Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-03-24
ALABAMA'S WEALTH.
DEVELOPMENT or IRON AND COAL
INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTH.
Tie Iron City Of Observation-Disclosures.
less Resources and Cheaper Product
Than In sylvania-The One
Draw back-The Future.
LAX. ucc1,,re in PHILADELPHIA 1ir,es.l


Unless all evidence and calculation are at
fiu.t the iron all coal Of this region within
range CT cheap production, are practically
inexhau>tible Birmingham is part OF the
great Black Warrior coal field that contains
over 800 eqGare miles of accessible COAL
an to it may DO added tie 200 squar. miles
of equally COOL AM acce ssible coal in
the Cahabi field and $50 square miles
more in the Csosa field. In ad-
Gition 10 the e, it may be well 10 consider
the 800 -quare miles OF coal just south 81
the Tennessee. These nearly ll,G00 square
miles 4 c1Ii asa practically one vast coal
fell, capable o: supplying the world with
.hat commodity. As yet it Is not penetrated
by water navigation. but when $500, O0J or
little more woa.d open tho great Warrior
coal field b. uninterrupted water highway to
every port of the world through Mobile bay,
how long viii it require the lesson of Biz
min ham to open the grand water highways
of A.ahama 10 the iliimitable wealth OF her
coal fields,
The maximum cost of coal here Is 81. Is
per ton at the furnace doors. 1t is found in
nearly horizontal strata, and varies from {
10 lJ0 ieet in thickness, the Warrior field,
whence tjii city Is supplied, having the
thici.cst veins The iron ore that is mined
and delivered cheaper than at any of our
great iron fields OF the north, is absolutely
exhau,iiess and embraces the red hematite
an! the brown ores, with n more than ample
suip.ly OF limestone close at hard.
Rei mountain takes its name from
its iron. and it is almost lit
orally a mountain of iron. IL is estimated
by oflirisl geological reports that there are
J0o, 090 O01. Goa tons of iron in il alone These
exceptional facilities for producing iron and
coal are increased by the mors genial eli
mate and cheaper labor that must ever he
obtained where both fuel and food arc
chcapenei 10y the absence o severe northern
winter. This is the only iron center a yet
,ievelJpel that seems to offer the production
of iron al the minimum Of cost, as IL has
every requisite for iron in superabundance
AMI all attainabl. at the furnace with tn,
least outlay.
fine enc drawback that has hinderel the
appearance OF Birmingham iron in all our
northern markets is transportation. but even
with the Disadvantages OF costly freiSh;s
iron from this city now successfully com
pejes with Pennsylvania at home and in
New Nors and New England. The southern
railways cannot affor. this cheap freighti
that tie northern lines can offer because OF
their Immensely larger traffic; but the south
viii rapidly improve in its transportation
LINES: its improved transportation viii
rapidly develop industrial products, ami
both will rapidly c.leapen transportation uil-
til it approIimateS northern rates AMI
when comparatively cheap railway trans
par;ation shall come to the iron and caal OF
Alabama, with water transit by the Warrior
and the Tombigbee rivers TO the sea, who
can measure the growth Of those industries
in this state.
II is idle for Penn ylTauia AMI other great
iron and c, al producing states TO close their
ewes t. the fac; that we have reached the
ieginning If q great revolution in those pro-
duets. No legislation. no sound public pol
lev. no sentiment can halt such e evolution
when the inlmutRbla la VS. OF trade command
IL; and the S;iddea tread OF the hories from
tie northern forests upon ancient Rome did
no; more surely threaten the ma ieSty of the
mistress OF tae worll, than does the tread of
the iron ana coal dlgg=rs Of Alabama
threaten TIL ma Jest, uf northern non and
coal ;iells.
Ami let ,,o; the north be deIuiei with the
idea tina: this strange deve. 1pinent in the
heart Il tie south is ephemeraL There has
besn no III lien local demand and no spec
tally iortuitous circumstance to create a
city here il 10y magic 1t has been done
simply because il car, with imperfect facil-
ities " reaching the markets Of the ooun-
trv more than rival car chief iron ami coal
cea;ers O; the nortl: ami with tia: fac; &C.
ceptei w..at R'ist lie tas future q: 4 state
that has the resources 10 multiply its Biz
miRs hams almost indefinitely,