Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-22

river, being about forty miles in length.
Both of these routes pass for the greater
portion of their way through rolling
wooded country.
The first route however, whilst the
shorter, does not pass as close to so many
of the furnaces as the second, and passes
through a somewhat more broken coun-
try, and has the additional disadvantage
of passing through the same territory
that is now developed by the Kansas
City, Memphis and Birmingham railroad,
at no point being a greater distance than
three miles from it, while the second
route passes almost by the door of many
of the furnaces and within two miles of
twenty-five of the twenty-five blast fur
naces now in the county and within easy
reach of a large majority of the principal
coal mines of the county; and, for the
lower fifteen miles of the route, through
one of the finest coal fields in this dis
trict, which has at present no means of
transportation, and is consequently to-
tally undeveloped
From the most reliable information
gained from residents along the two
routes examined and from former obser-
Vations, we are led to believe that sufli
cient water can be obtained throughout
the entire year, provided Five Mile creek
and Village creek are united But espe-
cially would this be true of the second
route, where the waters of the three
creeks are brought together
The reports of the state inspector of
mines show that in Jefferson county the
following amounts of coal have been
mined and coke manufactured during the
past three years:
Tons of coal mined in 1893, 1913, 53S;
1894 2, 776, 302; 1895, 1924, 331. Tons of coke
mined in 1893, 945,047h; 1894 S74,071; 1895,
1,335,S7S.
Reliable Information also shows the
following to be the amount of iron manu-
featured in jefferson county for the past
three years:
1S93-599,O74 tons of iron were manu-
featured.
1S94-626, 269 tons of iron were manu-
factured.
1852 269 tons of iron were manu-
featured.
We. therefore, conclude that taking into
consideration the additional tonnage
that would naturally be developed along
the line of the proposed water way, and
the apparent ample water supply, the out
lay for making surveys and estimates
of cost would be entirely justifable.
We would also respectfully call your
attention to the fact, that this water
way, if constructed, would be along the
route so often spoken of to connect the
waters of the Tennessee and Warrior
rivers, the northern terminus on Five
Mile Creek being about sixty miles south
west of the Mcfarland survey made by
the United States government some years
ago, to connect the waters or the Tennes-
see and Coosa rivers.
On the accompanying map of Jefferson
county you will find the two routes mark
ed in blue Respectfully submitted by
JOHN A. MILLER,
JULIAN KENDRICK,
City Engineer.
| A motion was offered that when the
| board adjourns 1t shall meet next
| Wednesday evening at 1880 o'clock. Car
ried.
Numerous bills, including the month
| ly budget, were reported and ordered
paid.
| Alderman Gillespie of the judiciary
committee recommended that petitions
| of Davis & Davis draymen of this city,
| and c. w. Austin be not granted, and
| that petitions of Seals Bros, typewriter
| dealers, real estate agents, T. M. Owens
! and Jenkins Lumber company be allow
| ed. Concurred in.
Alderman Gillespie also recommended
| that Mrs. Susan B. Ware and G. w.
| Wares claims for property in the cemete-
| ry be offset by refunding of taxes and a
| quit claim deed be secured. Referred
back to judiciary committee.
The following resolution was adopted:
Be II resolved by the mayor and alder
men of Birmingham, That the assess
ments of merchants tax for the year
1896 obtained by S. NJ. Mingea and en-