MUSCLE SHOALS
NATION'S BULWARK
Big $60,000,000 Nitrate Plant
a Defense for Future
Generations.
INSURES NATIONAL DEFENSE
Assurance of Abundant Ameri
can
Saturday, February 28, 1920
SUPPLEMENT TO THE HERMISTON HERALD
No. 24
Explosives a Reason
Why Germany Quit.
By GARRET SMITH.
year s time. Had the expected spring
drive of 1919 materialized this one
plant alone would have been able to
supply 13 per cent of all the high
explosives used by all the Allied ar
mies on all fronts during that drive
and the United States was secure for
all time to come against an ammani
don 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
being conducted directly by the Unit
ed States Engineering Corps. It will
not be completed, however, for two or
three more years. It was necessary,
therefore, in order to insure Imme
diate operation when the nitrate plant
was completed to construct a $10,000,
000 steam power plant, one of the larg
est steam plants for the production of
continuous electric power In the world.
It 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.
One of the chief fortresses of Amer
ica’s 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 throe hundred
Plant Worth All It Cost.
miles from the seacoast, capable of
Now, this entire Job cost the Govern
turning out 300 tons of high explosives ment $60,000.000. It was put through
a day. It assures to the United States at a time when the prices of materials
for all time an abundance of ammuni and labor were at their summit. It
tion without which an army Is a help was built at record speed, and speed
less encumbrance and It has made costs money. The anestion naturally
this unlimited supply of explosives arises, then, as to whether. Uncle Sam
got Ills money's worth.
available without resort to raw ma
Tests made after the plant was in
terial from outside of the country.
operation showed that ammonium ni
The essential ingredient of all mod
trate of standard specifications could
ern military explosives In nitric acid
be produced at this plant at a cost of
Before the World War. America was
less than one-half the standard fixed
entirely dependent upon Chile for the price paid by the Government for am
monium nitrate produced by the older
supply of nitrate of soda, the only
methods. Tills cost is only about one
chemical from which nitric acid can
be made. In case this country became fourth to one-fifth the cost of other
high explosives of equal strength.
involved in war with any nation thaï
Compared with the older process for
could control the sea our foe would
making ammonium nitrate, the sav
have us at her mercy, for she could
ings made by this plant would have
cut off our essential means of striking
paid for the entire plant In about one
back.
and one-half years of operation.
The chief value of the Mus le Shoals
Other
nations,
however,
were
plant, however, will be as u défense to
equally dependent upon the Chilean
nitrate supply.
Germany was pur coming generations.
chasing one-third of it She had ex
PROFESSIONAL
pected to hold the sen with her sub
marines but failed. But a process
for extracting nitrogen from the air
had been obtained by Germany some
Physician and Surgeon
Rooms 1 and 2 Bank Bldg.
years before from Italian chemists.
Hours:
This process had been successful in Office
10 to 12; 2 to 4; 7 to 8.
* Phone 551
producing a high grade nitrogenous
fertilizer from which In turn could
P.
be extracted ammonium nitrate. Ger
Physician and Surgeon
many, therefore, fell to manufacturing
OFFICE PHONE, 92
ammonium nitrate from the air on a
RESIDENCE PHONE, 182
large scale.
CARDS
DR. R. G. GALE
DR. FRANCIS
Americans Buy German Secret
ADAMS
2*
The Highest Prices Ever Known
That’s What You’ll Get troni “SHUBERT”
WE WANT ’EM NOW—AND WILL PAY THE PRICE TO GET ’EM
NOTEXTRA LARGE
N°ILARGE
N?l MEDIUM
EXTRA TO AVERAGE
EXTRATO AVERAGE
EXTRA TO AVERAGE
N9 2
I
N91 SMALL
EXTRA TO AVERAGE AS TO SIZE & QUALITY
Heavy Furred, Cased 30.00 to 25.00 1 22.00 to 18.00 16.00 to 14.00112 00 Io 9.00 12.00 to 7.00
Open or Headless
22.00 to 18.00 16.00 to 14.00 13.00 to 11.00 10.00 to 8.00 10.00 to 5.00
MUSKRAT
Spring
Winter
8.00 to 7.00
6.50 to 5.50
6.50 10 5.50
5.00 to 4.00
5.00 to 3.75
3.50 to 175
3.50 to 175
150 to 1.75
3.00 to 100
150 to 1.50
Fine, Dark
30.00 to 25.00 20.00 to 16.00 15.00 to 12.00 10.00 to 8.50 10.00 to 6.00
Usual Color 20.00 to 16.00 15.00 to 12.00 10.001o 8.50 8.00 to 6.50 8.00 to 5.00
Coast
15.00 to 1100 11.031o 9.00 8.00 to 7.00 6.00 to 5.00 6.00 to 4.00
These extremely high prices for Oregon Furs are based on the well-
known "SHUBERT” liberal grading and are quoted for immediate ship
ment. No. 3, No. 4 and otherwise inferior skins at highest market
value. Ship your Furs, now—when we want ’em. You’ll get “more
money” and get it “quicker” too.
“SHUBERT” RETURNS WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY
SHIP TODAY—AND KEEP ’EM COMING FAST
SHIP
ALL
YOUR
FURS
DIRECT
TO
...
UABeERE&oENer S
Asks
AMERICAN
RAW FURS
15-27 W. Austin Ave. DeptisozChicago. U.S.A}
Office Hours: 9 to 12 a. m.; 2 to 6:30 p. m.
In 1907 an American company, head Day or night calls answered promptly
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
It was assisted by several other well
known corporations, such as the West
inghouse Church Kerr Company, which
put up the plant buildings, the perma
nent city and utilities; the J. G. White
Corporation, which designed and con
structed the power plant; the Chem
ical Construction Company, which de
signed and built the nitric acid plant,
and the M. W. Kellogg Company, which
furnished the piping and built the
chimneys.
Foginning work In November, 1017,
the big plant and new city at Muscle
Shoals was completed within one
— - —*
DR. W. W. ILLSLEY
Osteopathic Physician
and Surgeon
PHONE 641
Office at Residence all Hours
KATHRYN SHORT
Teacher of Piano and Voice
Culture
STUDIO HERMISTON HOTEL
Telephone 161
French Restaurant
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
Most up to date restaurant in Eastern Oregon
Try our 36 cent dinner
HOHBACH’S
Bakery. Confectionery. Restaurant
Pendieron
BARBER SHOP
Clean and Sanitary
Alfalfa Hay
WE SELL IN
CAR LOTS
Alfalfa Hay
Baled or Chopped
and
Alfalfa Meal
We are always in the market for
loose hay delivered at the mill
GET OUR PRICES
Hot and Cold
GLASSES GROUND to FIT YOUR E yes
LENSES DUPLICATED on S hort NOTICE
AMERICAN NAT L.BANK BUILDING,
PENDLETON.
Phone 609
È
SHOWER BATHS .
WM. SHAAR
C.S.McNAUGHT CO.
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