The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-06
TO LAUNCH THENEW SHIP
BIRMINGHAMS RE : REsENTATIVES
AT THE CHRISTENING.

on Their Way to Chester - The
Launching to Take Place Saturday
Noon-Dr. Caldwell and Mr.. w. j.
Cameron Talk About BirminRhann's
Prosperity and the New Connection
with Savannah.
General Manager Bellinap of the Central
railroad with his private secretary, Mr..
Friney, reached Savannah yesterday morn
ing in his private car, the Georgia" with
the Birmingham party, which sailed on the
Tallahassee in the afternoon for New York,
where they will bo met Friday morning 10y
Gen. Sorrel, general manager of the Ocean
steamship company, and will leave ON a
special train Saturday morning for Chester,
Pa, where at noon the new steamer City OF
Birmingham is to be launched, and
banquet will be given by the builder
The Birmingham party is composed of
the following people, who are the guests OF
the Central railroad and Ocean steamship
company:
DR.. H. M. Caldwell, president of the Ely
ton land company.
Mrs. DR. II. M. Caldwell.
Miss Beatrice Caldwell.
Miss Pauline Caldwell, who will christen
the new steamer
Mrs, G. r. Ward.
+. V. Evans, city treasurer of Birming
ham, who viii represent the city at the
launching
w. J. Cameron, president Of the First
national bank of Birmingham.
B. w. StraSsburger, resident correspond
ent at Birmingham of the New Orleans
Times Democrat who will represent the
MORNING NEWS at the launching.
Il if1cy-
ham Age.
THE NEW VESSELS SPONSOR.
When the party reached Savannah they
were taken in charge by Gen. Alexander
| and made to feel at home. The central fig
ure of the visiting party was Miss Pauline
Caldwell, a pretty brunette Of IL, who is to
christen the vessel named after the thriving
city which her father has done so much to
| develop. Her large brown eyes sparkle
with intellectually, she is an exceptionally
| pleasant converse tonalist, and is qnick in
| her responses. Her sister, Miss Beatrice, is
handsome brunette, ten years the senior of
Miss Pauline, and the twain will be the life
| of the pleasant voyage entered upon yester
day. Great regret was heard on all hands
| that Mayor Lane was unable to accompany
| the party, but pressing official and profess
sional duties compelled him to decline the
| invitation at the last moment.
| interview with the Birmingham people be-
| fore the steamer left, and they all spoke in
terms Of the highest compliment to Maj
| Belknap for courtesieS to and care of the
party, voting him most admirable host.
The Georgia left Birmingham at o'clock
Monday morning over the Georgia Pacific,
reaching Atlanta at 4:I5 o'clock in the after
noon, and after three hours of sight-see-
ing in the capital city, left at 7:15 o'clock,
hare q k.1h
o'clock
The launching will be fully reported in
next Sundays MORNING NEWS by Mr..
Strassburger, well equipped ne wspaper
man, and one of the party who is to be
present as the resident correspondent at
Birmingham Of the New Orleans Times
Democrat. The city of Birmingham will
present the new steamer, and its namesake,
with coat of arms, deliberately finished in
gold tint, and now being made by Tiffany in
New York. The coat Of arms will be
presented on behalf of the city, by F. V.
Evans, city treasurer of Birmingham.
SOMETHING ABOUT BIRMINGHAM
DIR. Caldwell and Mr.. Cameron never tire
| in sounding the praises of their growing
| city. DR.. Caldwell says that when he
| moved to Birmingham, twelve years ago,
| the population of the place was but 1000
and the taxable valuation of all the prop
erty was but $2,O00,0O0. There was not
then single ton of coke iron manufactured
| in the entire Birmingham district. TIE
| population of the city at census taken one
| year ago was 5000, and it is now over
! $4,000. The taxable valuation in the city
Is now $40, 100000, and there are twenty
two blast furnaces running, with a daily
output of $500 tons of pig iron
| and the development of the mineral and
manufacturing industries of the city and
| its environs has just commenced. One
rolling mill employs 200 men, one is just
| started, and two are in process of construc-
/ ton, and the rolling mills in operation are
| far behind in their orders DIR. Caldwell
says that the $500 tons of pig iron daily
made there are worth SIS per ton the year
round, and that as all the raw material is
near at hand, pig iron can be manufactured
at a cost not TO exceed IS so per ton, while
! in some localities north the actual freight
| on the raw material. which is drawn from
| widely separated localities, is fully equal to
| the entire cost of the manufacture of the
Birmingham article.
DR.. Caldwell was asked if this low cost
does not carry with it a much lower wage
| rate than in the iron producing localities of
the north, and he answered with very
| positive no. The wages paid in the Bir-
| mia2ham mineral regions would compare
| favorably with the wages north. 1t was
the advantage of having all the raw ma
| teridl in a close radius which enabled Bir-
mingham furnaces to manufacture pig iron
and sell it at the very doors of the Pennsyl-
vania furnaces for less than they can
| make it.
| TO COME TO SAVANNAH.
| Gen. Alexander joined the party while
DR.. Oldwel was speaking and inquired
what was the prospects for steel manufact-
ure The doctor replied that thus far it
has only been experimental with in small
way but that the experiments have been so
encouraging that a company has been
| formed within the past few days with q
capital of 81 1000 900, and he understands
| that all the stock has been taken. He feels
| confident that the steel and steel rail in
dustry will eventually be as prominent as
| the iron industry.
DR.. Caldwell expressed the opinion that
| the close connection to result between
| Savannah and Birmingham by the extern
| sion from Columbus 60 Birmingham, will
be mutually beneficial to both cities, and
his people are very much delighted over the
news that the last spike on the road will be
| driven IN tile Coo,a tunnel on Sunday next.
| Upon being asked if the Elyton land
company had disposed of all its estate, DR..
! Caldwell said that it is about all sold, ex-
cept SIS, 000, 900 worth, and the last dividend
paid was S2,2l0. There are, of course, no
shares for sale in such a bonanza.
THE Room CITY's RAILROADS.
| e. ra an,, notv railroads building IN Rir-