The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1945-12-06
Scarcity of Lumber
Can Be Blamed In
Part on Atom Bomb
Two Great Production Centers
Drained 36O,OOO,OOO Board
Feet of Lumber From
Market


The man who wondered during the
war why he couldn't find a couple of
boards to patch his porch, can blame
at least part of his troubles on the
atom bomb and be glad. Construction
of the two great production centers in
Tennessee and Washington drained
100000 board feet of lumber from
the market, and only the elect few
who bore the awful secret knew where
it went.
According to Major General Leslie
R. Groves, commander Of the Man
haitian Engineer District, the code
name for the atom bomb project, 12O,-
600 were employed in the undertaking
at the peak Besides workshops and
offices, it was necessary to create
from scratch more industrial cities at
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Richland,
Washington-complete from drug
store to churches. There were also
extensive installations at the Pacific
island base which was the Jumping
off point for atomizing Japan.
Virtually all types of construction
lumber and some hardwoods were rep
resented in the total but, naturally,
the bulk of that used in Oak Ridge
was southern pine produced by
number of southern mills. Lumber
used at Richland came from hundreds
of western mills. Also, some 35,OOO,-
600 square feet of plywood were used
for housing alone Used lumber was
salvaged for shipping surplus mater
ial and equipment from the jobs.
About 20 per cent of the lumber
was procured on the open market and
80 per cent through the auction sys-
tenn conducted by the Central Pro-
curing Agency which purchased lum-
Der for all the war services and agen-
cies, AS an aid to secrecy, lumber
destined for Oak Ridge was consigned
to Eliza and Blair, Tennessee, two
whistle stops nearby
The town of Oak Ridge, erected on
$4,000 acre, ninety square-mile
reservation in a sparsely populated
area IS miles west of Knoxville, had
population of 75,0OO-fifth largest
city in Tennessee At the peak $4,000
construction workers were engaged
in building it, reaching a rate of 1000
buildings per month.
The plant comprises 1926 buildings.
The two story, main office building is
664 feet long with seven wings.
The model industrial town is equ-
ipped with all the essentials of life by
American standards. Three hundred
miles Of roads and SIS miles of railroad
serve the reservation. Buses on the
area number $50, while an additional
400 operate off the area to carry non
resident workers to and from their
homes, From July, 1914, through
June, 1915, area busses carried 22,-
252, 479 passengers.
The residential area includes 5000
homes, 5000 trailers, ia apartments
in three buildings, 90 dormitorics
housing 13,000 and barracks for TO-
900. Also, about 1000 demountable
dwellings, were moved to Oak Ridge
from other war projects, and 2O4
farm houses within the reservation
were taken over as we'll as several
rural schools.
The homes are attractively ar
ranged and we'll spaced on good-sized
lots. The majority are equipped with
electric ranges, water heaters, and re-
frigerators. Rentals range from $22
to SIS per month; apartments from
$50 to $50, dormitory Accommodations
$40 to $50, and trailers SIS. Utility
buildings (baths, etc. are provided