Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-29
CHARLESTON REJOICING
OVER ARMOR.PLATE PLANT
Enormous Figures That StaKker the
PeoPie--Real Estate aud Every
thing Else On BOON.

CHARLESTON. w. VA, April cS.-
All of Charlcston's humanity is a seeth-
ing mass Of excitement. and has been
| for three weeks past, over the forth.
coming armor-plate plant to be To-
Gated and operated here by the Unit.
cd States government. It is rather
hard for the old stagers who have
been here SO long and witnessing
Charleston's normal growth to realize
that in comparatively short while
the population will be increased %. 900
or more, but that is the present esti-
mate. which estimate is said to be a
conservative one.
Real estate agents have taken tho
| town. and people are selling their prop
erty and giving options on II at prices
they never before dreamed of seeing
IN these parts. The figures some Of tho
i psopie now deal in whom discussing
Charleston's future-fiEures pertaining
20 real estate values. building opera
lions. banking. wholesale and retail
merchandising and, In short. all kinds
OF business are SO large layman rnds
II difficult to grasp them or fully take
In their meaning.
To give an idea. the government will
have two plants. one for armor-plate
and one for manufacturing projectiIes.
and here are some Of the figures that
the plans and specifications call for:
open-hearth building. s385.o00; fur
naces. ETC.. SI.1s3.34o; forging and &C.
mentinE shop building. $4,000. and
equipment. $s,7Sa.500: bending and
tcmperinC shop. $4,000. and machin-
cry, sl.eSS.00os machine and erecting
shop, S360,000. and machinery, 31,32e.-
40: power plant, $17b,00o. and ma
chinery. SS3S.50o: locomotive house
with track and railroad equipment
building. $4,000. and machinery. s244.-
200: office building. s55, 300. and equip
ment. $4,000: physical and chemical
laboratory building. $4,000. and equip
ment. $4,000; brick shed $4,000: car
penter shop. $4,000. and equipment.
$4,000: blacksmith shop, $25.60o, and
equipment, $4,000: storehouse, $500,
and equipment. $4,000; oxysen-hydro-
gen plan. building, $4,000. and equip
ment. $4,000; water supply and sew
eraSe. $4,000; fire service. SIS. 900. etc;
10 per cent contingencies and per
cent engineering and supervision in
crease total estimated colt to s13,76o,-
500.
The projecttle plant is expected to be
completed and ready for operation by
plant by April. 1919. and so II will be
seen that the government Will have to
go to building and turning loose money
right away. The above arc the pres
ent estimates of expenditures, but,
doubtless, the increased cost of labor,
supplies. etc. will require nppropria-
lions that will run the total e1pendi-
lures up to s1s.ooo.oO0 or $50, 900. 900,
all to be spent here in Charleston, or
hereabouts, in the space Of two years.
No wonder the average citizen grows
dizzy when contemplating tho figures.
The annual output Of tho arror plate
plant is to be 10000 tons. and there
Is no telling what will be the output
OF the projectiie plant. But what the
government will spend here In two
years is not the only items that hold
out the greater things for Charleston.
Great industrial advantages OF other
characters will be gained by the loca-
ton OF these plants here. many thou
sands of workmen and mechanics will
be given employment for building and
then for operating the plants. while
various contributory industries to be
owned and operated by private capital
Will be- indeed are now being, attract
ed to the city. These are the things
that have started the real estate boom,
and those are the things that Charles
ton people expect to get the most profit
out Of Charleston is indeed on a boom
--onc that Is bound to last for at least
two wears