Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-24
IT MEANS MUCH FOR US.
Secretary Thompson is Enthusiastic Over the Success of the Experiments of the How
 ard Harrison Company.

Secretary Thompson of the Commercial club was in Bessemer yesterday and while there went through the Howard Harrison Pipe works. In speaking of his trip to an Age-Herald reporter yes terday afternoon he said:
 s'Today I visited the new coke plant of the HowardHarrlson Iron company at Bessemer, and I wish to say that in my judgment there is more In the success of that enterprise for this district than perhaps in any other or all other develop ments combined. It is true that these gentlemen have already placed this dis trict under debt of lasting obligation in demonstrating that Birmingham could control the iron markets of America and possibly of the world, for their product has found a market throughout this country, and in one instance at least successfully competed against the mar kets of the entire world in the Tokio, Japan, contract, which they declined on terms offered. not on price, If finished products in one line can thus meet the competition of the world there is no reason why all others made from the same raw material should not similarly prove successful, and this is the problem that the Howard-Harrison company has already solved. Great as this is, it has not such possibilities as will follow the success of their present enterprise. It means the utilizing of the gas that now goes to waste from the coke ovens. If this is accomplished without detracting from the quality of the coke produced it means that a plant can supply fuel gas to industries in this city at a less price than is charged for natural gas in natural gas regions. It means more than this for that same fuel gas could be supplied for all domestic purposes, heat ing and cooking, and free the city from smoke, soot or smell. at figures that would render it the most economical of all agents. Not only this, but by using the Welsbach burner light equal to any electric light could be had. and at less than half the cost.
 That it may be seen I am not talking for any sensational purpose, when l first came to Birmingham ten years ago it was from the service of large syndicate then experimenting with fuel gas, and I was much impressed with the possibil- ity of utilizing the gas from our coke ovens that was going to waste, and held a consultation with several gas men on this subject, and the opinion seemed to prevail among them that the quality of the coke could not be maintained in such a process, but the Howard-Harrfson company is actually making a superior quality of coke in their closed ovens, coke that will compete with Pocahontas coke for foundry purposes, as well as using the gas. The impossible has been accomplished, but the bounds of the possi- ble to be yet attained through this meth cd is only just being entered. They do not contemplate the saving of any of the by-products but should this be provided for the gas could be furnished much cheaper than is now charged for natural gas, for it would actually cost nothing. It needs no prophet, therefore, to see that here is a field for capital and enter prise almost without limit in it's scope and value.