| Show WHY UTAH IS DESTINED TO SHINE IN development OF STEEL INDUSTRY by A C milner A market of vast potentiality is open to the utah steel industry opportunity for rapid and material advancement now knocks loudly at door for in the production of steel western manufacturers ers require great tonnages ton nages of pig iron scrap iron and steel the supply of iron and steel scrap available each year in the intermountain and pacific coast districts is approximately tons the open hearth furnace capacity of plants here and upon the pacific coast can produce tons of steel ing ingols ingots gots per annum with milling capacity for an all equal tonnage of diversified finished steel products these plants therefore require to tons of pig iron above the available scrap supply to bring their plants to capacity in addition there are about foundry plants which could produce tons per annum of diversified iron products in intermountain and pacific coast territory this brings the total capacity of both steel and iron plants making ng finished products of diversified diversi fed character for above territory up to about tons a year with only tons of scrap iron and steel available as basis for their operations therefore pi pig iron or scrap to the extent of tons a year must be acquired from eastern or foreign sources of supply to enable their plants to run to capacity market growing IL the market for diversified iron and sheel products in the intermountain pacific territory runs from to 2500 tons per annum 85 per cent of which has been furnished by eastern and foreign producers at an avera average e price of 60 per ton the annual bill for iron and steel of intermountain and pacific territory is about 85 per cent of which goes out of the territory for products which could be made in utah and distributed to market upon a cost basis lower than prevails in eastern iron and steel producing centers the market in the territory eastward from utah to Alis missouri river points consumes from to tons of diversified iron and steel products of which the plants of the colorado fuel iron company of pueblo colo 10 lo can can supply tons toils the total market between missouri river and pacific coast runs from to to tons a year to to produce a ton of pig iron the following materials are required quiren qu ired two tons of iron ore two tons of coking coal and one half ton of limestone four and one half tons of raw materials no locality in the western united states can approach the state of utah in possession of these raw resources in volume sufficient to justify the large investment if 01 capital necessary for building blast furnaces byproduct by product coke ovens open hearth and heating furnaces rolling mills the e opening up of coal and iron ore properties etc which would represent in development cost an investment of from W 50 to 75 for each ton of finished steel producing capacity thus thud to build and develop plants and mines necessary necessary lor for tons of finished steel production per annum ifould uld require an investment of about and re several years in building an operation of such proportion would require each y year e ar tons tolls of iron ore tons tolls of coal and tons of limestone iron ore supply immense the iron ore deposits of utah are owned largely by utah people are situated miles gouth southwest west of salt lake am president of or commerce of the milner recently corporation a paper read before tiie the city upon the union pacific railroad in iron county the ore occurs largely in contact formation as a limestone replacement between limestone and andesite some 2000 shafts pits tunnels drill holes and trenches have disclosed large areas of high grade ore much of which is covered by but shallow overburden or wash and can therefore be mined by steam shovel similar to methods employed by the utah copper company at bingham in quality it is superior to the iron ores of the lake superior region and of alabama the united states geological survey which made a very careful study of the field estimated that it contained tons as disclosed to an average depth of only thirty three feet from the surface of the ore consequently prominent iron ore engineers estimated positive ore at tons probable ore at tons and possible ore at tons to demonstrate the ultimate tonnage possibilities of the iron ore field will require a large amount of diamond or churn drill exploration work at great depth similar to that which has been done in the lake superior region during the past twenty years at large expense however the estimates as to positive ore available in the district fully justify iron and steel operations of capacity to serve the full requirements of the western markets for a long period of years and the investment necessary to reach such result ample coal available coal of proper quality for coke making is available in the carbon county coal field one of the largest coal fields in the united states miles from salt lake city and with two railroad systems serving them limestone I 1 of excellent quality for blast furnace use can be had in ample quantities at numerous points close to salt lake all these raw materials can be mined under costs similar to those prevailing in eastern sections of the united states with the object in view of establishing an industrial situation of large proportions in the western united states based upon utah as the source of raw material supply the union pacific southern pacific and western pacific railroads have investigated iron ore coal and limestone resources and as a result have determined upon a policy of rate making which will enable iron and steel plants in to produce pig iron and finished utah and on the pacific coast steel products at a cost delivered at intermountain and coast points for successful competition with eastern united states and foreign producers n now ow ser serving vinc said markets freight rates insuring such policies are now in effect and as a result one steel company controlled on the pacific coast after full investigation of all factors is making an initial expenditure of in blast furnace and by products coke oven construction in the state of utah thus of industrial era for the west marking the beginning an t of which w will ill be limited only by the market consumption iron and steel products of the western section of the united states and the orient and a proper spirit of cooperation on the part of the people of utah towards the railroads the tal invest capi capital who iron coal and steel interests and those I 1 in their enterprises |
