The age-herald., 1898-02-20
BUILT AT SL0SS FURNACES
Ammonia, Coal Tar and Gas the Bi-
 Products.
WILL BE A MILLION DOLLAR PLANT
The Soss Companys Contract for B-Product Plant at It's City Furnaces Will Make a Great Many Changer in
 Birmingham.

Birmingham is enthusiastic over the re- aids victorious fight for the people has been completed. The new gas plant will be in operation. perhaps, before the end of the year. The people will then have cheaper and better gas.
 Everybody was discussing it yesterday, and everybody welcomes into the field the new gas company, which Is to give the people dollar gas for Illuminating pur- poses and gas for cooking and heating purposes which will be cheaper than coal.
 The new gas plant, however, is but an instance in the great new industry which will be established in Birmingham.
 The sloss Iron and Steel company is to establish a great bi-product plant, similar to the present plant at Ensley, at its furnaces in First avenue. The bi-product plant is to be owned and operated by a separate company, however. This com pany Is composed largely of foreign capi- tai. The Sloss company is to furnish 1t with coal and receive coke in return. The bi-product plant will make it's profit out of its bi-products It will establish in con- nection with the bi-product plant a great ammonia plant and coal tar plant. The gas plant is to be third in order.
 The bi-product plant will operate the ammonia plant and the coal tar plant these being the natural bi-products. It will make anhydrous ammonia, which is used in large quantities by the ice facto- ries, and it will also make that kind of ammonia which is extensively used by the manufacturers of fertilizers.
 The coal tar which it will turn out will be used by the various pipe works in the country for coating cast iron pipes. It will also be used for making aniline dyes, tar paper, roofing, and for other purposes.
 Separate Companies
 The gas company is a separate corpora tion from the bi-product plant, as the lat ter is separate corporation from the Sloss company. Yet many individuals are interested in all three companies.
 The bi-product plant will sell gas gener- ated from the burning of the coal to the gas company for a merely nominal sum. This company will purify it and offer it to the city. Messrs Haas and London, who are the conspicuous figures in the gas plant, are already contracting for the city to be piped, and they expect before many months to be furnishing gas not only to the citizens, but to many manufac- turing plants located in and about Bir- mingham for fuel purposes.
 Both Mr. Haas and MT. London stated to Age-Herald reporters yesterday that all arrangements had been completed and work on the bi-product plant will be com menced at once, and within a very short time the piping will be laid in and about the streets of the city.
 The Old Gas Company
 The condition and position of the old gas company is yet a question of doubt. It will be forced to reduce its prices to figures fixed by the ordinance adopted last We'd nesday night. MT. Roden, president of the old company, has said that his company could not furnish gas at these prices. It must either furnish gas at these figures get out of the business. It is not yet definitely known what the old company will do Indeed, the officers of the old company do not themselves seem to know exactly in what position they are placed. They refuse to talk for publication.
 Third Gas Company
 rumor was ahoat yesterday that still another gas coHipduy HlSHt SOOH eHter tic field. This rumor grew out of the fact that two bi-product concerns had been bidding for the construction of the Sloss company plant, and it is said that the company which failed to get the contract proposes to erect bi-product plant at one of the furnaces of the Tennessee Coal Iron and Railway company, located in or near the city and that this company will also use It's surplus gas product for lighting the streets of Birmingham and for cooking and heating purposes. A gas war is indeed ,n. The citizens certain to get dollar gas and it may be that they will get gas 1t 50 cents.