160 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1934 



It is believed that this is an achievement in chemical engineering 

 which is worthy of note, as the following facts relative to the con- 

 struction of the plant will testify : 



Clearing of ground started July 27, 1933 



Land cleared, acres 90 



Ground broken for first building Aug. 15, 1933 



Production of ethylene dibromide commenced Jan. 10, 1934 



Wood piles driven (30 feet long) 1,800 



Sheet steel piling (36-50 feet long), tons 750 



Excavation, cubic yards 125,000 



Dredging, cubic yards 100,000 



Concrete, cubic yards 8,892 



Reenforclng steel, tons 425 



Structural steel, tons 350 



Electric conduit, miles 9.5 



Electric wiring, miles 38 



Brick laid 3,540,764 



Maximum number men employed at one time, approximate 1,500 



Approximate total of man-days 90,000 



Building days 150 



First working drawing completed Aug. 14, 1933 



Last working drawing completed Nov. 2, 1933 



Number of principal drawings (24 by 36 inches) 265 



The construction facts become even more impressive when it is 

 realized that the nearest railroad shipping point is at Wilmington, 

 approximately 20 miles away. Consequently the large quantities of 

 materials which were involved had to be trucked that distance to the 

 construction site. In order that the work might proceed rapidly, 

 a considerable number of engineers and superintendents were 

 required. These were accommodated in a nearby 50-room beach hotel 

 which was leased and operated by the Ethyl-Dow Chemical Com- 

 pany. 



Shortly before the construction work was completed, a wharf was 

 built and a channel was dredged out to the navigable part of the 

 Cape Fear Kiver so that boat transportaion could be used for deliver- 

 ing operating supplies to the plant. The boat that has been acquired 

 for this purpose is 116 feet long and is propelled by a 100 horsepower 

 Diesel engine. It has a capacity of about 140 tons. One of its chief 

 cargoes is sulphuric acid which is carried in special tanks installed 

 below deck. The trip from the plant to the dock in Wilmington 

 requires from 2 to 4 hours. 



Figure 5 is a flow sheet showing the scheme of operations. Figure 

 6 shows the general layout of the plant. 



OCEAN WATER INTAKE, CANAL, AND POND 



The design and construction of the ocean water intake offered an 

 opportunity for ingenuity and engineering foresight. No plans or 



