The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1920-01-02
Big $50, 900 900 Nitrate Plant
a Defense for Future
Generations.
INSURES NATIONAL DEFENSE
Assurance of Abundant Aneri.
can Explosives a Reason
Why Germany Quit.
BY oARRET SMITH.

ica's new military defense system
which developed out Of the World
War Is the Ammonium Nitrate Plant
at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, on the
miles from the seacoast, capable Of
turning out 800 tons Of high explosives
day. 1t assures to the United States
for all time an abundance of ammuni-
ton without which An army Is help
less encumbrance and 1t has made
tnis unlimited supply Of explosives
available without resort to raw ma
terial from outside Of the country.
The essential ingredient OF all 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 at 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 It. She had ex-
pected to hold the sea with her sub
! VI hnf fai1 Put
for extracting nitrogen from the air
had been obtained by Germany some
years before from Italian chemists.
This process had been successful in
producing high grade heterogeneous
fertilizer from which I'm turn could
be extracted ammonium nitrate. Ger
ammonium nitrate from the air on a
large scale.
Americans 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.
dian side OF the Niagara Falls. When
America found herself In the World
War the Ordnance Department turned
to Mr.. Washburn's company for help.
The Air Nitrates Corporation was
formed, with Mr.. Washburn at It's
head, 10 build the Muscle Shoals plant.
II was assisted by several other well
81
inghouse Church Kerr Company, which
put up the plant buildings, the perma-
Dent city and utilities; the ]. q. White
Corporation, which designed and con-
structed the power plant; the Chem
zeal 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 I'm November, 1917.
the big plant and new city at Muscle
Shoals was completed within one
years time. Had the expected spring
drive OF 1919 materlallzed this one
plant alone would have been able 10
supply II per cent. OF all the high
explosives used by NIL the Allied AR
mics OH all fronts during that drive,
and the United States was secure for
all time 60 come against an ammunl.
ton shortage.
When the arrangement was finally
made for building the big air nitrate
plant. work was begun on a power
dam at the same point This work Is
being conducted directly by the Unit
ed States Engineering Corps. IL will
not be completed, however. for two or
three more years. Ii was necessary,
therefore. In order 10 insure imme-
dlate 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
. IL Is pointed out that even had the
|, water-power plant been completed dur
ing the war IL would have been neces-
sary also 10 have constructed a steam
plant To insure the nitrate plant work
ing at full capacity al all times dur
ing the year.
; Plant Worth All II Cost
Now. this entire Job cost the Govern
ment S60000,000 II was put through
at a time when the prices OF materials
and labor were at their summit II
was built at record speed, and speed
costs money. The question NATURAL!
arises, then, as 10 whether Uncle San
: got his moneys worth.
Tests made after the plant was II
operation showed that ammonium nj
trate OF standard specifications could
be produced at this plant at cost oi
less thar one-half the standard fixed
price paid by the Government for am
monium nitrate produced by the Older
methods. This cost is only about one
fourth to one-fifth the cost OF Other
| high explosives OF equal strength
, Compared with the older process fol
making ammonium nitrate, the saw
ings made by this plant would have
paid for the entire plant In about one
and ose-half years Of operation.
The chief value OF the Muscle Shoal
! plant, however, win be 80 q defense q
coming generations -