I

N PRE-WAR days in England, labor costs in the production of any of the staple chemicals were not the subject of very careful consideration by factory managers. Labor was plentiful and cheap, and as a result of the continuous excess supply, labor invariably, under the stimulus of retaining its hold on a job, was efficient.

All this has changed, and today the most important item in costs is labor. Very little attention had been paid, prior to 1914, to the use of labor-saving devices, and the plants were of such design that many of the standard forms of mechanical equipment, such as find use in the American industry, could not be utilized.

Factories erected during the war have had incorporated in their design a considerable amount of mechanical equipment, but in most cases these factories are not readily capable of change from specialized war products to staple chemicals, so that factory equipment as a whole is little in advance of pre-war conditions.

As a direct outcome of the discovery during the war of the power it possessed, labor has changed its former subservient relationship to capital, as represented by the factory owners, and at this present time it has apparent control of the industries. Hours have been shortened, rates of pay have been greatly increased, and the men no longer feel that there is any necessity of doing a real day's work. It takes more men to perform a given operation now than it did in pre-war times, and as rates are up at least 120 per cent, the resulting increase in cost of production can be imagined. One manufacturer told me that whereas his labor cost on a certain product was 11c. per 100 lb. before the war, it was now in excess of 30c., and likely to go even a shade higher.

There is a feeling of unrest in the factories which is ot confined to the workmen, but extends to the salaried staffs, who have always before them the contrast of inefficient labor paid at high rates, and their own high living costs, high income tax rates, and only slightly increased salaries. As an instance of the general complaint in this direction, recent papers carried letters from a Judge and a Bishop, each presenting a budget of his expenses, and each proving rather conclusively that he could not make both ends meet without a substantial change in his pre-war salary.

Labor in the chemical industry was not organized before the war, as the only attempt to form a union (in 1895) failed through lack of support.. Now there is a fairly strong union body, with about 40,000 members, affiliated with the National Federation of General Workers. A ballot is to be taken shortly by this union on the question of handing in notices to enforce 12 hours pay for 8-hour shifts with a 44-hour week, and there does not seem to be much doubt as to the result being in favor of the strike notices. So the path of the manufacturer seems to have difficulties present and ahead. One totally unexpected feature is the disappearance of women from the industry. While the war was in progress, the English newspapers which reached America carried column after column about women who had

found a niche in industry. Every trade opened its formerly closed gates to the woman worker, and by general consent women were conceded a permanent place in the industrial world. And now, before even demobilization is complete, women's hold on the industries has slipped, and without an apparent struggle the woman worker has been dispossessed and a man has her place. There are of course minor exceptions, but in the factories which were staffed by men in the pre-war days, women have done their day and service and are already passing into a remembrance. One friend, showing me through his plant, said: “I had over 200 women in this department from late '15 to early this year-but now I haven't one." He had no explanation as to why or where his women workers had gone, and he had too many other troubles to waste time on any abstruse speculations, the simple fact being that they had gone.

Another factory I have just visited was busy during the war in the manufacture of scientific apparatus. I had heard of this factory as an example of the development of women workers to a high state of efficiency, but I found only four women left, and men, incompetent because of inexperience, turning out work that was obviously crude.

So one of the questions which agitated England during the war, "What shall be done with women in the industries?" has quietly solved itself, and it is well within the bounds of past experience for the present labor difficulties to adjust themselves and disappear. A thoughtful labor man with a wide acquaintance among the labor leaders in various industries said in the course of conversation: "The workingman has every present intention of getting more pay for less work, and this is the direct result of the extravagant expenditures of the war profiteers, but the only solution I can see to the coming industrial crisis is increased work during the shorter hours our members have already secured."

Four years of war, four years of tense production, have brought in their train an inevitable slackness among the workers due to the removal of the stimulus, and just like a case of bodily overstrain, the recovery will have to be by gradual stages. Herein lies one of the dangers to the English chemical manufacturer. The change in the relationship between capital and labor has made his position indeed unenviable, as while the present high ocean freights protect his home market they prevent him from entering his high-labor-cost products into export competition.

