The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-02
WILL START AGAIN
BLAST FURNACES TO RESUME OPERATION.
Weeks Review of Iron, Coal And Coke Conditions In AIs-
 bama's Mineral Dis-


 Birmingham. Dec. 1-tSpeciaD-- within sixty days every blast fur mace in the Birmingham district will be in operation and work will have made good progress on such iron makers as need repairing"
 This statement was made by young man who works in the office of one of the larger iron and steel companies Of the Birmingham district and it was evident that he was talking from what he had gathered from the moves made abont his office. The various iron making companies in the district are anxiously looking forward, indicating that there will be a general change for the better in time.
 The first week of the last month of the year begins with the pig iron mar ket in this section of the country in q dull condition. The make is just a little better than tke demand which is down at the low water mark. There is no accumulation of iron and there will be none so long as the demand Is inactive. However, the furnace com panies in the Birmingham district are preventing a demoralization of the quotations and when the demand be- gins to improve the old prices will come back rapidly
 No. ?. foundry iron. is putlicly quot ed at $15 per ton. Taken into con sideration that the published quotations are usually optimistic. it is not be- lieved that the manufacturers are sell ing the product at prive very much under $14 per ton. if any at all. But few of the furnaces which are out of blast at present will need much repairing before they can be started up. A report from Bessemer, twelve miles South of Birmingham, Is to the erect that the ore mines in that vicini- ty are working on almost full time and that much of tho product is being stocked up 50 as to be ready when there is resumption of work at the furnaces. The Tennessee Coal, Iron | and Railroad Company still has but one furnace making foundry iron. Five furnaces at Ensley are produc- Ing basic iron daily for the steel mill. The iron that is to be seen on furnace yards in the Birmingham district be- longs to consumers and is being held subject to their orders or in probability of being cancelled altogether
 Announcement is made that the re- ceivers of the Southern Steel Company will shortly make statement as to the conditions of the company. The special master appointed by the Federal judge, following the filing of the petition in bankruptcy of this com pany, has been hearing references en- tered by creditors, one blast furnace of this company. located at Trussvilie. has just been shut down.
 The furnace at Rising Pawn. Ga, was closed down before the receiver ship trouble came on. It is stated that the southern Steel Company will short ly close down the Gadsden furnace.
 The steel plant at Gadsden and the steel rod, wire and nail mills at Ems ley. will hardly be closed down for several weeks yet. some orders on hand to be completed.
 However, those who are keeping well up with the conditions in the indus trial circles, do not believe there will be much reason for further curtail- ment of production. While it is true that some of the orders which were placed three months ago and longer are still held back and that some of the orders have been cancelled the change for the better is likely to set in at any moment.
 The shutting down of the big plant of the Sheffield Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry Company is in line with the plan of curtailment On top of this announcement comes the report that the United States Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry Company, whose large plants are located Tn AnnlStOn ana BeSSemer, Ala. recently received nice orders which will keep them busy for lit- tie while at least. The large orders from St. Louis are nearing completion. but that city has asked for bids on an- other supply and 1t is believd that the business will be secured. Neither the North Birmingham nor the Bessemer cast iron plants show any signs of weakening and as far as can be learn ed there will be a steady operation.
 The Gate City rolling mills are cold. The Birmingham mills are working with a greatly reduced force. The Bessemer mills, Tennessee Company are working in all departments with a fairly large force. No intimation is given of shut down at that point.
 The most cheering news of the week in the Birmingham industrial region and in the Southern iron market, is that men are being put to work daily in the furnace and steel plants of the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad Company at Ensley, and orders re- ceptly issued calling off construction work and a rush on orders in hand. have been substituted with orders to get busy in the Ensley section of the district. As a consequence, real es-