Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-07
RADF0RD MAY LAND
100000 PLANT
Synthetic Ammonia Works to Be
Located by Government in
Southwest Virginia.
PREPARATIONS IN PROGRESS
Later May Mean Establishment
of 100000 Powder Indus
try in Same Section.
PREPARATIONS IN PROGRESS
Especial to The Times-Dispa,cb. ,


WASHlNGTON, September s-A
committee of army and navy officers
and scientists in civil life has recon-
mended to the War Department that
a S3,00o.000 synthetic ammonia plant
be located In Southwest Virginia, prob
ably near Radford, for the purpose of
producing one Of the products neces-
sary In the manufacture OF nitrates to
be used In the production of animunI-
tion and fertilizers
IN making public the preliminary
hndings Of this committee, the depart
ineht announces it's approval of tho
report. and that preparations are under
way ior carrying the program into
operation. second authorization OF
sooo.oo0 for the oxidation Of ammonia
10 nitric acid is recommended, this
plant TO be located in the neiEhbor-
mood OF the synthetic ammonia works.
ALSO It is recommended that arrange
ments be entered into between the
government and the General Chemical
company. on the one hand, and the
government and tho Nitrogen Products
Company. on the other, for the use of
the processes Of these corporations in
the government plants
LOCATION OF PARENT PLANT
IN ABEfANCE FOR PRESENT
The location of the parent plant. for
which Congress appropriated $50, ,OOo.-
w. Is left In abeyance for the present
The sums needed to finance the two
smaller operations are to be taken
from the general fund, however. so
mat not much more than $4,000. 900
viii be available for the larger works
when the
Reference Is made repeatedly in tho
report to the proposed new powder
plant of the government" indicatinc
that 1t Is the purpose of the War De-
partment to establish such work in
connection with the nitrate plant and
the subsidiary industries II these
powder mills are built, 1t seems certain
that they likewise will go to South
west Virginia, where the ammonia and
nitric acid plants are to be located.
As announced several weeks ago. the
ioea OF building a great water powe,
nitrogen hSation has been abandoned
temporarily because of the time re.
quired to get such an establishment,
INTO operation. The plants now pro.
posed would employ the synthetic am
inonia and oxidization Of ammonia pro-
ot-ses
WANTS SUM OF 100000
FOR EXPERIMENT STATION
Acknowledging an offer of the Nitro
gen Products Company. of the use un-
Ger certain condition OF the so-called
bucher process for the production OF
sodium cyanide and ammonia. the COM
mittee recommends that 100000 be
placed at the disposal Of the War De.
partment for experiment station look.
ing to the industrial development OF
this process.
The committee recommends that the
plant be located in region where land,
water. coal and sulphuric acid are
cheaply available. where good trans-
portntion facilities exist, and where
the proposed new powder plant OF the
government can be located Further,
the report states, the committee is OF
the opinion that all conditions enum-
Grated are best fulfilled by a location
In southwest Virginia or contiguous
region. Early construction of the plant
is urged.