The Washington times., 1916-03-19
Blueprints Would Have
Covered Eighteen Acres

AA6AtSChA
As soon as the wars development
made evident that the demand for ex-
plosives was going to Justify huge in
crease In manufacturing capacity, the
general offices at Wilmington pro-
ceeded to their mobilization. The heads
OF all kinds of factories. manufac-
turers OF dynamite in one State, of black
blasting powder in another. of smokeless
powder In another, OF nitroglycerin in yet
another. men skilled and expert in all
the processes OF making and handling
the DANGEROUS goods, were summoned to
a general conference.
Come to Wilmington at once" was
the substance Of telegram to these
widely scattered lieutenants Of the in
dustry.
They came. The situation was ex-
planned to them, and wonderful or
ganization was perfected. New plants
, must be built In some cases new cities
| must be raised almost over night. The
engineering department was set 10 work
planning structures and machinery. Tho
real estate department went out to buy
land on which might be built not only
| the great factories that were needed.
| but the houses In which the operatives
| might live.
am told that the blueprints alone
STATED by this almost instantaneous
expansion of the business, II spread out
! in one place. would have covered eight
cen acres Of ground A. M ,ou,
| Company did after the war orders began
! to roll in, was TO announce an advance
| of 20 per cent In the wages of all
| employees from executive officers down
| to elevator hands and office boys. Mo-
! body demanded II, nobody asked for H.
| 1t was simply one of those fits OF pa
| ternalistic anna bility that have been
, characteristic OF du Pont policy.
| Tine insiders didn't want all OF the
PROFITS and were Wise enough ,Sd t to know now
best. So. despite whatever efforts may
have been made to instigate troubles In
their establishments. the du Points have
| almost nc labor difficulties.
| While the engineers were making plans
| and the builders were erecting strnc-
lures. the industrial organizers were en-
listing and training men In the work
| they were to do. AS fast as plant
could be equipped for operation. trained
forces were ready to enter and begin
work.
Powder cities rose in wildernesses al
most overnight. At Carneys Point
across Delaware Bay from Wilmington,
Is one of these wonder cities. where are
now employed 1900 or 1900 men. Their
homes are scattered for a mile up and
/ down the bay, and the sky line OF this
new industrial district reminds one OF
a view from Manhattan Island toward
| tine Jersey SnOTt VI
| Tho plants are operated with eight
! hour shifts OF worltmen, day, night and
| Sunday. Viewed from Wilmington nj
night, Carney's Point IL just one glor-
! ious prodigal splash of electric light UT
and down the farther side OF the bay.
| Away off In the forests of the James
| river, in Virginia. at Hopewell, there
sprang into existence another marvel
| city-Hopewell. 1t was literally carved
out of the forest. streets were laid out
business establishments were erected
factories were put up. and today the
place has a working population about
as large as that of Carney's Point.
4 a ne establishments at Hopewell make
nitrocellulose. which Is then shipped tc
Carney's Point to be treated and con
verified into smokeless powder. There
are also plants at Haskell and Parlin
N. j., where smokeless powder Is pro
duced from ccllulose. High explosives
are made at Glbbstown, N. Intro
glycerin, dynamite, and trinitrotoluol-
the latter commonly referred to FOL
short as at N T."
, Others of these modern explosives
that are capable OF showering conso
! nants all over the enemy's trenches, ar
dinitrotoluene. dithenymolene. and va
rious others too horrible to mention
, Trinitrotoluol IL the stun in mines an,
; torpedoes that makes international In
cidents.
As result of this vast expansion
the du Pont Company now has In 1t
3 employ probably 5000 people. The wa
= orders It has received ere c=!d to re: