Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-10
DESTRUCTION OF CHEMICAL
PLANT cRIPPLEs MUNITIONS
MANUFACTURE.
cRlEsHElM ELEkTRoN WORKS
MADE POISON GASES
Also Manufactured Supplies Used by
Explosives Factories-Loss Certain
to Have Effect on Battle Front -
Plant Can Not Be Replaced During
War.

London. Jan. 1o.-From a we'll in
formed source the Daily Telegraph has
received interesting particulars of the
great explosion Of Nov. 20, by which
the large chemical factory of Greis-
helm Elektron. near Frankfort, was
destroyed.
It is now certain that the explosfo:'
caused the complete destruction Of one
of the greatest munitions factories in
the world. by which Germany has
suffered a disaster comparable to q
serious military defeat in It's effect on
the issue Of the war.
The Griesheim factory was situated
in the neighborhood Of Frankfort. with
an extensive frontage on the River
Main. 1t consisted Of an enormous
group Of buildings covering an area Of
more than "a acres. Twenty EIGHT
large chmneys, one OF them higher
than 200 feet, gave the impression more
of an industrial town than a single
factory, and numerous piers abuttinS
on the river combined with an extern
sive railway system, enabled the huge
concern to distribute It's product eco
nomically and quickly. Before the war
il ranked as fourth in Importance OF
the great German chemical works, and
was always a f1oUrishing company,
paving a. pre-war divid end Of IA per
cent, and worth as a going concern
more than 100000 marks (e3,000,
OOO).
Great Munitions Plant.
Its commanding position in the
chemical world rested not only on its
huge output but on the extensive var
iety Of it's manufacturers. These com
prised among other things an!line dyes
of every description. nitric, sulphuric
and other acids, phosphorus and al
kali, with liquid chlorine hydrogen
and oxygen, as important by-products.
What 1t meant to Germany as a source
of munitions OF war can thus be readi-
ly understood.
It has been producing saltpetre for
the manufacture Of black powder at
the rate Of 1000 tons a day, and 1t is
reputed to be the only factory turning
out this article. To such an extent
has it's already impressive output Of
soda nitrate and concentrated sulphur
ic acid been developed, that 1t supplied
the whole demand of five nitro-gly-
cerin and dynamite factories. as we'll as
two powder works, including that Of
Rottwell, one Of the most important
in Germany. Another explosive, which
it manufactured in large quantities,
was tontine, thru its facilities for max
ing synthetic phenol and consequently
picric acid, from which acid this ex
plosive is derived.
Another circumstance OF special in
terest to us is the fact that this factory
supplied large quantities o. electro
lytic hydrogen for the imitation Of Yep
pelins, and possessed by way Of a re-
serve gasometers with total capacity
Of more than 100000 cubic feet. SO
important was it in this respect that
Zeppelin shed, usually containing two
or three a1rships, was erected close 10
the works. For the balloons at the
front the gas was supplied in steel
tubes in the liqu!fied state.
Made Poison Gases.
Moreover, the extensive electrolytic
plant was further utilized to produce
asphyxiating gas. and lachrymatory
and poisonous Shells. Indeed, It was
the greatest center Of this rlanufac-
ture in Germany, and IN 1915 the out
put of poison gases reached the cOl0s-