Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-05
1T is NOT so BAD
r. S. WaddeII of Peoria, Who
Started Movement, Tells of
Proposed Powder Mill
AT MEETING AT THE CLUB
Says Stories of Injury from Acids and
of Danger from Explosions, are
Greatly Exaggerated.

| CluD last evening, wien the du-
visibility of locating the proposed
government powder plant at Rock
Island arsenal was discussed,
lenjOyed rare treat, for it
so happened that R. s. WaddeI,
president of the Buckeye Powder com
pany, and the man who instituted the
movement for the government powder
plants, was in the city from Peoria,
land was induced by some of the mem.
bers of the club to remain over for the
meeting Mr.. Waddell has since the
opening of his fight on the powder
trust, become a man of some national
prominence. He managed to secure
the passage of the first bill which pro-
vides for the plant which probably
will be located here, and has still an
other bill on the same subject which
he will have introduced in congress.
probably at this session. Mr.. Waddell
has been engaged in the powder bus
mess about so years, and he is thor
| oughly schooled in all of the branches
of the manufacture of the explosive
AS a result of his discussion last even
| ing, the sentiment here was changed
somewhat, and the industry looked on
with less disfavor than at the meeting
| the evening before when it was dis
cussed by the Business Mems asscia- |
ton.
His Statements Different.
Mr.. Waddel in his talk told of no
detriments that a powder mill would |
have on the surrounding country, but
of the benefits. 1t had been stated that
the fumes from the acids used in max
ing the powder have a disastrous of- |
feet on the vegetation surrounding, but |
he disputes this largely, but says
that the sulphuric acids used had been |
known somewhat to injure the vegeta-
ton and blight the trees within hun
dred feet of the house in which these
acids were used. He claimed, though, l.
that the effect of the fumes had no. |,
been known to spread any further than
that radius He said that even though |
the waste matter from the acids used i
in making the powder was thrown into
the river. it would have no effect after
travelling about two hundred feet down |,
the river.
He said that the only thing for the
people here to consider is the danger /
of explosions. which he says are not
likely to happen unless lightning
strikes one of the magazines. The
worst damage in the immediate vicin-
ity is that caused from the waves of L
air started in motion by the jar of the
explosion. If trees surround the maya /
zines in which the powder is kept and
an explosion should occur these waves {
of air would be broken by the branches -:
Of nd hirG u
age would result.
Saving of Millions.
Mr.. Waddell explains that an eXplo- I
sion goes up into the air instead of out
as generally supposed. He says that it
is the idea of the promoters to manu-
facture gun cotton and smOkeless pow
der in the proposed factory here. and z
that it would take a very great con
cussion to explode either substance
when they leave the factory as they :
are both wet Mr. Waddells idea in .
the bill presented to congress is to
break up the monopoly that the pow
der trust has on supplying the United
States. and to induce the government
to build powder mills of its own and
thereby save millions of dollars annual
y. L |
the controlling interest in this trust, III
in which many smaller companies take
an active part. They charge the gov
eminent IS cents a pound for the pow
der used in the army and navy and the
government could manufacture the ma
erial for 80 cents q pound.
Proposes Three Plants.
Mr. Waddell's bill is expected to
prove the death blow of the powder
rust and will result in the erection
If great many government powder
Mills. The last bill to be sent in by
Mr.. Waddell is a summing up of the
appeal that has been made to congress
md will be presented within a few
lays. or as soon as Mr.. Moody is con-
irmed and can file suit against the
rusts 1t is Mr.. Waddelrs idea that
hree powder mills should be built
me in the east. one in the west. and =
me in the Mississippi valley, the one
n the Mississippi valley to be located ID
t Rock Island arsenal or as near it as az
ossible. He favors this location for q
pyarol raacouc first that II will cavo III