The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1919-12-29
MUSCLE SHOALS
NATIONS DUlWlnk
Big tCo. .o0o. 600 Nitrate Plant a
Defense For Future Genera
tions; Insarss National
Defense


'saN ne~ Military tefenar xssfrH
whish siewhH~i oag "a the Warsl
War W sae Ammos1iw,a Nitrate lsian
st Muscle snaels Aial,amn on a.,
1ssnn~esSe River ever thser hHusirfs
sAaarx frwm shs semeuaxt. s~rWhia 4
turning eat ssss tons ~ higs, expisssssei
a Hes, u assures 10 sns talled Stas@
heF aN siae AM nhandaAss III AmAsAams
siun without watch an arsas Ia heln
less snsumhfamcw and u has mad
shas anllmlleA e@ppsY ~ eAplmlssu
asAilabl~ @lstsaut F~sess 10 raw ma
sersal frem oassiAs ~ lls cbamiFs
The rs~wntsa' sngfwdl~nf ~ Ail nsosl
sfa military explosives IA nlirsc ssia
hefap the world Mar Amsflsa wa,
.hsifv9s dependent al'oa s1iln g.s ~,
Snppls eF nitrate sf saaa. the onf,
eiemseai fnwa whleh nlsrss sssA eas
hv made Ia v.se slis coaAsss uss sm,
lnsulsvd IN ~Ar with sny uatiam tl4al
ceaid gvntra the sca Our A,e wsuls
hasr W. at hrr a.Tyy. Eur sh~ coula
eat oH out essential n.~Ans u strlaln.
back
OTHER nations however. wegs
equally dependent u4sen the rAsisar
nitraiv supply s.sfmany wss purl
siastng va~ third ~ Ia sh~ had ex
pesg.i 10 hald fh. sea wglh heF nah
marines but failed nm pFsrvs-
scs extracting nlsr0x"a from she alF
had heea obtained ID Germany sssme
years before fTom Iialsaa chemists
ifts prer~ss hsd hosn sueeesssal III
producing high grade nitrogrnuus
fertilizer from which Ia turn c0sli
We extracted Ammonium nitrate. Ger.
snahy. therefore. fsll 90 manufacsurins
smmoulam nitrate FROM III. sir oa g
large scale
AmsrAeans Buy German Secret
IL ipf an AneFlesu conlpany. head
~d BY fFmnk n, MNsnhuua, had sorurssi
ne American rights Ii tula process
from Germany and had gane saio man
afsctuilns the fertilizer on The s'Nna
ilan slde * the Niagara FMils Whwn
america found herself Ia the wurIa
War the Ordnance Department iurnei
- Mr. wasAhufn's company far help
The Air Nltrstes Corporation aaa
formed. with Mr. Maslahnn NJ igs
tead. 10 bnlsd The Afaecia SEnass miami
4, wns assisted nv several ashar wali
3uown corporations euch Aa tho Nest,
nshouse chursh Kerr COMPANY. which
pnt ap the plnHl buildings. ghe perna
sent city ard abilities me !. d. whif.
'oFturaIlon. whsch b~slgned aud ean.
slFersed the power pgmnt tfc Chsaa
cAi Construction Company. which de
signed and buils the nitric acid pieni.
md the N ". keIloss Company. which
furnished the piping ana bulit tlp
hlmAess
beginniue work In November. 1917.
he tig plant anil new rity nj Muscle
Shoals WAS completed within aue
ears time Had lhe espected spFlnr
irivc % 1919 mateF4aiisol this ane
lant alone would have hven ulie H.
tupfty rs pssr ecaf ~ sil the hlgfl
'spiosives used ~ all The Ailled ~
mics on Hli ffoufx during that drive
tnd fhs rnlltd states wms secure fof
~ time 90 eolDe agnlnst an nmmunl
lut shortage
NheB the arrangement was finaiIs
made for huliding The big alr nitrate
liant. work WAS i,egun oa pewer
nm az the sana point This wotk ~
srihg conducted directly ~ the UnH
u States Engineering Corps. II will
iot be completed. however. for two ~
hre~ more years II was necessary.
hatefore. IN order 10 Insure insue.
late operation when the nitrate plant
sns completed 10 construct d slUssJ.
90 steam power plant. one of The lsrg
~ steam plants for the production of
electric power Ia the world
I ~ pointed out tilHt even had III. |
ssier-power plant been completed dur
nx the war II would have been nses~
AIRY also 10 have constructed Il steam !
liant 10 insure the nitrate plant work.
ng ut full capacity at all simss dur.
~ the year.
Plant Worth All II Cost.
Now. this entIre job coat the Govern
'ent seo,00ooo0. IL was put through |
| time when the prices Of maisrials