The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-07
Tennessee Company to Fur nish 1,400 Tons of Steel to Be Fabricated and Shaped in
 Structural Plant ofJohnson& Thompson, Birmingham Co.
ALABAMA DRY DOCK co. WILL CONSTRUCT CRAFT
One Hem of Order Will Double
 in Size Eight 0thers--T Be
 280 Feet Long by 50 Wide, Capacity of 2,925 Net Tons. All to Be Ready in 5 Months

For the use of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company in transportation of exports down the Warrior from Birmingham and the bringing up of imports from Mobile to Birmingham, contract has been let to the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding company at Mobile for the construction of nine steel barges. This announcement was made Saturday morning to The Age-Herald.
 These barges are to be made of Birmingham steel, fabricated and shaped in the large structural steel plant of Johnson & Thompson, Twenty-sixth street, north, Bir- mingham. There are to be 1,400 tons of this steel, which will be turned out in the mills of the Ten nessee company for Johnson & Thompson to finish into forms for the barges.
 Eight of the bargees are to be 40 feet long by 25 feet wide by II feet deep. Each of these will have capacity of 670 net tons at eight feet of fresh water draft. Each will have covered hatch for protection of cargo.
 Huge BarEe's Dimensions
 Ono large barge will be 2so feet long by 50 feet wide by il feet deep. This will have a capacity of 2.925 net tons in draft of eight feet of fresh water. It will be able to carry that load between Birmingham and Mobile. It will have six cargo hatches-
 The contract calls for deliveries to start in two months and the en- tire contract is to be completed in five months. The Tennessee company will then have these nine steel barges available for use on the War; rior and to that extent they will fill out the needs of the WarrtCr ser- vice for additional equipment. the DdIBCS HOW OSih6 0SOo AOi ooi N4Sd of the Tennessee company being di- verted to other purposes.
 The principal business of ths Tennessee company on the Warrior river consists Of shipment of rails. plates and other products to Mobile for export and the bringing in of manganese ore from Brazil. This Is heavy tonnage and use of special craft for the Tennessee company's service will distinctly facilitate the entire river business.
 The structural and steel fabricat. ing contract awarded Johnson c Thompson Is one of the largest ob- tained by a Birmingham firm. John- son and Thompson have done lot of big work during the past year and their new shop with it's modern fa- cilities has enabled them to turn out big work on record time.
 Lands Large Contract
 Among large jobs that have been done by Johnson 6 Thomas Is one involving 1000 tons of steel This was fabricated into so,o0o barr rel tanks for the Magnolia Petroleum company. It has Just completed complete refinery for the Caddo Gen. tral oil and Refining company at Shreveport, La. fabricating the stills. the agitators. the condenser boxes and the tanks. More than 1,500 tons of steel was involved In this job.
 The new shop of Johnson & Thompson has a capacity of 2,0o0 to 5000 .ons of structural and fabrt- cated steel per month.
 Plans for the steel barges to be built at Mobile are now being worked on and the structural work will start in the immediate future,
 All the concerns engaged in this construction are Alabama concerns. The steel will come from the mills of the Tennessee company will be fabricated in a Birmingham steel mill and the barges will be constructed by an Alabama concern at Mobile. The Alabama Dry Dock and Ship building company has the largest and most modern shipbuilding and re- pair plant on the gulf. It has dry docks of as high as 10000 tons cs- pacity.