Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-21
POWDER-PACK|NG
PLANT TO Be BUILT
AT SEVEN PINES
Government Buys LAO
Acres of Land Just East
of Richmond.
NEW FACTORY WILL. COST
APPROXIMATELY $3,0OO,OOO
Employment to Be Provided for
Several Thousand Skilled
Operatives.
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS AT ONCE
Great War Industry TO BE Rushed
to Completion on Unit
System.
NEW FACTORY WILL. COST
APPROXIMATELY $3,0OO,OOO
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS AT ONCE
Great War Industry to BE Rushed
to Completion on Unit
System.

Richmond has Just been selected }.
tho site for new pow6er-bas pack
Ing plant for the United States gov
crnment. 1t was officially announced
yesterday. which will cost aprroxi-
mately $4,000, 600. and will require four
months for erection. Between 1000
and 1000 workmen will be employ
cd for the construction OF the plant.
and work Is expected to be started
in the next few days. The enterprise
| Will be operated for the government
by L. !. du Pont de Nemours 6 Co.
and vii! employ between $500 and
$500 male and female operatives when
completed.
Negotiation. for the selection Of a
site in Hcnrico County. about six miles
cast OF Richmond. and near Seven
Pines. have been pending for several
weeks. under the direction OF a COM
mittce Of prominent business men, and
were completed yesterday. The act
Ing chief OF ordnance OF the War
Department authorized the purchase of
approximately l.740 acres OF land in
Hcnrico County for the plant. An
nouncement Of the selection OF this
site was then made public.
OPTIONS ARE SECURED FOR
NEARLY ALL LAND NEEDED
Practically all preliminary work has
been completed. 1t is understood. and
options have been secured for suhstan-
TALLY all OF the land needed for the
plant These options were obtained
by Richmond business men. and tho
land Will be reconveyed to the gov
esnment when all It's requirements have
been complied with. Tho property is
TO be acquired from about sixty own
crs, IL was said. No difficulty in secur-
ing tn. land is anticipated. and the
government will pay a fair market
price for the property. Where rea-
fonable terms cannot be had. however,
tho War Department will probably
commander that which is required
Surveys Of the property will be made
a, once, in order that construction
work can be started as quickly as pos
siblc. The property lies about six
miles east OF Richmo ond. between tho
Chesapeake and Ohio and the South
ern Railway lines. and is declared TO
be admirably situated for the purpose
10 which II Will be put. The land
comprises much OF the old Seven Pines
battle field. and extends to the For;
Lee Station on the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway.
AMPLE RAILROAD
FACILITIES PROVIDED
Railroad facilities from the Chcs-
apeake and Ohio and the Southern
can be provided. 1t was declared las.
night. without great cost or difficulty
which, together with the natural To-
cation of property, is believed to have
been responsible for the selection OF
this site. The plant Will be situated
directly on railroad lines from two
large powder manufacturing plants to
the Virginia sea coast, making the ba-
Eins OF the explosive In Richmond
especially convenient for the govern
mcnt.
Government engineers have already
viewed the property. and by the time
the necessary surveys have been made
j! is expected that construction work
VIII be started. From three to four
months VIII be required for the cree.
Ton OF the plant, which is needed i'm
mediately. and a construction force OF
from 1000 to 5000 men will be en-
ploycd, It was stated. This work will
probably be under the direction or
tho Du Pont Company. since it is cx-
pcricnccd in such UNDERTAKINGS having
been unusually successful in tho cree
tion OF tho TIopcwell plant in record
breaking time.
WILL BE PUT INTO USE
AS EACH UNIT IS CONSTRUCTED
While it was not known last night, Il
is expected that tho new plant will
be constructed unit by unit, and the
packing of powder for export started
SIS quickly as possible. This was the
general understa nding among busi-
ness men because of the largo num-
Lcr OF Americans abroad who must be
supplied from this country. AS unit
after unit Is completed they will be
placed In operation.
Tho plant will be composed almost
entirely of small franc structures
each erected some distance from the
adjoining building. This plan prac-
tically isolates each packing building
or station, and reduces tho danger
from explosions. The new plant viii
represent an expenditure of approXi-
nla;oly 5000, 900. and will employ be-
tween $500 and $500 operatives. AS
in other similar plants of the Du Pom;
Company. both male and female opera
tives will bo employed to pack the
powder.
During the war tho plant will be
busy at all times, and will probably
employ day and night forces. 1t is
not known 10 what purposes It will be
put afterwards. but 1t will probably
te taken over by tho Du Pont Com
panv, which is steadily extending Its
Industrial output. or by some other
manufacturing concern.
: 1t was announced last night that the
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