Chemical manufacturers generally express their p ent fears of American competition in the export trade, and in the domestic trade as soon as transatlantic freights drop from their present high levels. There is a definite trend observable, even in the most casual talks with manufacturers, toward protective tariffs, and it seems certain that attempts will be made to preserve the domestic trade to English chemical manufacturers by the adoption of some form of protection.

London, England.

S

OON after the declaration of war against Germany, the War Department decided upon a very extensive poison-gas offense program. After much study of this comparatively new method of warfare, it was decided to build a Government plant for the purpose of manufacturing poison gases of all varieties and for filling the gas shells, bombs, hand grenades, etc.

Chlorine is the base from which practically every gas is made which is used in warfare. The War Department evidently expected to secure the required amount of chlorine gas from private plants, but as the gas program developed it became evident that the supply from such sources would be inadequate. The construction of the Government plant for the manufacture of poison gas, known as Edgewood Arsenal, was started in the fall of 1917. This arsenal is located about twenty miles north of Baltimore, Md., on Government property.

Manufacturers of electrolytic chlorine cells were requested late in December, 1917, to submit bids for the building of chlorine plants with capacities of from 15 to 200 tons. It was finally decided to build a plant having a capacity of 100 tons of chlorine gas per 24 hours, locating it at Edgewood Arsenal.

On March 3, 1918, the Procurement Division awarded a contract to the Warner Chemical Co. of New York, which owns the Nelson electrolytic chlorine-caustic soda patents', provided that it should furnish the United States Government 1776 Nelson 1000-ampere electrolytic chlorine-caustic soda cell units complete f.o.b. point of manufacture, having a guaranteed capacity of 50 tons of chlorine per 24 hours; that it furnish through the Samuel M. Green Co., engineers, of Springfield, ass., complete plans and specifications for the buildings for the boilers, evaporators, Nelson cells, salt storage and preparation, caustic soda fusion, weak caustic storage, general stores and administration; complete specifications and plans for all auxiliary apparatus and piping, the buildings and auxiliary apparatus to be designed for a capacity of 100 tons of chlorine per day; that the company should arrange for super ion of U. S. Patents 929,469; 1,149,210 and 1,149,211.

construction of buildings and installation of apparatus by the officials of the Samuel M. Green Co. and for the general supervision of the starting and operation of the plant by H. R. Nelson, inventor of the Nelson cell, and Samuel M. Green, president of the Samuel M. Green Co., until such time as all guarantees had been fulfilled and the plant was being successfully operated by the Government officials.

The contract required that one-quarter of the total number of cells should be shipped on June, Ju'y, August and September 7, and that shipments should be anticipated as much as possible, the Government agreeing to provide for the installation of the cells as and when received.

In order that at least a small experienced force of men should have the necessary knowledge for installing and operating the plant, the Government agreed to furnish enlisted men who were to be sent at Government expense to the plant of the Warner-Klipstein Chemical Co., located at Charleston, W. Va., operator of a large Nelson cell plant, the Warner Chemical Co. agreeing that these men should be given every facility to acquire the special knowledge required for operating such a plant.

This arrangement solved the most difficult problem facing the engineers: i.e., an experienced operating organization. Its successful solution was largely due to the enthusiasm and splendid work of the officers and men who were sent to Charleston and to their untiring work at Edgewood during the installation and starting of the plant.

No definite action was taken by the Government in

regard to the second 50-ton chlorine cell plant until about April 5, when Col. William H. Walker, commanding officer of Edgewood Arsenal, informed the engineers that it had been definitely decided to proceed with its installation. The award for the additional cells was

placed with the Warner Chemical Co. on June 15, and this contract called for the delivery of one-quarter of the total number of 1776 cells on Nov. 1, 1918; Dec. 1, 1918; Jan. 1, 1919, and Feb. 1, 1919.

