The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-28
BY RICHARD F. JOHNSTON


mingham district was there such as
surance of a steady operation of
plants on full turn for an indefi-
mite period as now exists. The coun-
try at large shares this condition
and that Is all the better for this
district because 1t is producer for
the country.
Adding to the already bullying
order books of the Chickasaw car
works came the Central of Georgia
order toward the end of the week.
Every mill in the district having to
do with manufacture of rails, cars.
track accessories. bolts, nuts and
rivets, repair of cars and locomotives
and producing wire, nails. bars and
other wire mill. products has en- or
der books all 1t can handle for
three to six months ahead.
Mills are booked to capacity on
nails for three months. on other wire
mill products four and five months
and in some products for as much as
six months.
The Tennessee company continues
it's capacity production in all de-
partments. The company is now OPP
Grating eight furnaces on basic iron,
which demonstrates the land on
part of its finishing steel mills for
raw material.
SIS Iron
The pig iron market has settled
down to a minimum of $24 and $25
and is a new base for second quarter
that Is becoming rapidly established.
The $25 base Is the only one quoted
by several of the large interests.
Two makers offering second quarter
iron at s24 last week were almost
swamped with takers, these two
alone booking 10000 tons at that
base.
Large Pipe Bookings
The pipe market is very strong
indeed. The United States Pipe has
booked 5000 tons for Omaha. 5000
for Louisville, $500 for st. Paul and
1000 for Duluth. January business
In pressure pipe has been the largest
on record for that season. Sanitary
pipe shops are booked to capacity
for three months to come. The sani-
tary pipe base Is $50 and that of
pressure pipe Is s44.
New Pipe Plants
The McWane Cast Iron Pipe COM
pany, which expects to be operating
its new pressure pipe plant by March
l. has increased capital stock from
100000 to$20o,0o0. Admission is to
have another sanitary pipe shop,
Wallace Cater and others having or
ganized the Independent Soil Pipe
company to take over the old Ajax
foundry and convert it into pipe
shop. The Talladega Pipe company
is charging.
Coke Versus Coal
The Alabama company is firing $50
additional ovens at Searles in prepa-
ration for blowing in of the second
furnace at Gadsden around February
1. The coke market Is very strong
and the average base is IS for con-
tracts ana $3.50 to 50 for spot coke.
Large shipments of by-product coke
are moving into the Chicago dis
trict and other western points where
it takes the place of anthracite coal.
The Tennessee company is relin-
ing and improving Oxmoor furnace
and will soon have it ready for OPP
Grafton. 1t now has II active fur
naces.
The Woodward Iron company is
operating four furnaces. one of which
is on basic iron for midwestern steel
producers.
Lime and Cement
O'Neal's Lime Works, Inc, are
about to commence building the
100000 100000 barrel lime works
near Calera.
Both the Phoenix and Lehigh Port-
land Cement plants are showing the
finished form, structural steel having
been placed. The Lehigh people ex-
pect to be operating by early July
and lt%is presumed that the Phoenix
mill will do about the same. The
two mills will add 100000 barrels
to Birmingham yearly cement pro-
ducing capacity. ssfNs
Furnace for Sale
Notice of proffer of sale of the