The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-15
New S30,O0O,000 Industry
 Came Only After Many Years of Adversity
IMPORTANT FACTOR
 IN NEW EXPLOSIVE
Will Make Nations Independent of Chile's Great Supply of Nitrates.
 Utilization of Norway's Water Powers

New York September 14.-(Special) years ago Dr. Samuel Eyde of Christlania, Norway, was a struggling engineer, ole Or a family of ectro-chemlcal en- gineers Now he is rated one of the -wealthiest men not only of Norway, but in Hhe whole world of industry. Before an 'Budience of tie worlds greatest chemists and engineers, gathered in the auditorium Of the American Museum of Natural History, pr. Eyde told of his years of struggling in building up in Norway the $50, 900, GOO comany which now has prae- tical monopoly of all explosives, and also of the manufacture of the basic ele- ments of explosives, and also of the hum dreds of compounds of the clement nitro- gen, which the eminent chemist sue ceeded in extracting from the air in enor- mous quantities.
 He told the story of his life work with . series of lantern slides, and ended in the showing of pictures of the four great nitrogen transforming plants now under his control, which have a capacity Of 2o0,000 horsepower, and send out yearly s0O00 tons of nitrate of lime for use Ill Fertilizers, 10,00O tons of nitrate of am- monia for use in explosives, 1000 tons of nitrate of soda for use in eolo"ing indus tries, and thousands of tons of other com- pounds of notrogen. Having chown all this, including pictures of the complete chemical process from the halnessing of the air to the shipping of the finished products, Dr. Eyde, in optimistic mood, told how Norway was prepared 10 furnish his chemical company with 1jl00O addi- tional horsepower almost free of charge, and how his country, independent as to all International controversy and politics, would ultimately furnish all the annie, and navies of tho world with the great est agency for universal peace-gun- powder.
 Known Ten Years Ago
 The secret of extracting nitrogen frcu the air was known 10 years ago, pr Eyde explained in the preliminary part of his lecture, though the method In vogue was not practical one Sir William Ramsay of London and the we'll known American chemist, Charles $. Bradley, both of whom were in the audience, were complimented by pr. Eyde for their ad- vance experimentation. MT Bradley, it was recalled, attempted to build up . great industry at Niagara Falls but found it too expensive to make his electrical current Both of these men. after the lee ture shook hands with pr. .syde and con- plimented aim on going much further than the natural resources of ther res Spective countries permitted, and Di. Bradley seconded vote of thanks fof Dr. Eyde.
 On one of the numerous fords in lower Norway the present nitrous compond in- dustry had it's start back in 1903. Dr. Eyde was both the structural and the chemical engineer of the project. His first plant was at the little town of Frog nerkilens, and there he could develop only 25 horsepower from the waterfall. He increased this power year by year, always moving his plant to meet the better water Facilities, until. in 1907, he mad developed 42 900 horsepower. His employees had grown in number during those years from four in 1903 to 125 in 1907.
 Then the Bank of Paris and other European banks became interested in pr. Eyde's plans, and within the next few years invested millions of dollars in har- messing waterfalls, diverting whole streams through mountains, building tun- nels, towers, and complete villages for their workmen Lakes were damned for storage purposes, and the principal laNe now used in the string of four factories has a capacity of 90QgOO0oO liters, making possible, by mere waterfall the trans Formation into electricity of S50.000 horse- power of energy. At present only 2oo,- GOO horsepower are utilized, but the full capacity Is expected to be employed with in a few years
 The electricity is consumed h an elec- tric arc over which free air IS passed. Nitrogen oxide is thus formed, and this, with the addition of oxygen, Is converted into nitrogen dioxide. The addition of water makes the nitric acid which is used as the working basis of the commercial compounds of nitrogen.
 Proves Very Simple
 ''It is very simple,' declared Dr. Eyde, eff only you have the means. And see what this industry means. For instance, At has been taken for granted that an uh- limited supply of ammunition Was aiwaS $ to be had. As a matter of iact, this ls not so. With all her strength, England could be put out of commission simply hy cutting off her nitrates of explosives. Tie nitrate of ammonia, which we produce from air, moreover, is very pure, and according to the tests Of the Brlush navy, prolongs the life of the heavy guns, the purity of the product reducing the heat of the 'nScNafBe
 .I have often been asked 10 what l most attributed the success of the nitrate industry l want to say right here that ii was a struggle for many years which my engineers bravely endured with me. In the first place, l never paid attention to what the great authorities said. It was not experience but the lack of experience which created the industry as it now '.tands. And, in the second place, l sur rounded myself with only young men. II Is the young men of today who have the conviction to go ahead in spite of every obstacle. and my greatest hope for the future lies in young men.
 "Norway has shown that she could not onlv produce the dscoverer of the south role. but that she could also contribute Ser share to the solution of the most s~rportant problems of the worlds house. hold.'
 "A interesting side light on pr. Eyde's s chemical industry in Norway is the treatment accorded to his employees. T hese are housed in the chemical com oany,s houses, are allowed liberal terms "a procure their homes, and are encour- aged in every way to make themselves ae mart of the institution for which they work. Some of the lantern slides showed model workingmen's cottages equivalent 4o some of New Yorks best suburban homes. Dr. Eyde's own home at Notod- den where one of the largest of the factories is located, was also shown and rroved to be little grander in general enpearance than the home of some of his omployes.
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