The Washington herald., 1918-06-25
BUILT POWDER
PLANT RAPIDLY
Holland Tells of Dupont S
Work at Old
! Hickory.

Had the proposition which was
made to the government by the du
Pont people a year before We en-
tered into the war with Germany
been accepted or even listened TO
by the government, we should have
had already in full operation q large
plant for the securing of nitrogen
from the atmosphere. All the du-
Pont people wanted was moral sup
port of the government and permis-
sion to utilize a certain water
power in the South.
But as we were not at war with
Germany and as Congress seemed
at that time to have no under
standing of the need Of preparation
in case of war, the du Pont PROPOSE
Iion was pigeon-holed.
Now the government is establish
ing at Muscle Shoals. Alabama, one
of the greatest plants in the world.
whereby nitrogen can be obtained
from the atmosphere. We lost
year at least by reason OF the In
difference of Congress to the prop
osition made by the du Pont people
Now the government has good un-
derstanding of the capacity for EN-
cheney, fine organization and
rapid workmanship which the lead
crs In some OF the great American
Industries have been showing.
One Of the best illustrations Of EN-
cheney Of this kind whereby the gov
eTnment will be greatly benefited Is 70
be found N the construction by the
du Points Of the frst unit OF the
government powder plant near Nash
willie. Tenn. Appropriately enough
this plant Is to be named Old Hickory
probably in recollection Of the fact
that Andrew jackson, whose popular
name was Old Hickory. lived and
died within a short distance of it.
Du Points Made Speed.
On March 1. the du Pont people.
acting under authority of and by rea-
son OF contract with the government.
began the construction of the plant
whose output is chiefly to be smoke
less powder. In fact. on March
the ground was broken for this plant.
The government was satisfied with
the promise made by these builders
that the manufacture of this smoke
less powder would begin late in the
fall of this year.
But so great has been the efficiency
of constructive work which has char
acterized the establishment Of this
plant, that by July 4 smokeless pow
der in large quantities will be ready
for shipment to cur soldiers In
France.
This, however. is only one unit of
the plant. There are to be nine in
all. and five OF them should be COM
pleted and ready for operation be-
fore the frost comes.
II Is a plant Of stupendous size. at
least I'm comparison with the manu-
factories Of smokeless powder in the
United States before the European
war began. In fact, when the plant
is completed. It will be the largest
smokeless powder plant in this coun-
try. and will be capable OF manufaC-
turing and speedily delivering nearly
one million pounds Of smokeless pow
der a day.
Therefore, as far behind he bat
tie lines as the United States Is.
efficiency and energy are now sup
plementing in n remarkable man
ner the work our soldiers are do
ing in France.
A Few Statistics.
1t may be worth while. in order
that a better understanding of this
gigantic government plant may be
obtained, to report that. when in
full operation. nearly 5000 tons OF
coal a day will be required to drive
the machinery.
As much coal as that requires a
hundred carloads. so that each day
a hundred carloads of coal will be
delivered at this factory. In the
manufacturing operations. a hun
dred million gallons OF water are
required each day and care must
be taken that this water be treat
ed thoroughly and we'll filtered.
Ninety thousand boiler horse
power is to be generated there, and
electric power as well. which is
especially needed for handling gun
cotton. When. several years ago.
the du Pont people began the es-
tablishment of the great powder
plant on the identical spot where
Gen. Grant maintained his head
quarters in the final days OF the
civil war. the expectation was that
within a few months a city of con-
siderable size would follow the man
ufacture of powder upon a large
scale there.
That expectation was justified and
the city OF $4,000 is now known as
Hopewell. although before the man
ufacture Of powder there began, the
place was still called City Point.
Rapid Work.
Rapid as was the work done at
City Point 1t nevertheless has been