Askov American., 1920-08-05
MUSCLE SHOALS
NATIONS BulWlRk
Big $50, ,oo0. 0.0oo Nitrate Plant
Z Defense Tor Future
Generations.
iNsUREs NATIONAL DEFENSE
Assurance Of Abundant Amer.
can Explosives q Reason
Why Germany Quit.
sy oARRGr SMITH.

oy oARRET SMITH.
One Of the chief fcrtrcsses 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 900 tons Of high explosives
q day. 1t assures TO the United States
for all time an abundance OF amtnuni-
ton without which AN army II 4 help
less encumbrance and II has made
this unlimited supply Of explosives
available without resort to raw una
terial from outside of the country.
The essential ingredient Of ali mod
ern military explosives In nitric acid.
Before the World War. America was
entirely dependent upon Chile for the
supply Of nitrate OF soda, the only
chemical from which nitric acid can
be made. In case this country became
involved In war with any nation that
could control the sea our foe would
have us ut her mercy, for she could
cut of our essential means Of striking
back.
Other nations, however. were
equally dependent upon the Chilean
nitrate supply. Germany was pur-
chasing one-third OF IL. She had ex.
pected to hold the sen with her sub.
marines but failed. but q process
for extracting nitrogen from tho air
had been obtained by Germany some
years before from Italian chemists
This process had been successful In
producing p high grade nitrogenous
fertilizer from which In turn could
he extracted ammonium nitrate. Ger.
many, therefore. fell to manufacturing
ammonium nitrate from the air on a
large scale.
Americana Buy German Secret.
In 1907 an American company, head.
ed by Frank s. Washburn. had secured
the American rights to this process
from Germany and had gone into man
ufacturng the fertilizer on the Cana
dian side Of the Niagara Falls When
America found herself In the World
War the Ordnance Department turned
10 MIR. Washburn's company for help.
The Air Nitrates Corporation was
formed, with Mr.. Washburn ut It's
head, TO build the Muscle Shoals plant.
II was assisted by several other well
known corporation such as the West.
inghouse Church Kerr Company, which
put up the plant buildings. the perma.
nent city and utilities (: the j. q. White
Corporation. which designed and con-
structed the power plant; the Chem.
ica' Construction Company, which de
signed and built the nitric acid plant,
and the NJ. w. Kellogg Company, which
furnished the piping and built the
chimneys.
Beginning work In November, 1917,
the big plant and new city at Muscle
Shoals was completed within one
years time. Had the expected spring
drive Of 1919 materialized this one
plant alone would have been able to
supply l3 per cent. Of all the high
explosives used by ell the Allied ar
niles on all fronts during that drive,
and the United States was secure for
all time to come against an ammuni.
tion shortage
When the arrangement was finally
made for building the big air nitrate
plant. work was begun on q power
dam at the same point. This work n
being conducted directly by the Unit
ed States Engineering Corps. It will
not be completed. however, for two or
three more years. II was necessary,
therefore, In order to insure imme-
tiate operation when the nitrate plant
was completed to construct a $1,000.
600 steam power plant. one Of the larg-
est steam plants for the production of
continuous electric power In the world
II is pointed out that even had the
water-power plant been completed dur.
ing the war It would have been neces-
sary also to have constructed steam
plant to insure the nitrate plant work.
ing at full capacity st all times dur
ing the year
Plant Worth Al u Cost.
Now, this entire job cost the Govern
ment $GO.OO0.OOO 1t was put through
at time when the prices Of materials
and labor were 1t their summit. II
was built 1T record speed. and speed
costs money. The question naturally
arises. then, AZ 10 whether Uncle Sam
got his moneys worth.
Tests made after the plant was In
operation showed that ammonium nj
trate Of standard specifications could
he produced 1t this plant at Q cost Of
less than one-half the s100nJ fixed
price paid by the Governiiss u .br am.
monium nitrate produced by the older
methods. This cost II only about one.
fourth to one-ffth the cost Of other
high explosives Of equal strength.
Compared with the elder process for
maklng ammonium nitrate, the sav.
inss made By this plant would have
paid for the entire plant In about one
and one-haIf years Of operation.
Ths chief value Of the Muscle Shoals
plant, hewsvsr. will b. - q defense 70