Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-09-19

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there was one organization that shone
Respondent In the darkest days. even
as !! was conspicuous In the era of
prosperity. II was the American Red
ross. Ana today the Hopewell chap
or Is playing an important part in
he reconstruction by recruiting labor.
9th skilled and unskilicd, for the
new industries ms well as acting as
ne associated charities OF the dis
trict.
what the Du Points Accom- pIIshed.
So much has been written OF the
past that IL IL doubtful IL there Is a
city or town in the United States that
has not heard OF Iiopewcil. and it's
great gun cotton plant. II would not
be amiss. however, TO touch on the
prominent points connected with It's
construction and operatio during the
war and am indebted TO r. j. Byrnc.
OF +. l. du Pont. de Nemours and
OF ground for the munitions site. for
the following statistics;
Work was begun October 30. 1914
and completed June /, 1916. break
ing all speed records. The entire
tract was first cleared OF and some
OF the log lumber used for construc-
ton purposes. The mechanics fol-
lowed and the units were turned over
20 the operating department as fas,
as they were finished and placed In
operation can be CLEANED from the
following figures: The plant required
approximately l7S.000.O00 board fee;
If lumber. 100000 bricks. 10000
bbis. OF cement, 100000 square fec,
OF composition roofing materials
100000 square feet Of fiat and cor
rugated sheet iron. COO miles OF
wrought Iron and steel pipe. sixty
FIVE miles OF cast iron pipe. forty five
miles OF terra Gotta pipe and thirteen
and n half miles OF wood stave pipe.
within the plant exclusive OF
double tracking Of the Petersburg and
City Point Line. which was done by
the Norfolk and Western Railway
there were twenty-three miles of
broad guaEe and thrty-three miles
OF narrow guage track.
The plant required seventy million
GALLONS OF filtered water per day
running at fun capacity. 80 carloads
Of coal daily and utilized ninety
three Corliss steam engines, varying
from $50 TO $50 horse power each. in
addition TO considerable power gen.
Grated by electric generating units
for distribution throughout the plant
and lighting purposes.
AT the peak when more than 49,
600 persons were employed. seventy
five per cent were fed on the plant In
commissaries operated by the COM
rany. Three villages we're built to
house the married employees and two
hotels furnished accommodations for
$50 single men. In the village at
City Point. known as "A village,
there were lG5 permanent homes: in
b village siNty-one permanent
houses and 1.103 temporary houses
and in other villages $40 temporary
houses. in all 2.139 dwellings. a
clubhouse was constructed for each
village and Is still open.
Three miles of concrete road and
as many more miles OF cement side
walks were built in the villages and
through the plant. a large wharf
was constructed on the James River
| for incoming raw materials and out
going finished products.
From January 80, 1915, to Novem-
Der II. 1915. the plant turned out
l.l5S,477.921 pounds of the explosive
from which smokcless powder is made
and at the signing OF the arMistice
the daily production was 100000
pounds"
Estimates vary as to the exact
amount of money that the du punts
spent In Hopewcll for buildings and
equipment alone. Several of Their
officials have informed me tina. i con-
servative figure would, be $4,000, 900
which was later confirmed by the
home office. This stupendous sum is
exclusive of salaries and wages.
In December OF 1918 the Du Pont
Chemical Company entered the plant
and took charge. 1t began at once
to salvage the machinery, brick ant
steel Of the multi-million dollar en-.
terprise and In the case of hundreds
of homes in the workmen's villages
to salvage the lumber used in their
construction. Dynamite. oil and torch
soon held sway and the detonations
of the explosive followed by hug,
clouds OF smoke and the glare OF
flames was daily occurrence. Onl,
the substantial brick structures were
permitted to stand to form n nucleus
for tho new industrial center, which
II was later proposed to establish In
this Scpno of dnaOlnfiOp
Enter "Chnrlie" Turner.
TO ascertain how IIopewell was
SOLVING the problem OF reconstruction
problem that Is vastly interesting
to every section OF, the United States
where the armistice created havoc