Evening journal., 1920-05-01
CITY FIRMS GET
WAR WORK HONOR
Presentation Made by Col.
Biegler, of 18th Cavalry
Yesterday Afternoon
CEREMONY HELD IN
COUNCIL CHAMBER

Eleven Wilmington firms we're pre- I
scnled Yesterday afternoon with cor- /
incales Of appreciation by the War /
department The presentation took /
place M Council Chamber In the Pub
ne Building and was made by LOlonel I
George W. Bicgler. OF the IWcllil /
Cavalry.
In presenting The certificates, Col
foncl Biegicr said il IL had moi been
/ Tor the excellent cooperation given
I hy industrial concerns Of the c0un-
! l0nged many months. Representatives
3 of eight OF The eleven firms We're
present as follows:
n. A. Webb. Joseph A. Nogcl Com-
pany: NisSr karfe. PuseN and jones
Company: z. Il. Skellcy. Hercules Pow
der Company. Colonel Weller Z.
StoVer. Artillery Fuse Company' Col
onel r. @. Buckner, y. !. DUPONT de
Ncmours and Company Charles \.
Bve. Charles Warner Company. jamc.
b Oberly. James b. Oberly Company;
Marry NJ Pierce, DUPONT Engineering
Company. and Harry ~ Spcakman,
Speakman supply and pipe Company
Three companies we're not repre-
I,sonied. but will be presented with Tue
certificates. They are Brosius ana
Smedley Company, Delaware lcrra
I'aUIlM COMPANY NAln Af'NANAAN NN|'N
and Tile Company
The cci tilcales read
"rhe War Department OF the
United States OF America rccq gnlles
I'm This award for distinguished ser
wees. the loyalty. energy ana elh-
cheney In The performance oi war
sWork by which name of lhe company
aided mat i,rially 10 obtaining Victory
fOf the arms OF the United ~;alas or
/ 4 At,4.ntr. Ia NHn win IlI IlI-
perial German government and the
Imperial AusirO-llungaran govern
THE seal OF the United states was af-
tnXed and the signature OF secretary
of War Newton Baker and me as-
sistant secretary of war ana dlrcrlor
of munitions.
5 sented the ". I. dupont dc Nemours
E and Company at the presentation, Is
Nice-prcsidont and director ot hai
b corporation, and was In churgc OF Tue
Z military sales department during lhc
! period OF the European war. lhr re-
{ suits achieved by The dupont COM
( pany In The manufacture ot cNplo-
I sivos for the United States Govern
y mont and The Allied nations were r'.
markahle IT'S factories produced
q acc. .76l2i9 pounds OF military cN-
l. plOsiNcs Of an kinds. THIS output Is
4 estimated al more than 40 per cent
a OF The amount OF explosives nAuo
II throughout the world for the Miles
during the war The number uf men
a cn'nioyed In The military faclorie-
- alone reached maximum of iL9lt
am organization built up from a tota
! of $500 employed In all department,
u of The company before the VIII.
Prior 10 the war the comp1nN hat
~ made comparatively little powder iol
= foreign nations. The sudden cHli o
'l Tie Allied Governments required nae
-c hitting of lis form of powder. lhcl
u almost unknown abroad. 10 guns ilr
r signed 90 usc other ammunition Iitl
neccsSitaicd development ui forty dii
RS forcnl powders for as many guns
81 In addition 10 the forolgn pOWdr
err The United states Government needed
for army and navy USE ninety ar
fcrcnt powders all produced undc
slricl specifications. Many change
In he balllslic requirements Of "a
guns made 10 necessary 10 ro-esloh
vi llsh the characteristics OF the pow
"a der. change that was equivalent {
the hitting of entirely new guns.
Harry ~ Pierce, director and chic
n cnrincc, ol r. I. dupont dc Nemour
a. and Company. and Nicc-prcsident q
1n the dupont Engineering Compan,
n represented THIS latter company lh
m. DUPONT Engineering Company was Oi
oi ranized lo scgfcgalc the work under
In taken for the United States Govern
mcnt in the construction OF The ul
az Hickory powder plant near NashNill
lc- Tenn and ihc shell loading plant
on prnniman. Va. The construction Il,
Nc the old Hickory plant was general
m recognized as one OF The really grci
81 cngincoring fcais of the war. GrOuf
WAS broken for The erection Of n
80 plant on March 3 1918 The contra
~ called for the erection of factor
~ capable of producing 100000 pOun'
.re OF military smOkeless powder In cat
n day OF "a hours. the plant 10 be a
Vided into nine complete units
100000 pounds daily capacity eac
Finished powder was granulaled
Ia days after breaking ground, and
~ days ahead OF contract requirement
N' Al the signing oi The armistlcc q
..t factory was 93 per cent. complete
~ on % days ahead OF schedule TN
w" Tho consideration for The constru
ton OF ihis plant was 81.
,s' From the beginning Of The Eur
'-0i ncan War construction work FOR mi
larry purposes costing 500 600 600 w
=. executed by the engineering depai
-. mcnt IL the dupont Company The
Fly We're az times as many as $4,000 m
'ser employed IN this organization Viii
lcld was built up from a nucleus OF abe
wife 500 employed In The department dt
yed ing the six months prior 10 the w
rcn The construction work involved mu
That was peculiar 10 the eXplosi,
business for which designs. layou
etc nearly an were prepared by d
the PQnt men. being unobtalnahle el
the where. The military powder I.
ise tories constructed by =. ] dup,
Vim dc Ncmours and Company and its 81
lino sid 'a.N. the dupont Epglncerng Co
pany covered 9O23 acres "a squl
miles, equal to twice the built
op area of tie city OF Wilmington tn
W. annual capacity was 1913 100000 pour
and ~ eHicnd f,,oW Ralilmore lo
York In continuous line. At the heil
Of the work the rate OF yearly
'eoJ pendlturcs was three Lines as gr
as that OF the construction OF
" Panama Canal.
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