Evening journal., 1919-03-05

] RNN'h HiA'o W iAlAudh W ldht hhltN
ing materials to the plant site was be
gun February ., 1915, and was com
pleted on March 9th. % days
Ground was broken for the erection o
the plant on March sth
The contract called for the erection q
a factory capable of producing 900 00
pounds Of military smokelcss powdc
in each day Of twenty -four hours, thl
plant 10 be- divided into nine complete
units q 100000 pounds daily capacity
each.
\ sulplmric acid plant the first o
/ fifteen units OF 2S,0O0 tons annual ga
/ pacity each, began continuous operation
ON June LIST. g. days after breaking
ground for this acid plant.
The Nitric Acid Plant began opera
tion on june 10th.
L Guncotton. the raw material Of pow
I der manufacture. was produced ON Jun,
23rd
/ The first finished powder was granu
| lated on July ID. or ll6 days after
breaking ground for erection Of the fac
tory. l2l days ahead of contract re.
quircmcnt.
The second powder unit began manu-
facture on July Path. at which time the
first unit was manufacturing 10000
pounds per day.
The third powder unit began operation
on August 10Th, at which time the first
and second units were manufacturing
100000 pounds per day.
The fourth powder unit began opera
tion September Sd. at which time the
ducing 100000 pounds per day.
The iifth powder unit began operation
on September cath, at which time the
first four units were producing 10000
pounds per day.
The sixth powder unit was ready for
operation on November nth, but owing
TO the cessation OF hostlities. il has not
been operated. However, The sixth gun
cotton unit began operation November
2d, at which time the first five powder
units were producing jOl 900 pounds per
day.
The seventh powder unit was about
0Sfo complete on November llth. and
the seventh guncotton unit was ready
for operation ;eighth and ninth units
were approximately 00cc complete At
that time the entire plant was about
D3Gc completed.
The manufacture of guncotton was re-
luced on November 9th and ceased tot
ally on December 7th: since that time
the conversion of this guncotton into
smokeless powder is proceeding at
Ieisuroly rate and will probably be fin.
ished about the middle Of January.
The production Of powder at this fac
tory will total about $4,000 600 pounds
at the cessation Of operations. At sign.
ing of the armistice manufacture of
powder was l3,000OO0 pounds ahead OF
contract requirements and the factory
was 90 per cent. completed or 90 DAYS
ahead of scheduled time The estimated
cost of construction was S75, 100000.
Had the contract been completed there
would have been an over. expenditure not
TO exceed per cent, exclusive Of the
wage schedules fixed by the
Government.
nder the contract no profit was TO |
le paid for construction work and, ow- j
ng TO cancellation prior 10 the COM
letion of manufacture of all powder
equired, the total profit after paying
'Nation will probably amount to ST.
10000 on transactions covering Sl25,-
$500 or ! per cent.
However, the directors always con.
dered this work a military necessity
nd they never had expectation of profit
lequate 10 compensate for the disad ,
lntages Of the burden assumed
The operation of tile factories of
lis company above mentioned has re- '
llted in production of l,i6676l ,2l9
'unds of military explosives of all {
nds furnished 90 the United States and |
he Allied Nations. The Importance of q
lis work is better realized from the :
let that this output is estimated at g
, per cent. of the amount Of explosives ]
lade throughout the world for the Al. 3
es during the war. During the four {
ears of these operations tho manufac. 4
uring departments have been continu. 2
lily ahead of deliveries required under |
ontracts and at all times have held a
arge quantities of explosives i'm the /
ompany's moga3incs awaiting shipping :
Instructions. The number Of men ON. :
'loyed in the military factories alone
cached maximum Of l7.Ql4. an or. {
built up from a total of : 400 /
men employed in all departments of the j
'ompany before the war.
The total capacity of the companvs
factories for military propelant powders
m 1918 and l9l4 was rated at about
10000 pounds per month, but this out.
put had never been maintained for anv
considerable period Of time. The rated
monthly capacity reached 81 .962 .O00
'ounds in March, 1918, and actual out
,ut of 3i,100.000 pounds was made In
hat month. Thereafter the diversion of
art of the plants to the production Of
pecial powders somewhat reduced the
utput. but from March 10 October an
verage monthly production Of IS, $3.50. 900
ounds was maintained. In addition 10
his quantity the factory at Nashville.
enn., built for the United States Gov.
'nment. was brought 20 a production of
100000 pounds monthly at the time of
c signing Of the armistice. Had tho
ar continued the completion of the
ashville plant "old Hickory would
We raised the annual productive ca
city of all military propellant powder
,tories operated by the company in
10 TO sl5.000,00o pounds. In the line
disruptive explosives for military pur-
'es the capacity of the factories of the !
npsny prior 10 the war was negligible I
the end Of the year 1918 a total
,usl capacity Of l3e,0O0,00o pounds I
been installed.
his great development was not mere
'lications of existing units of produc- b
D. The handling and storage Of cnor- c.
us quantities Of explosives and com. G
'tible ingredients called for complete u
ision OF previous practice. Without u
radical improvements adopted Il Is
ibted II the requirements of customers III
lia have been filled; certainly they al
1S l,e not have been met in proper time. th