Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 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
Unusual Problems.
HAD A MODEL GOVERNMENT
BY GARRETT SMITH.

peopIed with $4,000 souls OF diverse
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 a problem in city building, munic-
ipal government and community well
fare that has seldom been eQualled
and the success Of it's solution has
never been excelled.
The job was I'm the hands OF the Air
Nitrates Corporation which had been
organized under the direction OF the
Ordnance Department TO build plant
and city ut Muscle Shoals. Early in
January, 1918, this new town nad
few temporary buildings and a popu-
latlon OF 800. This had jumped by the
middle of August TO more than 81 900.
A population multiplied by 40 In I
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 or
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 q malarial region
threatened at the same time with
other deadly disease epidemcs 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 II
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
vlsors 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 lock to
the remOdeling Of groups Of buildings
or laying sewers or steam mains. For
the bachelor contingent a commissary
department was necessary.
The business department managed
the stores, canteens, motion picture
theaters, pool parlors, tailor shops,
dry cleaning establishments, barber
shops, newsstands, "A hotel, n vegetable
farm and hog farm where 1000 hogs
were raised on the wastes from eat
ing places. 1t maintained a slaughter
house where these hogs were put
through the regular packing house
course II operated a laundry which
cleaned 7,493 pieces a day. Then
there was real estate department
that rented and managed the family
quarters and housing department
which assigned TO quarters everybody
excepting the families.
Under separate jurisdiction from its
community director were the police.
~ The health department, in charge Of
physician from New York city,
started with a small Office in one of
the temporary buildings, and was
soon full grown and splendldly
equipped Conditions were favorable
to disease. The winter was the
severest on record in northern Ala
bama. The men were compelled to
work either in deep snow or mud above
their knees. As result a pneumonia
epidemic developed among the Negroes
that spring. Later In the year
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 Record Established
The little Hrst-aid hospital present
~ grew 10 complete modern institu.
ton with nurses home and a sep.
arate dispensary for dental, eye, ear.
nose. throat, genito-urinary clinics and
a surgical dispensary for 6rst-aid
work.
During the eight months when the
death rate was not affected by the in
huenza and pneumonia epidemlcs the
general health rate was 1874 per thou
sand per year, which In lower than in
most cities In the same latitude and
climate, and the pneumonia death rate
during the epidemic was lower than
IN most army cantonments.
Much OF the success OF the health
administration Is due 10 the establish.
mept Of the Muscle Shoals sanitary
Us.rid hy the United States Public
iIca'th service
Size education and welfare depart
aut ALSO Lad % vital work 20 perform
.loro wrs school population of over
600 TIC Secretary Of War created
le community organization branch
- Che Ordnance Department which,
~'a advice and aid 81 some Of the
-r-cfnst school men Of the country,
arcswihcl the courses Of study aud
-ccrIltrd tcuchcrs from the best es-
l.lalished systems.