Haunted History of Sloss Fright Furnace

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In the beginning.

From 1882 to 1971, Birmingham’s Sloss Furnaces transformed coal and ore from surrounding acres into the hard steel that would pave the way for the Industrial revolution.

From skyscrapers in New Yorks glittering skyline to automobiles bein built in Detroit, America came to rely on Birmingham and Sloss furnaces for providing materials needed to produce thousands of products. Birmingham grew to a metropolis almost overnight. earning it the nickname of the “Magic City”

But as with all progress, a price was paid in the currency of blood.

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Rise of Slag

In the early 1900s, James “Slag” Wormwood, was foreman of the “Graveyard Shift”, the period between sunset and sunrise, where a skeleton crew of nearly 150 workers toiled to keep the furnace fed.

During the stifling summer months, temperatures throughout the plant would reach 120 degrees. Lack of sleep, the heat and low visibility made working the furnace literally a “living hell” and only the poorest of workers, desperate for employment, would work it.

These workers mostly recently arrived immigrants, were forced to live in cramped housing located on the furnace site and could be forced at any moment to work.

To impress his supervisors, Wormwood would make his workers take dangerous risks. forcing them to speed up production During his reign 47 workers lost their lives ten times more than any other shift in the history of the furnace. Countless others lost their ability to work due to accidents. mishaps and even a recorded explosion in the small blowing engine house in 1888 that left 6 workers burned blind

There were no breaks, there were no holidays, there was only the furnace and its constant hunger for more and more coal.

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The Fall of Slag

In October of 1906, James ‘Slag” Wormwood, lost his footing at the top of the highest blast furnace (known as Big Alice) and plummeted into a pool of melted iron ore. His body melting instantly

It was reported that “Slag” must have become dizzy from the methane gas created by the furnace and lost his balance-but Slag had never set foot on top of the furnace during his years of employment.

Many thought that the workers had finally had enough of Wormwoods slave driving and fed him into the furnace but no workers were ever brought to trial.

Sloss Industries soon discontinued the Graveyard Shift, citing numerous reports of accidents and strange incidents that decreased steel production.

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The Haunting Begins

The legend of “Slag” grew each year after his disappearance workers complained of an unnatural presence they increasingly encountered throughout the work site

A night watchman in 1926 sustained injuries after being “pushed from behind” and told angrily by a deep voice “to get back to work.” The man upon searching the grounds could find no sign of any other living person

In 1947 three supervisors turned up missing Found unconscious  and locked in the small boiler room in the southeastern part of the plant none of the three could explain exactly what happened to them all agreed they were approached by a man whose skin appeared badly burned and who angrily shouted at them to “push some steel”

Probably the most horrifying tale occurred in 1971, when the night before the plant closed, Samuel Blumenthal , the Sloss Night Watchman , who was nostalgically taking a last look about,  found himself face to face with “the most frightening thing he had ever seen” He described it simply as “evil”, a “half man/half demon” who tried to push him up the stairs. When Blumenthal refused the monster began to beat on him with his fists

Upon examination by Dr. Jack Barlo, Blumenthal was found covered with intense burns. He died before ever returning to Sloss.

There have been more than 100 reports of suspected paranormal activity at Sloss Furnaces recorded in Birmingham Police records. From minor incidents such as steam whistles blowing by themselves, to major sightings and the rare physical assault. It is interesting to note that the majority of these reports happen in the months of September and October at night during the old “graveyard shift”

Some merely dismiss the occurences as Halloween hoaxes others believe it is the restless spirit of the sadistic foreman Slag