Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-08
WILL BUILD
Hundreds of Homes.
Plans of the Columbia
Chemical Company.
New Town Will be Located
On Hill.
Plant Will be In Operation by
September.
Products to be Manufrctured-Thick
Vein Salt.


Columbia Chemical company, whose
plant is being erected at Barberton,
said to a reporter for the DEMOCRAT
Thursday evening that the company
was contemplating plans for the
building of 200 houses on its property
half mile west of Barberton.
1--WE simply realize the great
necessity of houses in Barberton for
W orking men," said Mr.. Gait, land
rs there 100 acres in our property,
which being we'll situated for build
ing sites, makes it desirable for
homes, we believe this will be an en-
terprise appreciated by our work
men,"
The property of the Columbia
Chemical company has an excellent
location. It is known as the
"Baughman Farm" and its surface
comprises the crest of hill whose
elevation gives it the appearance of
a large knoll. With the building of
the plant, and the 200 houses to be
erected, busy town will spring up
"a little city on the hill.
South of the Columbia Chemical
company's plant, and not far away
is that great industry. the Stirling
Boiler works, and it is said a num-
ber of buildings are to be erected in
that immediate vicinity, too.
The Chemical company's Plant.
J. w. Myers & Company, contrac-
tors, of Akron, with a force of 13O
men are at work building the foun-
dation of the new plant. The foun-
dation will be completed by the
middle of January, when active work
on the walls of the building will be
commenced. The main building will
be four-story structure, with walls
of steel and brick. Its height will
be so feet, length 500 feet, width 200.
Besides equipment for the manu-
facture of all kinds of soda, an cleo
trical and electric lighting plant will
also be one of the important depart
ments. The company hopes to have
its entire plant in operation by the
first of September, 1900, when 500
men will be given employment.
Products to be Manufactured.
These are the products to be turned
out: Soda ash, carbonate of soda,
caustic soda and bicarbonate of soda.
The manufacturing will be done by
the electrolytic process. ALI the salt
will be decomposed by electricity.
The products will all be finished at
the Barberton plant, which will
have capacity of 300 tons of soda q
day.
The chief market for the products
will be among the glassmakers and
soapmakers, while the trade for BIZ
carbonate of soda will be general.
Thick Vein Of Salt.
ave are well pleased with indica-
tions," said Superintendent Gait.
1--WE have no fear of eXhausting our
supply of salt, which is of an excel
lent quality. 1t looks as though our
entire property was underlaid with
the salt vein. The vein is 200 feet
thick, and is reached at a depth of
1000 feet. Two wells are completed
and we contemplate sinking about Is
more. Practically, these wells are
shafts, but our method of procuring
the salt cannot be termed mining.
Water is forced down ON the salt,
which is dissolved and pumped in
brine to the surface.
"The salt, we will use merely for
chemical purposes, although our
charter permits us to manufacture
salt, as well as the other products
Good Railroad Facilities.
The plant already has switch con-
nections with the Erie, c., A. & G.
and the Barberton Belt Line rail-
roads.
Office Headquarters in Pittsburg.
A temporary Office has been built
near the site of the plant, and there
the business thus far has been trans
acted. Superintendent Gait, who
came to Barberton from the Michi-
gan Alkali Company, Wyandotte,
Mich, has for assistants in the Office
@. N. Windecker and A. w. Sample,
of Cleveland.
The office headquarters of the COM
pany will be in the Carnegie block,
PittsbUrg.