The entire number of cells called for by the first

contract were delivered and erected ready for operation by Sept. 1, and the entire number of cells called for by the second contract were delivered and more than one-half of them were erected before the signing of the armistice.

Under the contract, it devolved upon H. R. Nelson and Samuel M. Green to devote practically their entire time to this project, for they were made entirely responsible for the design of the plant, supervision of its building and installation and its subsequent operation.

The Foundation Co. of New York was awarded the contract for building the chlorine plant in accordance with the plans and specifications and under the supervision of the engineers.

Lieut. Col. E. B. Ellicott, representing the Construction Division of the War Department, was placed in charge of the work, and to his great ability and untiring effort the success of the undertaking was largely due. The Construction Division in Washington drew off all quantities from the plans and purchased the materials.

Considering that it was almost impossible to secure labor in adequate quantity or quality; that it was constantly changing; the difficulties incident to divided authority between two organizations-one responsible for purchase and the other for the erection of materials; and other difficulties of those most strenuous times, the rapidity of the construction of this plant reflects great credit upon the Foundation Co.

The auxiliary apparatus for the plant was purchased under the direction of Col. Charles N. Black upon specifications furnished by the engineers. The purchase

and control of the delivery of this apparatus was finally placed under the direction of the main office of Edgewood Arsenal, located at Baltimore, Md.

During the fall and winter of 1917 and 1918, work was in progress at Edgewood Arsenal on the buildings for the chemical plant for the manufacture of toxic gases, for the filling of gas shells, and housing for officers and men. On March 5, 1918, it was decided to locate the chlorine plant near the chemical plant then in process of construction, and plans of the general arrangement of the buildings were immediately made. On March 27, however, it was decided to place the chlorine plant about 1800 ft. from the chemical plant.

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION

Sargent & Lundy, engineers, of Chicago, Ill., designed and supervised the installation of the electrical equipment for supplying direct current to the electrolytic cells.

The Government entered into a contract with the Pennsylvania Water & Power Co. to supply 20,000 kw. at 60,000 volts over a high tension transmission line ten miles long. A 20,000-kw. steam power plant was also built on Bush River to act as a reserve, but it was not completed before the signing of the armistice. Current was supplied to the cells from a rotary converter installation located between the cell buildings.

The generating apparatus consisted of the necessary transformers, switching arrangements and twentyfour 2000-amp. and two 4000-amp., 300-volt rotary converters of the booster type. Each 2000-amp. rotary converter supplied current to two cell circuits, each circuit containing 74 cell units. The 4000-amp. rotaries were

to be used as spare units and were purchased because they could be secured before the 2000-amp. units could be obtained. The maximum direct current required to operate the 3552 cell units would have been somewhat less than 14,000 kw. when the plant was producing 100 tons of chlorine gas per 24 hours.

The electrical current for the operation of the auxiliary apparatus and for lighting the plant was supplied from a power plant located near the filling and chemical plant. This power plant supplied current at 60 cycle and it was considered advisable to use this, as the current from the Public Service system was 25 cycle and it was found impossible to secure standard motors at this frequency within a reasonable time.

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT

The chlorine plant buildings, a ground plan of which is shown in Fig. 1, consisted of a salt storage and treating building, two cell buildings, a rotary converter building, a building for machine shop and general stores, a high tension transformer yard, a boiler, power and evaporator building, weak caustic liquor storage tanks, a water pumping building and spray cooling pond, a caustic fusion building, and a drum making, caustic cooling and shipping building.

In connection with the chlorine plant, there was also constructed a liquefying plant for chlorine, a sulphur chloride making and sulphur distilling plant. This equipment was located about 1800 ft. from the chlorine plant and near the chemical plant.

SALT STORAGE AND TREATING BUILDING

The salt storage and treating building, Fig. 2, was located on ground much below the cell building's elevation and allowing the railroad to enter the building on the top of the salt storage tanks. These tanks were constructed of concrete. There were seven of these tanks, each 34 ft. long, 28 ft. wide and 20 ft. deep, having a capacity for storing 4000 tons of salt. There would have been 200 tons of salt used per day when the plant was running at full capacity. The salt was shoveled directly from the cars into these bins, an automatic grain shovel being provided for this purpose.

