The Washington weekly post., 1899-11-28
new IRON ERA IN SOUTH
Nails and Wire Made Within
a Mile of Raw Material.
ORDERS FOR SIX MONTHS AHEAD
BIRMINGHAM Furnaces Are still Unable 10
Meet Requirements Of Buyers->eHth IL
Emerging from Pig Iron Period Into that
of Diversified Products in Iron and steel
Raw Material and Manufacturing Es-
Establishments ar EHslcy, Ala.
special to TIE Post.

.
. Special 10 TIE Post
Baltimore. Nov Zone OF the cleares
statements ever made of the manifesto
tions in the Southern iron field is pre.
sented in this weeks issue OF the Manu-
factJrers' Record. by Mr. Edward III
Sanborn, OF Philadelphia He sets forts
tersely and distinctly the situation 81
Ensley. Ala, as marking the emergence
Of the South from the pig iron period into
that of diversified products in iron and
steel. Leading from the success in the
manufacture OF basic pig in Alabama. he
describes the Cpen-hearth steel plant al
Ensley, the largest of the kind IN the
United States, with the exception Of tbs
great Homestead works of the Carnegje
Steel Company, limited. COntsmporane.
ously with the beginning of operations nj
the steel mill will be found another plant
the mill OF the Alabama Steel and Wire
Company, Immediately adjoining, ready
to use its product.
| This condition is but one Of the illus
trations given at Ensley of the economies
Of production in the South AS Mr San
born points out. on an imaginary line lit
tie more than a mile long are SLOPES Of
coal mines, coke ovens. blast furnaces.
cement works, steel wire works, and 4
steel plant, a combination Of resources at
| tended by economies in manufacture
| which, he says, cannot be duplicated In
this country. if, indeed, in any part OF
the world. A radius of three miles will
embrace all the processes from the ore
and coal to the keg of nails or reel of wire,
while Stag from the furnaces, ground and
mixed with lime and other ingredients.
becomes very satisfactory hydraulic C.
ment, and the by-products from coke
ovens are recovered for further treat
! ment.
New Era in Iron Industry.
These developments, taken in connec-
ton with the fact that what has been
done at birmingham in iron may be done
under nearly as favorable conditions in
other localities in the South, mean the
opening of a new era in the Southern iron
industry in the diversificatiOn of product
and the establishment of a variety of new
and Independent Industries.
The developments during the week at
! birmingham were that the furnaces were
still unable to meet the requirements Of
| buyers. An example OF this was an IN
quiry for delivery to begin this year that
was declined. Then it was renewed. with
! delivery TO begin in January. When this
was also declined, the best delivery for
| the first half of 1900 was asked. The in
| cident was closed by the assertion that
| further orders for the first half of 1900
| could not be accepted. At one furnace,
where two stacks are in blast, the stock
at the close of the week was fifty-seven
tons; at another, with four stacks in
blast, the stock was 200 tons, and at a.
third, with five stacks, it was 500 tons.
Railroad improvements.
During the past three years a notable
feature of Southern development has been
| the construction of depots by the rail-
roads While the best rolling stock that
morey could procure has been placed
upon the principal systems, and many
OF the lines have been entirely rebuilt
with heavier rails and improved roadbeds,
the appropriation for depots for passen-
gers, as well as freight, have been gen.
erous in the extreme. Most of the larger
cities of the South now have certain sta
tions, which will compare fayorabIy with
those in any part of the country They
have been planned and erected with the
view of not only accommodating the pres
ent. but future increase in passenger busi-
ness. The best materials have been Sc
lected, the most noted architects obtain
ed, ard expert wOrkmen employed.
This broad policy has been voluntary on
the part of the railroad companies. Only
in few instances have they been obliged
to construct new stations through TIE
order of railroad commissions in the va
riOus States. and many q community has
received the gift of a new and attractive
depot which was entirely unsolicited II
is practically gift, for an outlay of this
kind seldom repays railroad company in
increase of traffic. 1t is not necessary 10
have new depot to secure the business
OF a town where the railroad has no com
petition, but there are many instances in
the South where the company has lit
orally taken money out of its treasury
and presented ii TO the citizens In the
form OF new station.
Some New Industries.
Among the many new Industrial an
nouncements Of the week as made 70 the
Manufacturers Record, are the following:
Twenty thousand dollar handle factory
10000 chemical works, 5OcOO-spindle cot
ton mill, combined $4,000 cotton ana
knitting mill, $4,000 foundry supply COM
pany, and 100000 cotton factory company
in Alabama; 5000, 900 mining company.
$4,000 lumber company, 100000 gold min
ing and milling company. and fifty-ton fee
factory in Arkansas: $J00 900 electric light
and power company in Florida; 5.OOO-spln-
die cotton factory, $4,000 cotton mill COM
pany, 3,5O0-spindle cotton mill. 5O09-spIndl4
cotton mill and $4,000 flour and lumber
mill company in Georgia; S150000 bolt and
iron works, $4,000 medicine factory sl5 900
tobacco factory. and $500 distillery
company in Kentucky; $1,000 Iun-
Der company and $4,000 rice mill In
Louisiana; ten-tOn ice factory and 80 OOl
brick works In Maryland; roller cotton
ginnery. $1,000 electric light and water
works. $500 electric light plant. sl5OOO wa
ter works, and 81, 900 cotton mill company
IN Mississippi; $500 chair factory, 2Go-
spindle addition 20 mill, s., 90 electric
hght plant, $500 water works and SER
erage system. and 500 coo cotton mill COM
pany in North Carolina; 10,0Do-spindIe cot
ton mill. 6.ce0-spindle cotton mill, and
100000 cotton mill company in South Caro-
lima; 10000 phosphate mining company.
5000 coal mining company. and $500
coal mining company In Tennessee; 81. 5.oy1
Improvement company. 81, go manufacture
ing company. loo-harrel -four mill. ana
$1,000 broom factory in Texas: fiffy-barreI
-four mill. 5000 cabinet factory s25 C0e
electrical plant, and $1,000 telephone com
pany in Virginia: G0060 coal and coke
company, $4,000 glass factory and so Oo0 |
novelty factory IN West Virginia
SET Her (tarf.iu0 nm Eirs