Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1920-01-20
MUSCLE SHOALS
NATIONS BUl WARk
Big SOC, 900 900 Nitrate Plant
a Defense for Future
Generations
ENSURES NATIONAL DEFENSE
Assurance of Abundant Ameri-
can Explosives a Reason
Why Germany Quit.
BY GARRETT SMITH.


icas new military defense system
which developed out of the World
War is the Ammonium Nitrate Plant
at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, on the
Tennessee River, over three hundred
miles from the seacoast, capable of
turning out 300 tons of high explosives
a day. 1t assures to the United States
for all time an abundance of ammuni-
ton without which an army is a help
less encumbrance and it has made
this 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 off 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
marines but failed. But a process
for extracting nitrogen from the air
had been obtained by Germany some
years before from Italian chemists.
This process had been successful In
producing a high grade heterogeneous
fertilizer from which in turn could
be extracted ammonium nitrate. Ger
many, therefore, fell to manufacturing
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.
ufacturing the fertilizer on the Cana
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 its
head, to build the Muscle Shoals plant
1t was assisted by several other well
known corporations, such as the West
tnghouse Church Kerr Company, which
put up the plant buildings, the perma-
Dent city and utilities; the j. G. White
Corporation, which designed and con-
structed the power plant; the Chem
icaJ 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 in November, 1917,
the big plant and new city at Muscle
Shoals was completed within one
years time. Had the expected spring
drive of 1919 materialized this one
plant alone would have been able to
supply ID per cent of all the high
explosives used by all the Allied ar
mics on all fronts during that drive,
and the United States was secure for
all time to come against an ammuni-
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
ed States Engineering Corps. 1t will
not be completed, however, for two or
three more years. 1t was necessary,
therefore, in order to insure imme-
date operation when the nitrate plant
was completed to construct S10,000,-
900 steam power plant one of the larg
est steam plants for the production of
continuous electric power In the world.
1t Is pointed out that even had the
water-power plant been completed dur
ing the war it would have been neces-
sary also to have constructed a steam
plant to insure the nitrate plant work
ing at full capacity at all times dur
ing the year.
Plant Worth All 1t Cost.
Now, this entire job cost the Govern
ment S60,000,000. 1t was put through
at time when the prices of materials
and labor were at their summit. 1t
was built at record speed, and speed
costs money. The question naturally
arises, then, as to whether Uncle Sam
got his moneys worth.
Tests made after the plant was In
| operation showed that ammonium nj
trate of standard specifications could
be produced at this plant at a cost Of
less than 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-ffth the cost of other
high explosives of equal strength.
Compared with the older process for
making ammonium nitrate, the saw
ings made by this plant would have
paid for the entire plant in about one
and one-half years Of operation.
The chief value of the Muscle Shoals
plant, however will be as defense to
coming generations.