The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-10-20
ARMOR BOARD
HAS DEPARTED
Cheapest Iron and Steel PrOduc-
ing District Anywhere,
SAID COMMODORE HOWELL
Testimony Was Heard from Experts on
the Quality.
THE TRIP WAS A PERFECT SUCCESS
The Board win Go to Sheffield and Thence to
Points in Tennessee-Gadsden Has
Put in a Bid for Plant
A Carnegie Man.

81 am satisfied that iron and steel can be
where In the country; there is necessity
of investigating further into this phase of
the subject."-Commodore Howell.
The same words or words to the same
effect were spoken by Commodore How
ell at the session of the armor plate
committee yesterday afternoon when
iron and steel experts were being exam
lined.
TIL experts were examined as ito quail
ty and cost. When some one sought to
probe the latter subject further, it was
disposed of by the above assertion from
commodore Howell and the acquescence
3of the other members of the committee.
J. G. Caldwell and j. d. pwyer, of the
Birmingham Rolling mills, and P. &c.
Shook, of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and
Railroad company superintendent Bar
ton, of the Ens1ey furnaces, DR.. W. b.
Phillips and several others were brought
before the committee.
The principal points developed were
that the quality of the iron ore, coke,
coal, pig iron ard steel was as good as
can be found anywhere in the United
States. Comparisons were made of Biz
mingham steel and northern steel, Biz
mingham pig iron and the product of
the northern furnaces. The comparison
showed that pig iron as capable of MAX
ing pure steel as any iron in the world
was turned out here every day. and that
1.-The steel product of the Birmingham roll
ing mills was as good as any basic steel
manufactured.
In connection with the quality of Biz
mingham pig iron for steel making, T.
g. Shook said in his testimony that the
Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad COM
pany had sold to Carnegie $4,000 tons
of pig iron. He was present when this
iron formed one of the component parts
lin making armor plate for Russia.
The question of labor was thoroughly
Investigated. The testimony of the ex-
perts demonstrated that the labor util-
lied in making iron was largely of ne
groes and cheaper than that employed
in the north. 1t was also shown from
statistics that the district was prac-
tically free from labor dissension.
The testimony was largely technical,
and was taken down by a stenographer
for tho confederation of tha oommitFee
in formulating the report to Secretary
Long They were apparently satisfied
in every respect with the information
CLEANED from the experts.
The committee left last night for Shelf
field over the Kansas City, Memphis
and Birmingham. The train was due
to leave at 1920, but was forty minutes
late. Representatives Gaines and
Wheeler, M. v. Richards and j. H.
Hayes, of the Southern railway, accom-
panied it.
From Sheffield it will go to Nashville,
from there to Chattanooga, thence to
EMzabethton and Morristown. Yester-
day afternoon orders were received to
go to the latter point. At both of the
last named places short stops will be
made, as nothing but beds of ore can
be seen. There is little work in progress.
81 am well pleased with the district;
it is now wonderful and has wonderful
possibilities" were the parting words
of Commodore Howell. Every other
member of the committee had nothing
but words of praise.
That the visit of the board was sue
cess is the opinion Of all concerned. 1t
even surpassed the expectations of the
committees that arranged for the re-
ception and entertainment.
Monday the armor plate board saw