The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-05
ID START WORK ON CREMATORY
Jackson Engineer Confers
 With Local Officials
TO COST ABOUT $5OOO
Will Be Erected on Ground Adjoining New City Prison on South side.-kirkpatrick's
 Views

After a prolonged conference yester- day with Walter G. Kirkpatrick of Jackson, Miss, and Commissioner James Weatherly. it was announced by Frank IT. Gafford, street commissioner, that work would be started on the city crema tory next Monday and that if nothing interfered the whole thing would be in operation within 90 or 40 days. During the conference MT. Kirk patrick explained in detail to the city officials the crematory at Jackson, dis played for their inspection and use, plans for the construction and went Into infinite details as to the general operation of the scheme.
 At the end of the conference it was stated that Mir. Weatherly had engaged one of the assistants of MT. Kirkpat- rick to come to Birmingham and be ready for work Monday morning. The engineer will taken general supervision of the plant, but the work will be per formed under the direction of Com missioner Gafford. Plans call for an expenditure of about $5000 and 1t is expected that the amount named will be quite sufficient to cover the whole
 
 cost.
 It is the general scheme to build the initial plant on the city's land adjoin- ing the new city prison on the south side and in the event that the crema- tory works to the satisfaction of the officials five additional plants will be erected in various sections of Greater Birmingham. It is the idea to scatter the small and inexpensive plants about the territory in order to cut out the expensive hauls and to facilitate the whole scheme of garbage transporta- tion.
 In explaining his plant. MT. Kirkpat- rick said yesterday that the plant was a "Commonsense burner"
 "The plant that was erected in Jack son." said Mir kirkpa trick, absolutely incinerates everything put into it. For many years it was planned to burn the garbage and another plan was to extract the grease and fat from the garbage. The plan we hit upon was to burn the whole business. bone and all The scheme is simply an air draft burner which is utterly incapable of
 
 odors. In the plants we have erected the possibility of smoke exodus has been fully tested one may hold thick handkerchief before the gates of one of our plants and the draft will jerk 1t into the blaze That absolutely prevents any odors escaping through the doors or burners. hs Tar sa tHl smoke Is concerned, that Asuaifa very high in the air.
 was accompanying sfis se A4ef sts small plant one day whef hG Esa me why we had shut down ti p,anf told him he was mistaken, q sag 4aaaine right along. He looked tHs suaka stack and could see notnins IA., .s the way. There is absolutely no smoke 10 be seen. On an unusually clear day the smallest streak of grey smoke Is to be seen but no odors of any kind accom- pany that smoke. The plant at Jackson is within three blocks of the business center of the city and very near the ola capitol buildings. It has never yet caused the least objection. We had great deal of trouble when we started the experi- ment, No one knew what it would do and everyone was afraid that the propo- stion would be wholly objectionable We finally assured the people complaining that if the plant in any way proved ob- iectionabe that we would remove it. It was erected and to this day we have had no complaints.
 We have received many inquiries about the incenerator and have plans on foot now to erect them in many cities near Jackson and Birmingham. They are sim- ply common sense plants with no unnec- essary details and are wholly competent to fulflll their mission. I have every faith in the plants but as I assured the Bir- mingham officials yesterday, I do not undertake to enter into any guarantees of them.
 After completing his conference with the city officials yesterday. Mir. Kirfl- patrick was shown oyer the city for a short time by the officials and he was very much pleased. Te returned to Jack son last night and will send his assistant over for work Monday.
 -.s---