The age-herald., 1898-10-20
THE GREAT WORK
 AT ENSLEY CITY

Have you been to Ensey to see the prog ress of the great work now under construc- ton in that progressive suburb? It is worth a trip It is calculated to inspire every one who sees 1t with the most enthusiastic confidence in the future of Birmingham.
 I expect to see Ensey a city of 15,OOO peo- pie withing twelve months from today. h. cuding. the families of the officials and la boring men, it will take that many people to operate the great manufacturing con cerns already erected and in course of erection at this point. The largest battery of iron furnaces in the south is already located here, and when all four are in op- eration the output of iron is within the neighborhood of 900 tons a day. The pres ent tonnage to and from the little railroad station at Ensley is SO,O0O tons a month.
 Adjoining the great battery of iron fur naces in the new Semet-Solvay Bi-Product plant which is now in complete operation. To those who have witnessed the making of coke by the old process of beehive fur naces, this plant is revelation. There IS not a particle of smoke connected with the process. The coal is converted into coke in long, narrow stoves, and instead of the coal being lighted and burned, the heat is ap- piled about the jacket which envelopes it,
 
 smoke which go off are carried through large pipes, condensed, and every sub stance is separated refined and saved. The Tennessee company furnishes the Semet- Solvay company with the coal for the coke in return. The Semet-Solvay company makes a handsome profit out of the bi- products, such as coal tar, ammonia and creosote. All about the works are great tank cars of ammonia ready for shipment. Hundreds and thousands of barrels of tar are made and great quantities of creosote.
 Just below the iron furnaces and bl- product plant the work on the great new thousand ton steel plant is being pushed rapidly The main building, which is now under construction is to be 733 feet long. The work olready done by laying the foun- dation for the stacks and steel furnaces has consumed 5000 barrels of cement, 12,5oO barrels of sand, 30,00O barrels of slag and OO0 ,0OO brick. The plant is being pushed just as rapidly it is possible to do the work. The office building of the concern IS already completed and is now occupied by Colonel A. w. Shook, MT. Paschal Shook, the secretary of the concern, the engineer and other officials
 Next to the steel plant the lana mas peeh surveyed and laid off for the foundation or the steel wire rod mill, which is to be con structed at an early date, and probably completed by the time the steel plant IS in operation. It is expected that the hrst run of steel will be made some time dur ing next July.
 Of course the building of the b-product plant the steel plant and the wire rod mil have led to other and smaller industrles springing up rapidly.
 The Ensley Brick company, which makes brick for sale, has completed it's plant and is now making S5,OOO brick day It ex- poets to increse it's capacity to 45,OOo prlck a day within the next few weeks. DE planing mill and wood work establishment has also sprung up, and Ensley is on gen uine boom Of course, jolly Charley No lan who is in charge of the Ensley Lana Company, is the happiest man in the httle town He has laid off streets through the piney woods, and already he sees in his dreams great rows of brick buildings. As matter of fact there are fifty or sixty neat cottages already in course of constructor and several brick store buildings are going up While MT. Nolan was selling land by the acre a year ago, he is now selling It by the lot 50 feet front. He, however, has shown good sense in selling these lots at moderate prices, and many of them have been purchased by laboring men who are erecting their own homes.
 It takes but forty minutes to go from Birmingham to Ensley on the direct line, and it is worth the while of every citizen of Birmingham to go out and see the great work going en. Whether Ensley is made a part of Birmingham proper or not, 1t Is practically Birmingham, and it's people Will be counted as Birmingham people. In i've years from now, Birmingham should un- doubtedly be a city of 150,o0O, and it may go to 2oO.00O It is destined to be the great ste eel centre of the world.