The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1920-01-22
THIS CITY BUILT
while YOU Wait
Fourth Largest Town in Alabama
Full Grown in One Year.
HAD A MODEL GOVERNMENT
Permanent Settlement Around
U. S. Nitrate Plant Presented
: p. Unusual Problems.
BY GARRETT SMITH,

peoped with $4,000 souls of diverse
races and religions, uprooted from far
scattered communities in every part
OF the United States and Canada
sprang into being almost overnight
AROUND the great new government am
monium nitrate plant down on the
open cotton and corn fields at Muscle
Shoals on the Tennessee River during
the last year of the World War; Here
was problem in city building, nuhic-
ipal government and community vel
fare that has seldom been equalled
and the success of its solution has
never been excelled.
The job was in the hands of the Air
Eitrates Corporation which had been
organized under the direction of the
Ordnance Department to build plant
and city at Muscle Shoals. Early in
January, 1918, this new town mad
few temporary buildings and a popu-
lation of 300. This had jumped by the
middle Of August to more than q 900.
A population multiplied by 70 in Z
months.
In the management Of the new
towns and army environments that
sprang up during the war the old
time evils that attended the growth OF
mushroom cities have been avoided
by the application of modern welfare
systems. But nowhere were condi-
tons more difficult than at Muscle
Shoals. Here was a malarial region
threatened at the same time with
other deadly disease epidemics. Trans
portation was lacking. No nearby
labor was available and the general
labor shortage was at its most acute
stage Costs of labor and supplies
were leaping over night Furthermore,
Muscle Shoals differed from all the
other new war towns inasmuch as it
was to be permanent.
New Government Devised.
The managers, besides city govern
ment, had to handle the entire retail
business of the town. A camp super
visor's department was put in charge
of the maintenance of all buildings,
fire protection and sanitation. The
camp supervisor looked after every
thing from the mending of a lock to
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tbo hac6o,or can+ir,ron+ 'l 'r,,ll3 : VI
department was necessary.
The business department managed
tho storas cantoons n,o+;o,, 80
+ba,+e,s nooI ,,o,,,rs +o't,lu rf,o,-.
dry c,eoring as+al,Ii.I,,,,onts han,a,,
shons newsstonds . hotaI a roco+ol,r,
farm ana q hoo farm, ,,.ba,.o ! o0n ho,,..
raro roisad m tba ,.as+o. frn,,, 49,
inc, n1ocos II ,,oir+sir,o4 =, ,,1.,,,,-7,.l,u
housa whore thosn hors v,o,o ,,,,,
+brougb tba reo,,Io,. ,.,.cl,i,,,r t,i,~,
course # onarataj q l.und,,,. ,.hfa,,
olaanad r 4o9 ,,io,.,s d.,,. r,,.,,
there was a real estate department
that rented and mana ged the family
quarters and a housing department
which assigned to quarters everybody
excepting the families,
Under separate jurisdiction from its
community director We're the police
Inc heaith department, IN charge of
physician from NeW York city,
starleu WIN shl"'I once IN one OF
tile temporary puiiuillSS' ana was
soon luil grown ana splendldly
equipped NonHltiohs We're favorable
h 10 disease. Inc winter was the
seVereSt on record IN northern Ala
bama The men were compelled to
work either IL ueep snow or mud above
their knees. AS result pneumonia
epidemic developed among the Negroes
that spring. Later in the year a
typhoid epidemic was threatened
Moreover, the site of the plant was in
the heart OF the malaria district But
the pneumonia epidemic was checked,
the typhoid threat nipped in the bud
and malaria stamped out
a Health REGARD Established
rhe 1i++1a fret-oid oosni+o, ,roso+
J., ,r,.o,., - o,,,,,,1,+,, -, $50
- ,,i+, ,,r.[.,, 49,,
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