Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-10-15

plant the Pennsylvania railroad mas
run a track and cars are loaded witn
explosives inside the enclosure al
great shipping depot. Great quantities
OF cotton are unloaded at the pant
daily. The utmost secrecy is main
tanned as to the destination OF the eA'
plosiyes shipped out from the plant.
Fox shops are kept busy night and day
making boxes to hold the explosives
the boxes being labeled within inc
plant. There are two construction Of
Aces and general Office maintained
by the company at the plant. the
whole plant Ii connected by telephone
wires. II guard encounters sus-
picious person in the road near the
plant, he at once notifies other guards
of the presence Of the person II the
stranger elects to walk along the road
the length OF the plant. The guard
system gives a very warlike appear
ance to the new plant. A state police
man also patrols the highway along
the plant daily. but does not inter
cere with SOME of the high'handed
holdups made by the deputized guards.
In Ideal Location.
Emporium is an ideal situation for
an extensive explosive plant for 1t is
in the heart of the great chemical dis
trict in whichis made acetate OF lime.
much OF which goes into the manufac
ture OF high explosives. Quite near at
hand are some OF the wood products
factories in which acetate is made.
Emporium was formerly lumber cen.
ter. The timber in its vicinity has
now been almost all cut off and with
the passing of numbering the creation
of the new explosive plant comes as a
great business boon to the residents
OF the town. Since the town has been
overrun with new employees and with
men looking Cor work. the merchants
have taken on new life, Emporium to-
day being one OF the busiest towns of
it's size In the United States. Its no.
tells are crowded T., their limit, its
boarding houses are overcrowded, and
many men have been forced to 60
out into the country and put up at
farmhouses in order to get the she..
ter necessary for their comfort.
The new plant presents mile-long
scene Of great activity, such activity
as Emporium never before, knew. The
buildings are not close to each other
as a general rule, for, in case of ex-
pIosions, the company desires to save
as many of its buildings as possible.
The recent explosion at Sinnemahon-
ing, not far from Emporium, in which
six men were blown to bits, drove ter.
ror into the hearts of tie new workers
at the Emporium plant. Some of the
new men left the plant in haste after
the -Sinnemahoning explosion. The
company finds no difficulty at present
in filling up it's ranks of laborers, there
being men on hand at Emporium who
do not balk at the most hazardous
Of jobs. While there are men willing
to take their lives in their hands and
Join the working force at the plant,
,ere are residents Of Emporium who
fear to drive past the new plant,
thinking they may be caught in an ex-
plosion. OF course, the business men
Of the town are boosting hard for the
new company which has been the
means of trebling their business dur
ing the past few months.
Peaceful Little Valley.
It is peaceful little valley in which
the giant explosive plant is situated.
valley, however, which may be-
shaken by tremendous explosion
some day as might any valley which
harbors guncotton factory. Pitched
down as it is between mountains, the
force of the possible explosion will be
somewhat broken before it reaches the
town of Emporium. Nevertheless, the
Emporium folk, used to the presence
Of small dynamite factories near their
town. do not feel as secure as they
once did as the magnitude of the new
plant has stirred their imaginations.
That is why they are seeing" air.
ships lowering over the plant at night
and looking for spies from Europe
when strangers enter the town. 1t is
necessary to make high explosives for
armies under the present scheme of
civilization and 1t may as we'll be
made at Emporium, Pa, as any other
place in the United States, but the
making of it there is being carried on
in terror and mystery, which Ill &C
cords with modern civilization.