Show prosperous pros P erous Y Y ear the midyear review of mining conditions reported to the secretary of the interior on july 1 by the director of the united states geological survey is well supported by the preliminary reports for the year the geological survey is making public its usual estimate of mineral production for 1916 1915 in the form of a separate statement for each of the more important mineral products A review of these statements confirms secretary lanes comment of last july to the effect that the mining revival is in full swing in the western states alone the metal production shows an increase in value of more than over the corresponding figures for 1914 and the years increase in output for the principal metals measured in value is more than moreover it is not unreasonable to expect that when the full returns for all mineral products are compiled they will show that 1915 was the count rys most productive year in tile the mining industry the total may even reach two and one half billion dollars in the response to bettered conditions the production figures for copper iron and zinc show the largest increase copper beats all records the copper mines passed all records for previous years the 1915 output having a value of or more than the value of the production for 1914 the statistics and estimates received place the output of blister and lake copper at 1 pounds or more than pounds in excess of the largest previous production and eighteen per cent above last years figures only twice in the history of copper mining has haas there been a larger increase in quantity of metal produced large increase in iron the total shipments of iron ore from the mines in the united states in 1915 are estimated to have exceeded gross tons an increase over 1914 of more than 38 per cent based on the same price as received in 1914 this represents an increase in total value of about the increase in pig iron is estimated at tons with a total increase in value of pig iron production of more than zinc records also broken the output of zinc spelter made from domestic ores was larger than ever before being about tons worth as compared with tons in 1914 an increase of about tons or nearly 25 per cent in quantity and of in value production was increased during the latter half of the year as the production during the first half was at the rate of tons annually and at the rate of tons during the last half the output of refined pig lead from domestic ores was about tons worth for or nines M ines i of the united uni T te d state stata about as compared with increase of only 2500 tons tons in 1914 an increase in quantity but of or 20 per cent in value the production of with 16 lead was tons as compared if 38 82 tons or increase 68 tons in 1914 an 23 per cent in quantity and an increase in value of nearly gold and silver increases estimates on th the e the annual preliminary production of gold and silver in the united states made jointly by the united states geological survey and the bureau of the mint are not yet complete but early figures based on reports from the mines indicate an increase in mine production over that of 1914 of in gold principally from colorado california alaska montana anci ana idalio idaho and an increase in mine production of silver of fully ounces chiefly from montana utah and arizona this increase in gold production may bring 1915 up to the record year of 1909 when the gold output of this country was nearly quicksilver also has had its best year in 1915 the quantity increased 25 per cent over 1914 but the value of the output more than doubled owing to the much higher prices the estimated production was 20 flasks flacks of seventy five pounds each valued at the average price for the year the highest in the last forty years at in value this domestic production was the highest since 1881 and in quantity the largest since 1912 small changes in coal the production of bituminous coal and anthracite in 1915 is estimated to have increased between four and five million short tons or less than i 1 per cent the quantity of bituminous coal mined increased about six and one half million tons and that of anthracite decreased over two million short tons owing mainly to steady demands for export coal and for coke for steel making the output in pennsylvania west virginia kentucky and alabama increased over last year but little change is recorded in other eastern states the region west of ohio including the mississippi valley shows a general decrease colorado being the only western state to show betterment connected with the coke industry y was the completion during the last summer of a number of large plants for the rec recovery of from byproduct by product coke oven gas this gives the united states its first output of this material so important as a raw material in the manufacture of high explosives plo and chemical dyes and the amount of this product will be reported later preliminary estimates of the total output of petroleum in the united states in 1915 indicate a slight increase over the corre sp spending output in 1914 it is bellev belied that the total petroleum yield of the unite states in 1915 amounted to ba bj aels of which quantity it is also estimate ati that barrels was mar marketed feted an aa barrels placed in producers fil dij during the year T the sulphuric acid industry in 1915 dented interesting development 1 in bpi 0 of the abnormal demand and higher price pric in the lat latter ter half of the year much of th sulphuric acid had been contracted for f 0 was consumed in the factories where mad the estimated production indicates an 1 ii crease of 6 per cent in the three commo grades but more than per cent in th strongest grades the estimate of portland cement output in 1915 indicates shipments from the mill at of barrels an increase of one om tenth of one per cent over 1914 there here wa va a slight decrease in production and this with the appreciable decrease in stock ii dicatos a more conservative trend in the in ii austry which in the preceding few year showed a tendency to overproduction prices price generally averaged a few cents lower per pe T barrel in 1915 than in 1914 although toward towar the end of the year prices were ally increased and the outlook for 1916 i brighter than for several seasons perhaps the most notable item in th years record is the stimulation of meta raining mining in the western states almost wit ditl out exception the increases in product io i were large and in several states 1915 wa 1 the best year on record in arizona whid leads in copper the output of that metal ex ceedee the previous record production 0 1913 california continues to lead in gol and had the largest yield in thirty tw years and with one exception in halt half a cen cell tury in montana and arizona record ou out puts of silver are reported and in alasio ablass the increased production of gold and aspeel ally copper made 1915 a much more pro pros berous year than even 1906 when fairbanks fairbank and nome were yielding their greatest ree re turns of gold from bonanza placers |