Reports from 23 mills that sold more than 23 million pounds of permissibles and other high explosives in December showed that the mills were operated to 63 per cent of their capacity in December as compared with 69 per cent in November, 76 per cent in October, 53 per cent in December last year, and an average of 68 per cent during the year 1925. During the year 1925 the mills were operated to 62 per cent of their capacity. At the close of December the stock of explosives on hanà represented 17 per cent of one month's manufacturing capacity of the mills reporting as compared with 18 per cent at the close of December last year. Capacity (pounds). December, 1925 December, 1926 Jan.-Dec.,1926 39,153,332 39,528,332 471,339,984 68 68 64 1.4 The percentage of full-time capacity to which mills manufacturing permissibles and other high explosives were operated in 1924, 1925, and during each month of 1926, is shown by the following figures; also the ratio between the amount of explosives sold, shipped, or remaining on hand at the close of each month and the total manufacturing capacity of the mills. PYROTOL: In the month of December 1926, the Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Public Roads, distributed 1,070,250 pounds of pyrotol to agencies in various States as compared with 781,850 pounds distributed in November, and 1,892,500 pounds in October. The amount distributed during the year was 16,113,350 pounds, as compared with 14,214,750 pounds distributed last year. The pyrotol was used mainly for land. clearing and for road construction. The quantity shipped to each State in December, that shipped during the various months, and the general purpose for which the explosives were used are shown in Table C. STATISTICAL TABLES: Table A shows the quantity of explosives shipped tó each State and total sales for the United States segregated to show the amount consumed by industries. The quantity of explosives reported sold for use in coal mining operations in each State during December 1926 is shown in Table B. Table C shows the quantity of pyrotol. distributed in December to the various States.Reports of Investigations, Department of Commerce, Bureau of Mines. Amount of explosives (excluding exports) manufactured in the 23,100 186,975 406, 436 · 677,300 .158,975 338,600 259,500 39,300 Wyoming 570,853 20,821.420 3,334, 745 107,450 1,305, 625 40,800 Quantity used for: Coal mining... mining... Railway and other State Alabama Arkansas Colorado Illinois Indiana 15,943 construction work.... 10,743 All other purposes. 14,344 Iowa Kanaas Kentucky Maryland Michigan Montana New Mexico North Dakota Oklahoma Penna. (Bituminous) Tennessee Texas - ... Black blasting TABLE B Quantity of explosives sold for use in COAL MINES in December 1926 by manufacturers rendering monthly reports. Kegs 523,996 5,827 Black blasting Kegs 8,398 6,194 109,256 79,305 24,316 26,049 59,408 1,800 1,000 5,529 5,200 900 2,780 29,288 7,875 34,710 6,730 3,500 Utah Virginia Washington West Virginia Wyoming Other States Total (Bituminous) Penna. (Anthracite) Grand Total 3,075 1,826 45, 154 873 470,686 523,996 11,650 6,800 77,350 2,300 1,000 788,675 2,387,777 3,176,,452 NOTE: As several companies do not furnish the Bureau of Mines -ith monthly reports of their sales, the above figures for any given State may be subject to material revision. The figures as given are based on reports received. 1,247,900 20,800 4,000 4,706, 782 1,747,725 6,454,507 |