganlferous Man-ganlferous Iron ores 'occur In tho United Uni-ted States chiefly in the Now England, Eng-land, Appalachian and Lake Superior regions and minor deposits aro found in the southern part of tho Mississippi Mississip-pi Valley and the Rocky Mountain region. re-gion. High grade manganlferous iron ore used for its manganese content occurs in the Appalchlau region. Other manganlferous iron ores which are so low In manganese that they are classed as Iron ores, are produced in the Appalachian and Lake Superior Superi-or districts. In the blast furnace they yield a "high manganeso" pig iron, which is usejd for, special purposes. pur-poses. , Manganlferous silver ores consist ot mixtures ot manganese and iron oxides and hydrous oxides with small quantities of, silver and lead minerals As a rule the iron content exceedst the manganese content, but locally tho ,iron is altogether absent. fl Manganlferous silver ores occur i I the Rocky Mountain and Great Bi, I regions, the principal producing i I cality being Leadvllle, ColorW.' 1 LeadvUlo ores havo been used m ma king splegeleisen (from time to time ' but, none 1 hro now used for this DUr' J pose. ' U Manganlferous zinc residuum Id 0n m artlflcial furnace product conslsiij. I pf manganeso and Iron oxides In a I matrix of slag. It Is obtained from zlno volatilizing and oxidizing furnac. -H es using New Jersey zinc ores. Small 'I quantities of zinc residuum are tuel I annually in .the'manufacture of spleg- I olelsen. -M Bulletin 427, of the United States' I Geological Survey (Mnnganese depos- H Its ot the United States, by K. C. 'H Harder) contains brief descriptions H ot most ot the known deposits ot 'H manganese in this country and the B Important deposits of other countries H and concise summaries ot the chem- 'aV lstry and mineralogy of manganese. This bulletin lssttll available for 'H freo distribution and may bo oMaln "M ed by application to tho Director, H United States Geological Surrey, Washington, Di C. H 4 iH