The age-herald., 1901-07-28
At the Present Time Its Total Mileage, Including Allied Lines. is S,101.11 Miles, of Which
 1,47O Are in,A1abama.

1 equipped with the latest appliances are used.
 New Fields Opened Up. The Southern Railway has been espe- l cially active in the opening up of new coal fields in the Alabama district With the purchase of the Northern Alabama Railroad came increased and better facil- ities,- and the rapid development of the mines and the opening of new ones along that line. During the year new road of considerable length. known as the Ensle, Southern, which reaches some of the most valuable coal deposits in the Birmingham distrlct, has been under construction. and in the building of sidetracks and other fa- cillties for the more economical handling of coal, the system has been very active.
 Strong Combination.
 During the past year capitalists from the North have been investigating the coal fields of Alabama, and have but re- gently consumated deal for several im- portant properties in the Alabama dis trict. These people have large capital and 1t is thought contemplate developing their properties along broad lines, push- Ing out progressively for new markets.
 Coke Making.
 Coke making in Alabama is an import ant part of the coal industry, most of 1t being used in the iron and steel plants of the State. During the past year there were in operation o4sz coke ovens-output 2,1l9,s17 tons. The production of coke in Alabama in 1895 was i,444Sss tons. It as thus seen that the increase has been near ly 47 per cent An innovation has been the introduction of the Semet-Solvay pro- cess, which has been found profitable with the coal of this district, the plant having been doubled during the past year.
 Iron Ore Production.
 The Alabama iron district has been one of the most important in the country for several years. The production of iron ore last year amounted to 2,750,0O0 tons. In 1895 the production was 21ss,8s0 tons. During the year 1900 the production of pig iron was 1,1s4337 tons. In 1895 1t was S54.6e7 tons. On the Southern Railway in with daily production of about 1000 tons of pig iron. Within the past five years two developments greatly affecting the industry for good have taken place. First the establishment of a foreign market on tho continent of Europe and In England, in the centers of the British iron indus tries; and second. the successful demon | stration of the abiifty to produce cheap and first quality steel in the Alabama dis trict, with the resultant establishment of the steel industry there upon successful basis.
 Manufacture of Iron.
 During the year 1899 there was placed in operation in Birmingham a new open hearth steel plant, with a daily capacity sof 1000 tons. Since that time, 1t has been running very successfully. and has pro- duced steel of excellent quality. Along side the plant there has since been com pleted a wire and rod mill, which takes the billets from the steel mill and converts them into wire nails, etc. There is now under construction steel rail mill which will soon be completed, and it is hoped will be able to furnish a steel rail of first class quality. The building of ships in connection with this steel industry is ap-