The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-19
SLOSS COMPANY AND
THE CITY AGREE ON
STAG PILE REMOVAL
Proposal Submitted Is Ac-
cepted by Commission-To
Remove Coke Ovens
SECOND AVENUE
TO BE OPENED UP
Company Will Receive Dedication Of
Unused Part of Third Avenue.
Will Continue to Occupy
Thirtieth Street

agreed. The company will abate the
smoke evil of the coke ovens. The COM
pany will open up Second avenue with
reasonable despatch. The company will
receive tho dedication of an unused part
of Third avenue. The company will also
remain unmolested In its occupancy of
Thirtieth street Within ten years the
company will rededlcate to the city the
vacancies executed at this time. With
this agreement the Stag pile and oven
controversy ends.
The offer made the city which was ac.
| cepted from Adrain Larlzin of New York.
representing the company, follows:
Birmingham. Ala March Is, 1913.
ITO the Board of Commissioners, City of
Birmingham.
Gentlemen Referring to the written
proposition I made to you yesterday and
to the objections thereto you pointed out
at the hearing you were good enough to
accord the representatives of the Sloss-
Sheffield Steel and Iron company today.
Herewith l submit an amended PROPOSE
tion which includes the changes in the
original proposition you directed to be
made at the conference today:
Referring to the conference which you
| have been good enough to have with
representatives of the Sloss-Sbeffeld
Steel and Iron company, and in compli-
ance with your request that l make 10
you a proposition that / can recommend
to the board of directors and one which
l believe they will sanction, l desire to
submit to you for your consideration the
following:
/ Position of Commission
| c I nd ha mos of f1ta
/ commissioners Is as follows:
| I'D You hold that the operation of the
coke ovens is public nuisance.
"tO That the Sloss company is occu-
pying portions of Fifth avenue and por-
tions of Second avenue, without title
thereto, and that there has been a legal
dedication of these avenues over 80 years
ago; and that you desire us to vacate
Second avenue and to remove any OBJ
| structions that we may have placed
thereon and on First avenue.
sAs you are aware, various suits have
been brought against the Sloss- Sheffield
/ Steel and Iron company by different
property owners, seeking to oust the
company from its use and occupation of
Thirteth street. Second avenue and Third
avenue
1T has been represented to YOU on
various occasions that the opening Of
Thirteth street through our plant and
the opening of Second avenue through
our Stag pile, without sons provision
being made for the use of the company's
property north of Second avenue, will
practically amount to destruction of
| the companys plant.
"The company is naturally desirous of
preventing the closing down of this
plant, and is anxious to continue it's OPP
/ Grafton, and is willing, in order to in
sure the continued operation of the plant.
to waive whatever legal rights 1t mey
have in Second avenue. in order to meet
the views of the commission. Therefore.
to this end, | shall recommend to the
board of directors. at a meeting already
called, to be held on Thursday, March
20, for the purpose of considering this
situation, the following suggestions for
lacceding to your contention:
Company's Proposals
I'D The company recognizes that the
extraordinary growth of Birmingham
makes 1t desirable, and to the interests
Of the community that it cease operating
the coke ovens and 1t Is willing under
the conditions hereinafter mentioned, to
cease such operations OF these coke
ovens from and after the first of Janu-
airy, 1914, or sooner, provided it is able in
a shorter time to build an additional
battery of ovens elsewhere and connect
them up, so as to give continuous sup
ply of coke at the city furnaces.
"2. The company is willing further
Ito make an absolute dedication of
IThirtieth street from the north side of
First avenue to the right of way OF
the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
company, and to remove. distractions
Itherefrom, and to make an absolute
dedication of Second avenue through
Its Stag pile. and remove the Stag from
said avenue, If it may have a reasonable
time, and in any event, until January
IA, 1914 in which so to do; provided
you will give it the right TO cross Sec
ond avenue at grade and by an over
head bridge (enabling Stag to be car
ried from the furnace to the company S
property north of Second avenue); and
further, you will, when the proper Pc
tition or petitions are presented for
the purpose by the abutting property
lowners required by law, consent to the
vacation of Thirtieth street between
First avenue and the right of way OF
the Alabama Great Southern Railroad
& company about block IN length, and
to the vacation OF Third avenue be-
tween the right of way of the Louis
willie and Nashville Railroad company
and the right of way of the Belt Rail
road company, about block in length
land to the vacation of the intervening
alleys between First avenue and Third
lavenue. east of the right of way of the
lpany.
Conditions Imposed
you may impose as a condition to
consenting to the vacation of this
street. this avenue and these alleys the
following: If at any time the Sloss-
Sheffield Steel and Iron company, OF
lany grantee company, or any person
taking title through it, ceases to use
the PROPERTY for a blast furnace, that
thereupon, upon the demand OF the city
the Sloss Sheffield Steel and Iron com
pany, or it's grantee, or any one claim
ing title under it, will forthwith exc
|cute formal dedication Of Thirtietl
Istreet, Third avenue, and Intervening
alleys between First and Third avenues
$50 far as it is affected by your actions
and the further condition as to Thiro
avenue: That at any time after the ex.
piration of 10 years from this date, upor
the demand of the city. the Sloss- Shef
field Steel and Iron company, or its
grantee. or any one claiming title un-
der it, will forthwith execute forma
dedication of, said Third avenue, so fal
las 1t is affected by your action; and ths
foregoing conditions may take the form
of covenants running with the land. II
Is understood, however. that the com
Ipany shall reserve the right TO cross