The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-26
SIXTEENTH. PLANT OF LEHIGH FIRM
 FORMALLY OPENS
Officials Of Company Are Hosts At A Big
 Barbecue

The sixteenth plant of the Lehigh Portland Cement company, costing, it is estimated, in the neighborhood of $4,- 100000, was formally opened for in epection Thursday, when officials of the company were hosts at barbecue serv- ed on the lawn. More than POO of the districts engineers, architects, builders. officials and others motored to the plant near Boyles, where they were given the opportunity to inspect the interesting manufacturing process.
 District Sales Manager Traynor ex- tended the hospitality of the company to those accepting the invitations. Other officials, including Superintendent k. H. MacFetridge, escorted scores of vis- itors through the plant, indicating to them the process of manufacturing ce- ment, and explaining the technical points in connection with the work.
 $ The opening Thursday was a deferred ceremony, and while somewhat late was none the less an interesting develop ment. For the past few years there has been located in this district series of cement plants which have given Bir- mingham an outstanding place in the manufacture of that product from the limestone of this district.
 First Plans Modest , { The officials explained Thursday that the first plans of the company contem- plated three unit plant. That work was completed year ago. However, the amazing growth of the district, coupled with the increase in the con- sumption of cement in this territory, in fluenced the corporation to make the sixteenth plant of the Lehigh company, the latest and the best that could be built. Engineers and designers of the company have combined all the ex- perience which has gone before in the fifteen plants owned in various parts of this country, and created at Boyles the last word in cement manufacture.
 The journey started at the quarry. The company ownes four hundred. acres of land including the plant site. They have drilled the area and know that the limestone supply will last for a cen- tury or longer. The excavation now dis closed is calculated 10 last fifty years at the least, it was explained. Huge blasts of dynamite are placed to dis lodge the rock which is hauled into the primary crusher by means of open-end cable cars. Rocks of every size are placed in the cars and hauled into the bin where they are dumped automatical- iy. The rock is crushed by steel ingot of great power and comes to the second primary operation in particles ranging from about three-fourths inch in size to powder.
 &A. Brought on Trains
 This is conveyed on belt to the first raw material storage housye where it is sent into the other machines and pre- pared by other refining processes. The clay mixture is brought to the plant in small trains with shuttle engines from the clay fields one-fourth of mile distance and run onto platform trestle where streams of water reduce the clods into a liquid. To the layman the process contains many technical steps. The product is conveyed into enormous kilns where the heat treat ment takes place. The company has four of the kilns, each 190 feet long, revolving all the time, night and day, whose food is shot into the turbine shaped kilns. The company forces coal heat into the kilns and with the mixture of little gypsum completes the principal analysis of cement. After baking, the manufacturing process is about complete and the product is con- veyed into revolving conveyers leading to the storage bins. The company bins now hold enough cement to last the plant thirty days, and it is stated. this capacity will be increased within a short time. These bins are about 175 feet high.
 The cement is sacked with special machines operated by workmen who are