The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-03-15
Special to the Montgomery Advertiserl

Special to the Montgomery Advertserl
BIRMINGHAM, February 81 Steel from Ala.
bama iron was made to-day for the first time and
the success of the test means much for the State
and for the South. The Henderson Steel Works
made their hrst run at o'clock this afternoon
and turned out fine quality OF STEEL The test
was witnessed by about one hundred prominent
Southern iron men and number of local manu-
facturers and capitalists
The steel was made by the Henderson process
from common white pig iron made at the Mary
Pratt furnace in this city, and worth on the yard
only $40 q ton. The iron was made from what
is known as fossil hematte ORE which is the low
est grade of celebrated Red Mountain ores. Ex-
perienced steel men who witnessed the test, pro-
nounce it entirely successful and the process the
cheapest one ever invented.
The owners of The Bessemer steel patents have
claimed that steel could not be made from phos-
phnrous ores OF Alabama Tennessee and Georgia.
James Henderson, of New jersey secured pa
tents for his process in 1873, but did not have
the money necessary 10 utilize bis invention.
Last August he came TO this city and company
was organized and his patents purchased. BY
this process the best quality of steel is made from
PHOSPHORUS ores, and with o great saving OF
labor and material. No coke is used and by the
utilization of gases only three bushels OF coal
are required 10 make ton of steel The mol
ten iron is conveyed from the blast furnace into
the steel converter and made into steel without
tue cAptuSc OIL huu the pHOepnOTOuS Is
converted into marketable fertilizer. The own.
ers of the Henderson plant admit that they can
make the best quality Of steel at cost of less
than GIT per ton. The test to-day sets at rest
all doubts as 10 the possibility of making steel
from Alabama iron ores and the news caused the
greatest excitement in the city to night. The
greatest boom ever known in the South is sure
to follow and a big advance in properly and
local stocks has already set in. People stand
ing in great crowds on the streets and in the
hotel Hobbies tonight discussing the joyful news
Commenting on this good news, the
Advertiser says:
The only thing lacking 10 make Alabama the
leading State in the Union was some process by
which steel could be made from her iron ores
Our news from Birmingham this morning says
that difficulty has been removed. The Hender.
son process was tested yesterday and proved en-
tirely successful. Not only this, but the tes
was made with our cheapest iron out of our com
monest ore and Alabama announce. 10 the world
that she has steel at SIT ton.
1t is one of those things that are almost toe
good to be true. 1t means that Alabama is now
permanently In the lead of all the iron produc.
ing States that millions of capital will pour into
her borders that the last ounce OF vantage
which our Northern competitors have had is
gone.
This announcement cannot fail to produce
commOtiOn throughout the country. 1t is the
greatest impetus our mineral development has
yet received, and the movement of the iron in
terest to the South will proceed with accelerated
pace. At least, such is the happy look of thing.
this morning.