The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-02

NnESSSVo " P4OAuNV EOOlVOU AOAAk JOk1o of synthetic rubber a year. A long ton is equivalent to 2,24O pounds. Fewer than 2,00O tons of the sym theetic product were produced in the entire United States in 1899, and slightly more than 10000 tons in 194O.
 Twelve Acres Taken
 Twelve acres of land for the pro- ject were bought from the Borough of Naugatuck and there is 8 1,000- foot fronting on the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. J. P. Coe, general manager of the Nauga- tuck Chemical Division of hte United States Rubber company, super vice the plant. He will be assisted by staff including J. E. Caskey, assistant general manager; Philip E. Rice, factory manager and Don L.. McCollum, general superintendent.
 The latest processes will be used in producing synthetic rubber at the new plant including special steel al- Joys in the tanks and fittings. The Naugatuck Chemical Division has studied synthetics for twenty years and will employ its findings in the operation of the plant. A pilot plant, which duplicates the operation of the plant-to-be was constructed by the company last January and has been in production since.
 The plant, in its physical appear ance will resemble an oil refinery. Among its features will be four large spheres, each having a capacity of 100000 gallons and four cylindrical storage tanks, each forty feet long and each capable of holding 26,0OO gallons. The tanks and spheres will contain chemicals for making the synthetic rubber.
 Chemical Pumping Station
 There also will be pumping sta- ton. several huge stills, 8 water cooling tower and a water-storage tank with a 250000-gallon capacity. The main building will have 30,000 square feet of floor space and will be used solely for finishing opera tions; 70 per cent of the work will be done outside of the main build ing.
 It was in Naugatuck in 1889 that Charles Goodyear, a native of the town, discovered the secret of vul- canization and manufactured the first pair of vulcanized rubber shoes The United States Rubber company through a predecessor company, was the first licensee of Goodyear's vul- canization patent and is said to be the only surviving Goodyear licensee still making the goods for which 1t was licensed originally.
 The Goodyear's Metallic Rubber Shoe company at Naugatuck is the largest footwear plant in the world, and with the Naugatuck Chemical Division employs $500 persons in the town of 17,000 population. In- cluding the output at the oriignal plant of Charles Goodyear, 1,000,- 100000 shoes have been turned out by the factory.
 Imprisoned for Debt
 The story of the discovery of the vulcanization process by Goodyear is replete with privation and suf- fering. Believing he could find way to solve the question of why rubber articles became sticky and soft in the summer and hard ard brittle in the winter. Goodyear worked constantly at his task de- spite being imprisoned for debt and encountering difficulty in ob- taining money to finance his ex- periments.
 In January, 1889, while working in his makeshift laboratory in Nauga- tuck, Goodyear accidentally dropped a piece of rubber combined with sulphur on hot stove. After the mass cooled, Goodyear was sur- prised to find that 1t would stretch easily without cracking or breaking. and was not affected by changes of temperature. Realizing he had at- tained his goal. Goodyear named his discovery "vulcanization" after Vulcan the Roman god of fire.
 He perfected the process and ap- piled it first to the making of rub Der shoes. In 1943 Goodyear li- CC4lSCQ 1l1o 414C4lQo bO 4Ild44u4dCtu1C rubber shoes. They used his name and founded the Goodyear's Me- tallic Rubber Shoe company, later absorbed by the United States Rub- ber company.
 Naugatuck, Sept. 2-Mr. and Mrs. John Ernst and MT. and Mrs. Jo- seph Murtha of Scott street, who have been visiting in Virginia, have returned.
 Miss Virginia Blade Of New York city was Q visitor ever the holidays at the home of her mother, Mrs. Martin Blade of HlIIcrest avenue.
 Mir. and Mrs. George Donovan and family of Park avenue, who have been vacationing at West Newbury, Mass. have returned.
 AIr. and Mrs. Frank Madden and sons, Frank, JF., and Thomas, of Ceen street. Michael O'Connor Of Andrew avenue. and James E. Ahern of AiIllvllle avenue, who spent lhe weekend in Boston and Cape Cod, Masss have returned.