Birmingham state herald., 1896-03-01
STEELMANNG IN ALADAMAg The Henderson Process Was a
 Success, BUT FATE WAS UNKlND
The Plant to Be Operated Again-PIans of the Tennessee Company for Mammoth
 Mill at EnsIey

The first steel made in Birmingham
 was in 1888, and was made by the Hen
 derson Steel company The Henderson
 Steel company was organized by the
 election of J. W. Bush, president; J. A.
 Montgomery, vice-presdent and general
 manager; F. Wilsony secretary. The
 capital stock was $40,000, and when steel
 was successfully made the stock rose
 rapidly. The Henderson company made
 this steel by the basic open hearth pro-
 cess The entire output was sold to the
 Bessemer Rolling mill. The failure of
 the United States Rolling Stock company
 caused the assignment of the Bessemer
 Rolling mill, which caused the suspen-
 sion of the Henderson Steel company. A
 movement is now on foot to revive it.
 MT. Eugene Enslen who knows no such
 word as fail, is largely interested, and is
 very enthusiastic over the outlook. On
 recent visit to Chicago he enlisted the
 active assistance of several Chicago cap italists. The steel made by the Tender son Steel company was thoroughly test
 ed and found to be of superior quality.
 It was from the pig iron of this district
 mixed with small percentage of scrap. The hard steel was made into razors, saws, etc. The soft steel, which was the
 larger part of the product, was made into boiler plate, sheet plate and other rolled products. The local boiler makers pronounced the steel very superior for making boilers. It was without flaw and rolled easily. The output was in the shape of ingots. The Tennessee Coal Iron and Railway company afterward leased the Henderson plant for the pur- pose of experimenting. They made steel by the Talbert process with the local pig iron and without the scrap. The product was sent to the Birmingham Rolling mill and was found entirely sat isfactory.
 The Tennessee company was so we'll pleased with this experiment that arr engagements were made for the construc- tion of $1 900, 900 steel mill. The plans were drawn by an expert of Pittsburg. and 1t was intended to locate the plant at Ensley and turn out daily 800 tons of pig iron, and 1t was intended to turn this output into steel The recent financial furry caused a temporary delay.
 The Alice furnace, which is located in the suburbs of Birmingham and Is the of the Tennessee company, has been making basic pig iron for several months. The entire output of 150 tons 8. day is sold to the Carnegie Steel works at Pittsburg and is made into steel. This basic pig is a higher grade of iron. It is low in silicon. It has been purified of all objectionable matter and nearly ap- breaches steel The Tennessee company does not make public the process. for 1t is very valuable. This basic pig iron is shipped east, made into steel and the steel is made into blows and other agri- cultural implements, which. are shipped back and sold to the southern farmer The farmer pays freight both ways. Of course this state of things will not last long. The steel mills will come south to z the raw material, just as the cotton mills are coming south to the cotton.
 The only steel mill now in operation south of the Potomac river is located at Fort Payne, Ala, just above Birming ham, and is operated by the DeKalb com- pany, of which MT. D. N. Cullom of Bir- mngham is president. The process in use by this company is known as the open hearth basic. There are two fur naces, the capacity of each being 30 tons per diem. Only one furnace is now in operation, it being the intention of the owners to put the other in operation as soon as the crew is broken in. The iron furnaces at Fort Payne not being In op- eration, the steel mill is obtaining it's sup ply from the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company of the low silicon iron made by the Alice furnace. Inquiries for this steel have been received from the Pittsburg district, as well as from the south. This steel made of southern iron, as Is now well known. is far superior and demands a better price than that made of northern iron. It is better adapted for boiler plate, etc., being of a softer and more malleable nature. The Pennsylva- mia Steel company, in open competition with the world as to the chemical test. recently secured a contract from the Baldwin Locomotive works for twenty Russian locomotives and an account of this test was published in the American Manufacturer and Iron World of Feb ruary 21. The analysis of the steel made at the Fort Payne mill will show that if Is superior to the steel accepted at this contest.