1. Nitolee - Catawba River near
Great Falls, SC
A failed plan to use excess hydroelectric
power to make fertilizer.

2. One source for nitrogen where the Chile saltpeter (NaNO 3), deposits
that accounted for more than 60% of the world's supply for most of the
19th century. Other sources of nitrogen such as guano were
discovered periodically, but were usually depleted within a few years.
Ammonia and nitrates were also produced from the destructive
distillation of coal and as industrial by-products of other chemical
processes. Fertilizer with high nitrogen content provided good crop
yield. These inorganic fertilizer elements were all originally extracted
from mineral deposits. Deposits of phosphate rocks and potash have
been mined and used to provide sources of phosphorus and
potassium. The only large mineral source of nitrogen, were Chile
saltpeter (NaNO3) deposits. Using a fertilizer with high nitrogen content
provided good crop yield. The use of ammonia in fertilizer has made it
the second most important chemical in the United States. It is the most
important source of nitrogen in fertilizers today

3. One source for nitrogen where the Chile saltpeter (NaNO 3), deposits
that accounted for more than 60% of the world's supply for most of the
19th century. Other sources of nitrogen such as guano were
discovered periodically, but were usually depleted within a few years.
Ammonia and nitrates were also produced from the destructive
distillation of coal and as industrial by-products of other chemical
processes. Fertilizer with high nitrogen content provided good crop
yield. These inorganic fertilizer elements were all originally extracted
from mineral deposits. Deposits of phosphate rocks and potash have
been mined and used to provide sources of phosphorus and
potassium. The only large mineral source of nitrogen, were Chile
saltpeter (NaNO3) deposits. Using a fertilizer with high nitrogen content
provided good crop yield. The use of ammonia in fertilizer has made it
the second most important chemical in the United States. It is the most
important source of nitrogen in fertilizers today

4. In the early years of the 20th century, when the central Piedmont was
growing, some men had plans to become industrial giants, almost all
waterfalls and rapids along the larger rivers were thought of as dam sites
and how many horsepower could be installed at a particular location. At
Nitrolee, where Fishing Creek flows into the Catawba River, was an
undeveloped waterfall of 20,000 hp. Duke Power planned to build a
hydroelectric power plant there and did in 1916.
Also Duke Power’s Southern Electro-Chemical Company started in 1911, but
never finished, an electric arc plant to manufacture 4000 t/yr. of Ca 2NO3 to
replace Chilean sodium nitrate deposits a resource that was limited and
subject to monopoly pricing. The process designed to use an electric arc, the
nitrogen in air, plus water, sulfuric acid and limestone (marble) to make the
fertilizer calcium nitrate. The formula chemistry is as follows:
NO2 + 2H2O + H2SO4 + CaCO3 + electricity = H2CO3 + CaNO3
NO2 (in air) + 2H2O (water) + H2SO4 (sulpheric acid) + CaCO3 (marble or
limestone) + electricity = H2CO3 (sodium bicarbonate) + CaNO3 (calcium
nitrate)

5. Nitrogen fixation occurs in nature by the actions of lightning and bacteria.
A flash of lightning unites nitrogen with oxygen to form nitric oxide (NO),
which changes to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) upon cooling. Nitrogen dioxide
combines with water to form nitric acid (HNO3). The dilute acid falls to the
earth and reacts with minerals in the soil to produce nitrates. The nitrate
form compounds necessary for cell growth. A greater amount of nitrogen is
fixed by the action of bacteria in the soil and plant roots.

6. Figure 1 is a picture of the buildings on the site in 1911 or 1912 during construction.
Duke brought in laborers from Germany to construct 75-foot high porcelain cooling
towers. They imported brick from Germany.

7. Figure 2. Closer view of construction of the tower.

8. Figure 3. Completed or nearly compleded plant 1912/.

9. The plant at Nitrolee was never completed probably because
Fritz Haber and Karl Bosch of Germany developed the
Haber - Bosch process, which proved to be more
economical replacing all other processes.
In the Haber - Bosch process the reaction between
nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas produces ammonia.
The process requires high temperatures and very high
pressures along with catalysts or the yields are very small and
the reaction very slow.

10. Figures 4, Main arc building inside 1997.

11. Figure 5. Main arc building inside and outside.

12. Figure 6. Inside Transformer
building

13. Figure 7.
Main arc building outside.

14. Figure 8. The remains of a
large metal tank for storing?.
Figure 9. A cement/concrete
storage building?.

15. Figure 8 . Long building foundation remnants.

16. The electric arc process never had
a chance, William Lee’s plans to
capture part of the fertilizer
business was history.

17. The site is now wooded, the
buildings decaying, some with
only foundations, some in
amazingly good shape. In the
main arc building, the transformer
coils still hang ghostly in the two
story red brick building.

18. Thank you Mr. Herbert Tibbs for
your abiding friendship and
introduction to the area history.

19. The site, located on a peninsula
between Fishing Creek and the
Catawba River, was abandoned.
Today, an interesting footnote to
the area history.
Donald R. Privett,
Geologist