The age-herald., 1902-01-29
BY HOMER GEORGE.


 gain thorough knowledge of the manu- facturing, industrial and business inter ests of this city requires several days. They are variee and extensive. They represent large outlays of cash.
 Probably the first company mentioned by the local citizen who attempts to tell you of Demopolis will be the Alabama Portland Cement Company. The plant of this corporation cost s6Jo.0OO, and was only recently completed. It Is modern in every sense of the word and is so situat- ed as to secure all the benefits of both railway and river transportation.
 The raw material rom which the com pany manufactures It's cement is only few feet from the plant. It consists of strata of limerock 560 feet deep extending for an indeterminable distance. It was only within the past two years that the discovery of the possibilities of this rock was made. Less than eighteen months ago the citizens of Demopolis were con- tinually pouring out t..eir wrath against the white glaring rocK, which seemed use- ful only to opticians by running eyes with it's lime whiteness reflected by the sun.
 One day Sate Geologist Eugene Smith came to town and secured a quantity of the limerock with which to experiment. The result of his work was the discovery that the rock contained just the exact quantity and percentage of clay and lime to make a first class cement The mak- ing public of lis discovery had a start ling effect. Within a short time capl- talists took up the investigation. Mir L. H. Conrad and Mr. Thomas C. Cairnes first visited the city. They were both practical, experienced cement manufact- urers. The opportunities offered by the limerock were quickly grasped.
 Interested with e two genuemen were English capitalists and thorough tests were made before actual work was begun. Quantities of the rock were bored and sent to Salt Lake City where the experi- mentors owned a plant. The result of this further experiment was satisfactory company was formed and the Barnes place upon whic much of the rock lays was purchasd. This place has frontage on the river and also the Southern Rail- way.
 The officers of the company are:
 J. Loplan Richardson, president Lon don, England.
 P. Eyland, Secretary, London, England.
 Thomas C. Cairnes. general manager, Demopons.
 L. H. Conrad, accountant -Jemopois
 rUOTk DC8ut OH TidHe'
 Engineers, electricians, foremen and la borers were secured and work begun in the fall of 1900. Within a few months the plant was put in operation Since it has been enlarged and made more per feet. Further work is now under contem- plation.
 The capacity of the plant Is from 500 to 1O0O barrels of cement per day. The equipment Is all of the newest and most modern type. The product Is said to be of the highest grade. The equipment in cudes a battery of three Porcupine boil CTS of 600 horse power, one Fitchburg Tandem double compound expansion en- zine, one large Buckeye single compound expasion engine, and many special pieces of machinery.
 Three large rotary kilns are used for breaking the raw material They are in a steel building 90 by 70 feet. The en- zine room is a steel building 1 by 90 feet. The main building Is of steel and is 90 by 100 feet and a steel boiler room Is 40 by 50 feet. A large conveyor carries the finished product from the mill room to the stock house.
 To run the machinery at the present capacity more than 1000 tons of coal are required each month. The plant has water works system and electric light machinery Both are separate and dis tinct from the city systems.
 How Cement Is Made.
 The detailed treatment to which the raw material Is made to undergo cannot be given, but the general plan by which it Is made into cement Is as follows:
 The rock Is quarried on the south side of the railroad and is carried to the mill by carts and tramcars. It is taken up an incline and durcped into crusher, from which a screw conveyor carries it to the dryer whence it is conveyed to the storage bins and from these bins 1t Is carried to two measuring bins. From them 1t is taken in regular quantities by a screw conyeyor to roller mills which roll 1t to a medium size. It Is then car ried into the four emery mills which grind 1t to impalpable powder Then it is carried by a screw conveyor to the kiln building, where it is dumped into bins from which it goes to the three massive revolving xilns and subjected for about an hour to intense heat-about 5000 de- grees.
 It comes out of these kilns In the shape of red-hot clinkers ranging in size from a pea to hazenut. These cinkers fall into the clinker pit from which they ere taken by cup elevatcr to the cool ing bins, through which blast of cold air is constantly blown. When properly cooled they are carried by a belt con veyor to crusher in the mill bulding. There they are ground to about the con- sistency of sand, after which they go into the ball mills. which are filled with steel balls about four inches in diameter. The powder Is taken from these to the tube mills and into another mill which is filled with flint pebbles. where it Is ground the last time. From these mills