The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1919-12-26
MUSCLE SHOALS
NATIONS BULWAK
Big s6o,0oo,ooo Nitrate Plant
a Defense for Future
Generations.
INsuREs NATIONAL DEFENSE
Assurance Of Abundant Amerl-
can Explosives a Reason
Why Germany Quit.
BY GARRETT SMITH.

BY GARRETT SMITH.
One of the chief fortresses of Amer.
ica's new military defense system
which developed out of the World
War Is the Ammonium Nitrate Plant
at Muscle Shoals. Alabama. on the
Tennessee River. over three hundred
miles from the seacoast, capable Of
turning out 800 tons Of high explosives
day. It assures to the United Slater
for all time an abundance Of ammuni
tion without which an army Is help
less encumbrance and II has made
this unlimited supply Of explosives
available without resort to rnw ma
terial from outside Of the country.
The essential Ingredient Of all mod.
ern military explosives In nitric acid.
Before the World War. America war
entirely dependent upon Chile for the
supply OF nitrate of soda. the only
chemical from which nitric acid can
be made. In cnsS this country became
involved In war with any nation thai
could control the sea our foe wenld
have US at her mercy, for she could
cut on our essential means Of striking
back.
Other nations, however, were
equally dependent upon the Chilean
nitrate supply. Germany was pur
chasing one-third of II. She had q.
pected to hold the sea with her sub
marines but failed. But a process
for extracting nitrogen from the aif
had been obtained by Germany some
years before from italian chemists
This process had been successful In
producing a high grade heterogeneous
fertilizer from which In turn could
be extracted ammonium nitrate. Ger
many, therefore, fell to manufacturing
ammonium nitrate from the air on a
large scale. /,
Americans Buy German Secret.
In 1907 an American company, head
ed by Frank 8. Washburn. had secured
the American rights to this process
from Germany and had gone into man
ufacturing the fertilizer on the Cana
dian side of the Niagara Falls. When
America found herself In the w0rif
War the Ordnance Department turnesl
to Mr.. Washburn's company for help
The Air Nitrates Corporation was
formed, with Mr.. Washburn Mt its
head, to build the Muscle Shoals plant
II was assisted by several other well
known corporations, such as the West.
inghouse Church Kerr Company. which,
put up the plant buildings. the perma-
nent city and utilities; the J. G. White
Corporation. which designed and con
structed the power plant; the Chem
ical Construction Company, which de
signed and built the nitric acid plant.
and the M. w. Kellogg Company, which
furnished the piping and built tho
chimneys.
Beginning work In November, 1917.
the big plant and new city Mt Muscle
Shoals was completed within one
years time. Had the expected spring
drive Of 1919 materialIzed this one
plant alone would have been able ~
supply ID per cent. Of NIL the high
explosives used by allZfhe Allied ar
mics on all fronts dufIng that drive
and the United States was secure fos
all time to come against an ammuni
ton shortage.
When the arrangement was finally
made for building the big air nitrate
plant, work was begun dK q power
dam at the same point. This work b
being conducted directly by the Unit
cd States Engineering Corps. II VIII
not be completed, however, for two o.
| three more years 1t was necessary
therefore, In order to insure imme
date operation when the nitrate plan,
was completed TO construct $4,000
600 steam power plant, one of the lnRg
est steam plants for the production Of
continuous electric power In the world
II is pointed out that even had M
water-power plant been completed dnr
ing the war It would have been neces
sary also to hive constructed . steap
plant to insure the nitrate plant work
ing at full capacity 1t al times DIR
Ing the year.
Plant Worth An Il Cost. e
Now, this entire job cost the Govern
ment 900, O00.0 900. It was put thfoaGi
at q time when the prices Of material,
and labor were at their summit. J
was built at record speed. and spes,
costs money. The question natural.
arises. theh, q p whether Uncle nnr
| ~ot Nj roonevsu korfh