Americus times-recorder., 1918-04-17
FIRST GOVERNMENT
NITRATE PLANT TO
OPERATE NEXT JUNE

BIRMINGHAM Ala. April 1.-THE
greatest industrial war drama in the
history of the South is being enacted
at Muscle Shoals in the Tennessee
river in northwestern Alabama.
Developments of tremendous im>
portance to the United States in both
times of war and peace are being
rushed to completion there at cost of
seventy million dollars.
The government has already well
under construction two emergency
nitrate plants that will extract nitro
gen from the air for use in preparation
O ammunition nitrate, so essential 10
to the manufacture of gun cotton,
smokeless powder and other high ex-
plosives used in the war, and for max
ing high grade fertilizer SO necessary
to the restoration of soil fertility both
in war and peace.
President Wilson has also authoriz-
ed the construction of powed and navi-
cation dam No. 2 of the Tennessee
river at Muscle Shoals which the
United States army engineers have
recommended ultimate installation of
hydro-electric power machinery for
generating 100000 horsepower.
Nitrate plant No. 1, it is announc-
ed, will be in operation during June
An army of 2,200 men is employed on
the work alone The plant will manu-
facture thirty tons of nitrates per day
BY the synthetic ammonia process OF
nitrogen zxation. 1t will also con-
sumo one hundred tons of domolite.
The remainder of the ray material will
come from the atmosphere,
The plant will manufacture it's own
coks. 1t will also have its own 5000
horsepower steam plant.
Seven thousand workmen are en-
gagged in the construction of nitrate
plant No. 2, and this force will be in
creased, it is expected to $4,000 be-
fore the plant is completed. 1t will
employ a permanent force of 5000
men. This plant will probably be
turning out nitrates in August.
Power to drive the $30,OOO,0O0 plant
will be furnished by $4,000 horse
power steam plant and by a steam
power plant of the Alabama Power
Company on the Warrior river The
steam power plants will be used pend
! ing the building of power dam No. 2
on the Tennessee river. This dam
will generate minimum of 10000
horsepower at the lowest point.
Work has been started on dam No
2, which will be the largest concrete
dam in the world. Over 10000
cubic feet of materials will be re-
quired. Preliminary estimates place
the cost at 100000 Three or four
year will be required for its construc-
ton. The probable initial installation
will provide 10000 hydro-electric
horsepower.
Plans have also been formulated for
the erection dam No. 3 sixteen miles
east of dam No. 2. This dam will be
only 4S fee high but will forma lake
! 70, miles long, the largest in the Unit
ed States. It will enable the develop
ruent and utilization of maximum 0;
100000 hydro-electric horsepower al
the two DAMS This amount will ex'
ceed by $4,000 horsepower the amount
OF power available on both sides OF
Niagara Falls.
Completion of Muscle Shoals de
yelopments and great power projects
will insure for United States the fol
lowing economic and military bene-
fits.
Munition preparedness at all times
due to dependable supply of ammon.
ium nitrate.
! Increased per acre yield Of food
crops and cotton through dependa-
BILE nitrogenous fertilizer supply.
Vast stimulus to development of ma
/ terials of the South.
Tremendous saving in fuel an dlabor
Rapid growth in United States Of
, electro-chemica1 and eIectro-metal-
, lurgical industries
Cheap electric power to Birming-
ham district third largest producer OF
iron ore in America.