On the bottom of each tank distributing pipes for dissolving water supply were installed, and at the top of each, at the end next to the building, there was an overflow trough and skimmer board arranged so that the dissolving water, after flowing up through the salt, overflowed into this trough and then into a piping system and into either of two collecting tanks.

The piping system for delivering dissolving water to the storage tanks and for collecting the brine from the tanks was arranged so that dissolving water could be delivered to any tank, returned to one of the collecting tanks, and then be delivered to another storage tank and back to the second collecting tank. This arrangement was made so that all of the salt in any storage tank could be dissolved, and if the brine was not fully saturated it could be passed through another storage tank containing a deep body of salt and thereby be fully saturated. The saturated brine was pumped from the collecting tanks to any one of 24 treating tanks. of these tanks had a capacity of 72,000 gallons.

Each

The eighth concrete storage bin was used for the storage of soda ash used in treating the saturated brine. Soda ash was delivered from the cars into this bin and was delivered from the bin on the floor level of the salt building to the soda ash dissolving tanks. From these tanks, the solution was pumped in desired quantity to any one of the 24 treating tanks. After the

brine was treated and settled, the clear, saturated brine was drawn from the treating tanks through decanting pipes and delivered by pumps to any one of four neutralizing tanks.

These tanks were located next to a platform on the level of the car body, above the top of the salt storage bins, and hydrochloric acid was delivered directly from the cars to this platform, providing a large storage capacity for this acid. The platform level was about 30 in. below the level of the top of the neutralizing tanks and the acid was easily dumped into the tanks from the carboys. It was at first expected that the acid would be purchased, but it was finally decided to make it by the use of chlorine and hydrogen from the cells, and a plant for this purpose was designed and erected.

The neutralized brine was delivered from the tanks by a pump to a tank located at a height above the floor so that the brine would flow by gravity to the cells in the cell buildings. This tank was kept at a constant level by use of float valves and gave a constant hydraulic head to the cell feeding devices. The floor of the salt building was of concrete provided with open drains leading into a large concrete sump. Any leakage of brine was thus collected and returned to the system. The entire tank equipment was of wood and was purchased from and erected by the John Eppler Co., Baltimore, Md. The work was carried out in a most excellent manner, as is evidenced by the fact that there was practically no leakage. There was a chemical laboratory in one corner of the building for the chemical control of the brine. Two acid tanks were installed in this building, into which the weak sulphuric acid from the chlorine gas drying equipment in the cell buildings flowed by gravity. As these tanks filled, they were

emptied into tank cars on the track above the salt storage tanks, and these cars delivered the acid to an acid drying plant located near the chemical plant. The acid after being dried was returned to the cell buildings for

re-use.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL BUILDINGS

There are two cell buildings, each 541 ft. long by 82 ft. wide and separated by partitions into four sections containing six cell circuits of 74 cell units. Each section is a complete unit in itself, provided with separate gas pump, drying and cooling equipment, and has a guaranteed capacity of 12.5 tons of chlorine gas per 24 hours.

The gas piping from the individual cell units to and including the drying equipment is of chemical stoneware. The piping was designed so that the gas could be drawn from the cells through the drying equipment at as near atmospheric pressure as possible in order that the gas could be kept as free of air as possible. When operating, the suction at the pump was kept at 2 in. or less of water. The quality of the gas was guaranteed under the contract to contain at least 95 per cent Cl, and during the operation it was maintained at 98.5 to 99 per cent. The gas cooler design is shown in Fig. 5. These coolers were very effective the gas being cooled to within 1 deg. of the temperatrue of the cooling water.

The drying apparatus consisted of a stoneware tower of special design containing a large number of plates, giving a very large acid exposure. There was practically no loss of vacuum through the drying tower and cooler. The stoneware equipment furnished by the General Ceramics Co. of New York was of the most satisfactory character. The gas pumping equipment for