Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-14
SUBMITS
ARMOR-PLATE BRIEF
Succnct Reasons Why This City Offers Superior Advan
tages for Location of Government Enterprse-In-
land Safety Combined With Water Rates.

The complete text OF the Richmond
brief for tie armor- plate plant, os pre-
scntcd yesterday TO Secretary of the
Navy Daniels follows:
What the Navy Department desire.
for the armor-plate plant. Richmont
has
The wisdom of the department will
! prompt the location of the plant o.
: adjacent TO cheap and abundant raw
I material needed in the manufacture Oi
steel Richmond annually ships to the
/ Pennsylvania district volume OF
/ heavy melting scrap three times as
great as the estimated output Of tn.
4 plant. and is. i'll addition. the ncares,
seaboard city to the geographical cen
ter OF the Appala iron and coal
/ zones.
The department Will insist CD upon
adequate transportation facilities
Richmond offers sheltered deep water
and six trunk line railroads reaching
in less than twenty-four hours all the
shipbuildinE centers the armor- plate
plant will serve on the Atlantic and
Gulf Coasts.
The department. will require 60
ready access from the plant to the
testing grounds at Indian Head Rich
mond has such access by all-water
transportation.
Tho department will need "a large
supply OF reliable labor that can he
readily schooled by the experts of the
department In the process of armor-
plate manufacture. Richmond can fur
nsh and house such labor in all needed
numbers.
The department will (5) not wish to
eXpcnd large sums in excavations TO
secure stable foundations for the plant.
Richmond offers locations directly on
the water front where granite foun-
dations can he reached within from ten
CO. 80 Z.
The stratccis;s OF the department
will co locate the plant where ii may
be readily defended while close 20 the
mobilization centers. the ship and re-
pair yards The Richmond defensive
line is the strongest on the Atlantic
seaboard. tested ny actual warfare.
This brief is The shortest possible
presentation OF these six factors in the
location of the plant, and is respect
fully presented for tho consideration
of the Honorable the Secretary of the
Navy and the general board
|. Raw Matcrial-Cnst and Accessibility
During the year 1915 more than
SO 600 tons Of heavy melting scrap were
shipped 20 the Pennsylvania millS from
Richmond. the natural market for the
accumulation OF scrap from the rail-
roads whose Northern terminals are IN
Richmond This scrap can he utilized
bv the government At $3.50 per ton
lower cost than is heinc paid for it
Delivered AZ the mills whlch uow con-
slime II,
Within twenty-four hours haul OF
Richmond are twenty-five blast fur
uares III tho Virginia fields alone, with
:. aracity II over 100000 tons 81. \.
swami. Iron and steel Directory. 1916.
PIP 26--1Il IS much OF this iron AZ
;ha government may require can be
ualoaiad et a plant In Richmond hy
DIRE hall - preferential rates.
3 Eew channels Of trade viii not
have n be opened 70 make this iron
access Bic. iuasmUch as two OF the rail-
roads entering R!chmond--tha Chesa-
p-ake ana Ohio and the Norfolk and
Wes.s-a-haulei 55l,22s tons OF pig
iron u -s!5
Es-Hrond has = $3.50 freight rate
m steam am gas coal from the Poca-
rrrtas ana New River districts and
81 .. freight rae on Sas coal from the
-z-awaa ana ThacSer districts thus
-:.-.E ample coal - AL times and az
minimum COS: f. tn" maur-erfrre OF
arm 1lare
Rhmo7a presents 3 TYPICAL Of
local conditions The following saving
- ASSEM- ding raw materials IN Rich
-- = compared with Philadelphia:
iieH'r melting scrap, per Ton. $50
Er --r per ton............. 100.
Gas coal per ton (E!H!mGfn) %
Lime and dolomit"s arc within "a
maximum hau! Of $50 miles from. Ricr-
noud in all needed quantities
II. transportation to and From Plant
Eignmo1d has an e..E,.en-fc.s,
-aHre! Gow mean iid". high side
t're1'"-pue fce-} 70 Hampton Hoade
slant l05 miles This channel a,
richmond passes directly ty many s!te.
ina, VIII appeal 70 The experienced
eEes II tie government, engineers
m rf 4