The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-04-26
GOVERNMENT WOOD
klCHOl PLANT IN
COUNTY OF HICKMAN
100000 ENTERPRISE TO BE DE.
vELoPED NEAR cENTREviLLE
is THE REPORT.
BON AIR COAL & IRON COMPANY
Contracts Have Been Let for Con-
struction of Buildings--To Utilize
Great Areas Of Timber In Northern
Part of County.
(By JESSE S. COTTRELL
In Nashville Banner

WASHINGTON, d. c., April a.
The report from Nashville that the
George A. Fuller Construction com.
pany had been awarded the contract
to erect wood alcohol plant near
Centreville, Hickman county, and that
the cost would be approximately two
million dollars, was verified at the Of
fices of the company here today. An
official of the company told the Ban
ner correspondent that he was not at
liberty to give out ony of the details.
He said that the Bon Air Coal &
Iron company offices at First Nation
al Bank building, Chicago, had asked
the company to bid on the contract to
erect the plant, and that the company
had done SO and had been successful
He further said he presumed the plant
would be a government activity, be-
cause it was not likely that the Bon
Air company would desire to invest
two million dollars in a wood alcohol
plant to turn out production for its
own use in war times, therefore he
had every reason to presume, and 1t
was the general understanding that
the plant was to be erected and oper-
ated by the Bon Air Company.
1t was also admitted by another Of
ficial of the company that work was
to begin at once, and that it was to
be rushed just as are all contracts
which the Fuller Company has for
the government.
Governments Part
Inquiry was also made at the pro
duction division Of the bureau or ord
nance as to the part the government
Is playing in the big job and it was
stated that the Council of National
Defense had selected well-known corr
porations to erect wood alcohol and
other plants for the government and
operate themduring the present emer-
gency, ON a percentage basis with the
provision that they were to be turned
over to the government later. II. need.
ed. and that the Centreville project
fell within this class. Officers of the
Council of National Defense were ST.
lent as usual as to such matters. y
J 1t was stated at the war; depart
ment later that an army officer would
be- detailed to go to Centreyille at
once and cooperate in rushing the
work, since the plant was to be op-
Grated for the government II was
also stated there that the war depart
ment was so loaded down with various
features of the war that it had been
found expedient to secure the services
of various successful corporations in
erecting and operating plants, and
that this plan had been pursued in the
new. industry at Centreville. 1t was
intimated, however, that the total eX
penditure at Centreville would be
greater than two million dollars since
the plans of the government were to
have six to eight of these plants erect
ed and operated by big corporations
under contract that the government
is to take the entire output One of
these is at Collinwood, Tenn, and
operated by Pittsburg interests, it was
stated, and that the Centreville plant
came within the same class except
that it was to be more stupendous,
AID would, In fact, be one of the larg.
est wood alcohol plants in the world.