The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-19
IRON CO.'S REPORT
INCREASED OUTPUT
March VIII be a Record Month
in Production
FURNACES BEHAVE WELL
Tennessee Co.'S New Stack at Ems.
ley VIII Be Ready for the Torch
Within the Next Three
Weeks.

Favorable weather conditions are hav-
ing a marked effect on Alabama's iron
production The March output will be
largely in excess of that of any month
since last summer and if the present rate
keeps up 1905 will probably be a record
year in the southern iron world.
of the forty coke stacks in Alabama
twenty-four of them are in blast and
this portion Is almost normal Even in
boom times number of furnaces are
usually out for repairs,
Furnaces In Blast.
The furnaces now in operation are as
follows: Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad
company, five at Ensley and one at Bes-
semer; Sloss-s Sheffield Steel and Iron COM
pany four at Birmingham, one at Flor
enee and one at Sheffield; the Alabama
Consolidated Coal and Iron company, one
at Gadsden and two at Ironton; the Re
public Iron anc Steel company. two at
Thomas; the Woodward Iron company,
two at Woodward, the Sheffield Coal and
Iron company, one at Sheffield; the Cen
trail Iron and Coal company, one at Tus-
caloosa; the Lookout Mountain Iron COM
pany, one at Battelle; Lacey-Buel1 Iron
company, one at Trussvlle; Tutwiier
Coke and Iron company. one at Wander
bi1t near Birmingham
The Tennessee company Is putting the
finishing touches on its sixth furnace at
Ensley and Vice President Charles Nc
Crery said yesterday that the new stack
would be ready for the torch in about
. hi te Ior In
the south and 1t goes without saying that
1t is up to date in every particular. The
Tennessee officials report that more coal
is now being mined by their company
than was the case a few months ago and
they expect to have coke enough to keep
the new furnace at work.
The Tennessee's steel plant is turning
out finished rails at the rate of about
10000 tons a month. A new mill is being
added to the steel works and when 1t is
completed some time next fall the ca
pacity of the plant will be Increased one
tenth.
Fine Record.
The Sloss-Sheffield is making about
$4,000 tons of pig iron a month. In 1904
in spite of the union miners strike, and
the fact that one of the Sloss Birming
ham furnaces was undergoing repairs for
three months or more, the company pro-
duced 1000 tons of iron in excess of its
output in 1903 The year 1904 was the
sloss- sheffield's banner year, it's total
output being nearly 100000 tons. Pres
ident ]. c. Maben says he expects the
cempany's output to go considerably over
four hundred thousand tons this year.
The Alabama Consolidated company re-
ports that all three of Its furnaces are
behaving well and will make excellent
records this month The company has
started to work on a new furnace at
Gadsden.
The Lacey-Buek Iron company made
g., 600 tons of iron last year and at the
rate it's furnace has been turning out
the metal the last few months, the 1905
make will reach fully 10000
The Woodward Iron company is push
ing the work on its No. furnace and
will have the stack ready for lighting
before long.
Big Profits.
Iron is in demand at $3.50 to $14 on
No. foundry basis. 1t may go to s15
before the summer, but whether it does
or not, the furnace companies are sat-
isfed with the profits they are making
at present prices. Some of the compa-
MES are making iron for So, perhaps a
shade less. The average cost of iron is
not over $3.50.
The miners are getting the maximum
rate, Size for cutting coal and are there
fore making good money" every day
they work. The Alabama Consolidated
employs only union miners, but the
Tennessee. the Soss, the Republic. the
Lacey-Buek the Tutwiler and most of the
other furnace companies run open shop
mines.