The age-herald., 1898-07-15
GROUND CLEARED FOR STEEL MILL The Engineers Staked Off the Site
 Yesterday. THERE WERE NO CEREMONIES Contract For Grading Will Probably bG
 Let Today. ENSLEY BRICK co. WILL BEGIN WORK Meeting of the Stockholders of Alabama Steel and ShipbuiIding Company Yesterday New Coal Washers Being Put In
 By Tennessee Co. at Ensley.
ENSLEY BRICK co. WILL BEGIN WORK

The work of stalking out the sight of at Enslet City was begun yesterday morn- ing and in a short time the black smoke from the stacks of the big plant will pro- claim a new era of prosperity for the Bir- mingham district
 Messrs. c. II. and S. T. Wellman of the We1lman-Seaver Engineering company of Cleveland, O., who have secured the con- tract for experimenting the plant, and who arrived in the city Wednesday night went out to Ensley City early yesterday morning and staked off the ground plan of one of the largest buildings.
 Col. A. M. Shook, G. B. Mccormack, T. T. Hllman and Brskine Ramsay were present representing the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company or rather the pany.
 As soon as the ground was staked off a force of laborers were put to work clear ing off the site and getting it ready for the grading. This morning several contractors of this city who are bidding on the grad ing and excavations, will be taken out and shown over the ground. The company hopes to let the contract at once.
 Plans Completed
 All of the plans of the mill are about completed though some of them may have to be changed a little to suit the require ments of the site Copies of these plans l,.afp n c who are bidding on the various parts of the plant. The company will not let the contract for the whole concern to any one party but will have contractors to bid on the grading, the brfckwork, the various parts of the machinery, etc. The engineers mentioned above will have charge of the construction.
 As far as is possible all the material to be used in the plant will be furnished by Alabama dealers. The brick, both fire and building, will in all probability be furnished by Birmingham firms, who will also be given every opportunity to bid on the structural iron work, the boilers and as much of the machinery as can be manu factured here. It is entirely too early to make any pre- dcitions as to when the manufacture of steel will begin at the new plant but from nine to twelve months is considered a very fair time to get a plant of this size in work ing order.
 Yesterdays Meeting
 Yesterday morning, in the offices of the Tennessee company tke stockholders of the Alabama Steel and Shipbuildlng com pany held meeting to ratify the contract existing between itself and the Tennessee company, and also the one with the We'll man-Seaver Engineering company. Other routine business was transacted.
 Brick Works Open Today
 Today the EnsIey Brick company will be- gin operations after about three months work getting the plant in readiness. J. W. Minor, of Thomas, is president of the com pany. He is also president of the Besse- mer Fire Brick company.
 The machinery, anG indeed the wlio'e plant, is of the most up-to-date type, and it will have capacit. of 20,OOO brick daily. It will make red, fire, paving, vitrhed or any of the latest styles of brick
 Coal Washers
 The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company has just started new coal wash ing plant at Slope No A. about quar- ter of mile from the furnaces Its out put will be used exclusively by the Semet- Solvay bi-product coke ovens, which are to begin operations on July 20 or as soon thereafter as possible
 Another coal washing machine is also being put up at Slope No. 5, about mile beyond Slope No. 4. Its output will also be used by the bi-product plant.
 July, 1898, has proven itself so far and promises to continue, a banner month in the history of Ensley City