Belt Valley times., 1924-05-01
MUSCLE SHOALS.

So much has been written about Muscle Shoals during th
last two years understood little of it that when
received Westinghouse Electric Mfg Co. four page
graphically describing its location and we were deeply
passing to readers geanngs about
this subject.
The Muscle Shoals are shadows in the northern part
hama in the which the northeastern part
Of Tennessee flows southwest past Chattanooga Alabama and
flows norhwester until empes itself into the
Ohio River AZ miles east Of Cairo, I'LL
shadows by the heavy fall of the river which
drops 1874 feet dstanfe Of 81 miles and of him
drance to navigation
Three dams are projected across the Shoals but only one the
process construction is of interest this
This the largest in the world is mile long
I37 feet high contains masonry
capacity of 100000 horsepower started 1918
is to be completed in 1925 and viii cost $51,O0OOO0
The Of this dam raise the water to improve nav
CATION and to furnish for the manufacture of ammonia
which the majority of high explosives dynamite
TN T are derived, well as fertilizers
We the west do realize how essential ntraes the
SOIL but the farther back east the the
nitrate house the farm Farmers in New York have it figured
out that they mix nrates with the wheat drill them
into the soil together they will receive least double the value of
the nates yield The present of ntrates Chile
from which procured in the form of "Chle sapeter If
should cut off this of supply both the agricultural districts
be in danger.
To Obvae such calamity government projected this
plant at Muscle Shoals This location selected because the
of the necessary materascoal lime rock
The of manufacturing ammonia explosives fer
hzers with the avoidance of technical TERMS something
this Limestone is burned lime manufactured from
coal These two then mixed and the mixture
high temperature electric product is the
ordinary carbide familiar every shall car
bde until we have learned how the third ingredient nitrogen
obtained
The chief constituent of air is nitrogen in volume
times the the other negligible To separate
nitrogen from the the problem this much
the manner alcohol separated from Alcohol
comes gaseous at lower heat than will voIate and
pass through still while the greater part left be-
hind krs in the operation of securing nitrogen the air
from which is obtained qied pressure and at re
endousy low temperature Then process dsation
comes Nitrogen bols 1855 degrees Centgrade while
gen boi at 1925 degrees Centgrade by allowing the LIQUID
air to reach temperature Of 1s5 degrees nitrogen win pa.
on and be captured in nearly pure condition
The carbide is ground fine and heated temperature of
shout 1000 degrees Fahrenheit The nitrogen
this heated carbide and reaction place and compound
e carbon and nitrogen formed which cyanamde
The next step in the formation of both explosives and fer
r Is to heat the cyanaide in large steel with steam and
water which results in the formation of ordinary ammonia
Ammonia can readily be changed into nitric acid and from
Cs acid any desired explosive fertilizer
The most common fertilizers are ammonium phosphate and
ammonium suphate while there explosive products
Bids have been received for the whole or part of the nro
from four different corporations It purpose TO discuss
THESE because we know nothing of the the case We are
on interested In passing readers resume of the salient
ozns OF the Westinghouse articles we NAV add these last
statements In regard Muscle Shoals the greatest hvdx
Undertaking IN the world 1t the of upwards of quar-
r OF uaiOp horsepower It is vital factor in our nations de-
ense atis the hope of American agriculture II Is the ev M
he navigation Of the Tennessee river It is an
acnieVennent Second only to the Panama canal