Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-04
Nitrate Plant
Ready on 30 Days
Notice, Muscle Shoals

Sheff1eld, Ala, --(AP)--Nitrate
Plant No. 2, a unit of the govern
ment's Muscle Shoals property, is in
standby condition ready to be oper-
ated on 80 days notice. This plant,
which cost approximately SIS, 00O, 900,
has so stood since the Armistice was
signed. Army engineers said the
plant was in perfect condition, ready
to function as was origially intended.
The ordnance department said it will
produce nitrogen in practical way.
The unit is among the most import
ant Of its character in the United
States. Heavy losses to shipping
early in the World War caused by
German submarines threatened to re-
duce the tonnage available for the
transportation Of nitrate from Chile
and made it unsafe for the United
States to depend upon imported nj
trate. To meet this condition, con-
struction of this plant began in JAM
uary. 1918, and it was in operation in
October of that year. 1t has capac-
ity of 10000 tons Of ammonium nj
trate per year.
The principal raw material required
for the manufacture of ammonium
trogen fixation are limestone and
coke. The daily consumption of these
materials when operating at full ca
pacity is 1900 tons of limestone and
800 tons of coke. An ample supply of
limestone of pure quality is obtained
from the government quarry at Waco,
80 miles south of Sheffield. The coke
is easily obtained in the district. The
process requires a large amount of
electric power-approximat $4,000
kilowatts when operating at full ca
pacity. The need for this power
evolved the Wilson Dam idea which
grew into a definite plan to harness
the Tennessee river.
But that required time. Until the
dam could be constructed the govern
ment built a $4,000 kilowatt steam
generating plant adjacent to the nj
trate buildings to secure power
quickly. This was augmented by 3d.
900 kilowatts furnished by the Gorgas
plant of the Alabama Power Com
pany, then under control of the gov
eminent. This $4,000 kilowatt steam
plant, which Is a part of the nitrate
plant property, as.said by engineers
to be the most complete on the con-
tinent 1t was this plant, now under
lease to the Alabama Power Com
pany, winch supplied quantities of
power to several southern states dur
ing q protracted drought this year,
the energy being transmitted through
an interconnected system embracing
principal hydro electric producers of
several states.
The plant is situated near the CEN
ter of a reservation embracing 1906
acres. The unit was constructed I'M
der the supervision of the ordnance
department by the Air Nitrates Cor
poration. The plant was operated at
one tenth and later at one-fifth ca
pacity for a period of several months
for test purposes. About 100 tons of
ammonium nitrate were produced.
Unlike the majority Of munition
plants constructed during the war.
this plant Is of permanent type and
was designed, army engineers said,
with q view to its utilization for the
manufacture of fertilizer in time Of
peace as well as munitions in case OF
war.
Nitrate Plant No. /, built for the
manufacture of ammonium nitrate
by the synthetic process Of nitrogen
fixation, was said by engineers to
have been not wholly successful The
war department decided at the end
of the war to not ask congress for
tho large amount of money necessary
to make IT wholly successful and
recommended that Il be sdlvaged.
This unit, however, is also being kept
in standby condition, no disposition
ever hav:g been made Of it. 1t cost
approximately $10,500,000.