The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-16
Woodward Operations Model Of Industrial Efficiency
BY SCOTT E. CHESTNUT

piled for pumping fresh air into the
mines when it becomes necessary to
safeguard against fire or in case of ex-
ilosiou within.
Superintendent Il. M. Purser. in
charge of the mines, states that ordi-
nary laborers in the Dolomite coal
rinea are making from $3.50 to 81 per
dav and that this fact in measure
accounts for the ease with which he re-
tains the service of a constant full
force of men.
Nature provided well for the location
of great iron plant for the Wood
ward company In the center of an
area, three blast furnaces. on one side
an immense deposit of coal on the
other side a mountain of iron ore, not
for away beds of fluz stone-the three
necessary ingredients to ironmaking,
easily assembled by quick transit
And the scenery at Woodward is en-
chanting and must prove stimulating
to men who labor there, always in
spring to the will and to the muscle.
On Red mountain, overlooking the
twin valleys, is the beautiful summer
home Of Mr. Woodward-a modern bun
palow, surrounded by beds OF fragrant
flowers and lawns, nestled in enchant-
ing woodlands, famed by mountain
breezes and kissed at high noon by
summer suns
y
progressive and ever alert for greater
achievement Is now about to revolution
ize its motive power at the ore mine
by substituting electricity for steam and
compressed air, thus economizing time
The management has determined to drill,
hoist, crush and pump by force of most
modern electric appliances, and to discard
the present fashion of steam boiler Es-
Inmates of experts demonstrate that the
new appliances will accomplish three
times the results under steam system and
remove much of the danger from fire.
The by-product plant at Woodward is
another Illustration of the progressive
spirit of the company, in that 1t renders
another stroke Of economy. 1t produces
marketable products which add to the
importance of the work and furnishes a
supply of coke for the furnaces, which
permitted an abandonment of the battery
OF old-fashioned coke ovens. This plant
utillzes every particle of substance con-
tained in coal even the very smoke
which arises from the fires that make
hot and light the way.
Perhaps the most important measure
carried out in recent years bv the Wood
ward Iron company, from the viewpoint
of economics and conservation, was the
installation of the by-product coke oven
system of producing the coke required
for its blast furnaces.
Whereas. formerly in its beehive ovens,
a yield of only SO to 60 per cent of fur
mace cole was obtained, with of course
a total loss of all the gas and it's val
liable entra'ned by-products. by this pres
ent by-product system. a total yield of
about IS per cent Is obtained, Of which
~ per cent is good furnace coke, the
balance being small cote and coke dust
All the gas which in the former process
was entirely lost. is now saved and
treated for the recovery of it's by-prod-
ucts, which consist of tar ammonia in
the form of sulphate of ammonia, and If
desired at anv time. benzol and cvano-
gen, the former now coming into promi-
nence as fuel for internal combustion en-
gines.
Part of the gas thus treated is re-
turned to the ovens for heating the fiues
but fully so per cent is available as
surplus, and IS now delivered to the boil
ers at the central power station at the
furnaces to the foundry, blacksmith ana
boiler shops; thus replacing large guam
titles of coal and coke, which was for
merly REQUIRED for fuel at those places.
A small nercentaee OF the tar recov-
cred is distilled at the plant and worried
up with such quantities of pitch, tar fin
ish, cable dressing, etc. as are needed
for the conaDanv s-ewn use.
Mr. Woodward lives at home and does
business at the same place. The Office
building. a commodious and imposing
brick and stone structure. with every
modern convenience. commands an at
tractive and ornamental position amid
a forest of natural trees right near the
furnace nlant. This is headquarters for
the Woodward Iron comnany, it's officers
and its directors. Tt is here. and not in
citv sl1vscraners. that all official business
of the company is transacted. Mr.. Wood
ward and his close conferees, Messrs
Bush and Ben'ster. overlook and srard
the great interest under their control
with a payroll of 4nan men.
II the town of Brighton should have
found it's beginning and ACCOMPLISHED
it's present achievements in population
and business in any county of Alabama.
other than jefferson. and remote from
Birmingham, it would be accounted real