Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1900-02-10
BOERS' AMMUNITION.
Enough Powder and Ball to Last
for Ten Years. War.
Made In German and French Fac
tories and Transported with
the Greatest of Care
and Secrecy.

! quantity was made in England, and on
equally small proportion was manufac-
tured at the Transvaal government
works, near Pretoria.
A vast amount of mystery and Sc
crecy surrounded the government pow
der factory, as it was called, and no one
was allowed to visit it or even approach
within half mile of the inclosed build
1ngs without very extra special per-
nit.
The faotoryewas entirely run by Ger
mans, and, curiously enough, the head
thereof was Mr.. Kruger, who was al
ways careful to assert that he was no
relation whatsoever to the president.
The works were near Daspoort, four
miles outside of Pretoria. and in the
immediate vicinity of the cement works.
where so-called Transvaal Portland ce-
ment was very badly made. The pow
der factory is most jealousy guarded
from lntruders, and even the Italians
from the dynamite factory, not many
miles away, know nothing of its in
ternaI economy. 1t is thought cues
tlonable by many whether any actual
manufacture takes place there, or
whether, as in the case of dynamite
works C'Maatschapi voor Ontploff-
barren Stotfen" in the Taa), the i'm
ported ingredients are just put up in
cartridges on the spo., so as to appear
to carry out the requirements of the
exclusive concession.
The ammunition is taken away at
dead of night on mule wagons to one
or other of the forts around Pretoria.
and portion is often sent over to the
johannesburg fort, but not by rail, as
the lolting might be dangerous in the
case Of the very carelessly put together
explosive. An escort of artillery rides
with the wagons and reports the due
delivery of the ammunition.
In the case Of foreign-imported am
munitiOn - lee-metford, mauser and
heavy gun shells-it comes by German.
French or Dutch steamer to Delapoa
bay, and is there unshipped, stored for
longer or shorter period in the
Wretched tin shanties on the wharf.
which do duty for bonded warehouses.
and then, when all the extraordinary
Portuguese formalities are complete.
1t is forwarded by train, via Komati
Poort, to Pretoria, where it is taken.
again at tha doad of nipb., from the
railway station to one of the forts or
to the government magazine out on
the veldt, beyond the race course. Now
and again, as indeed, happened just be-
fore the present war broke out, the Por-
tuguese officials at Lorenzo MARQUES
Delagoa bay), for some reason best
known to themselves, refuse 10 pass the
ammunition, and then there is an an
cry and heated exchange of letters in
a queer mixture of Portuguese, Dutch
and English, and alter a long delay
the goods may arrive at their desti-
nation, or they may not.
In at least one instance an amusing
contretempts occurred. A large lot of
some 1900 boxes, went
astray at the port and could not be
found. The port authorities were sure
that they had been landed, but the
railway officials could not account for
them in any way.
At last, after the lapse of many
it turned out that by some
unaccountable error the whole lot had
been reshiPped to Beira, and had got
through the Buluwayo, and was com
reposing in the magazines of
the Chartered company Of British South
Africa. The Beers Indignantly claimed
their ammunition. Mr.. Rhodes Off .
Gals said: Very well, come and fetch .
I; but, as we happen to want some Of
this particular brand ourselves, you
lad better let us pay for it and say no
more on the subject" This actually
happened, and it was never found out
whether the mistake occurred on pur-
pose or by accident.
On the whole, it has been found that
he French ammunition is more reliable
han that made in Germany, and there
las also been less palm oil, less bribery
md corruption in its purchase. ship
nent and delivery. In the case Of one
particular lot Of German cartridges it
vas reckoned the original cost was
luadrupled by the time they reached
Pretoria, owing to the number of hands
trough which they passed, and the
lumber Of officials who had to be Sin
ulted' before they were passed. Not ,
only that, but when the cartridges were
lnpacked and distributed among the
armers it was found that they were
aulty and dangerous, so that whole
transaction was eminently unsatisfac-
DRY from every point of view. These
we're mauser cartridges.
The quantity of ammunition stored
i the Transvaal is absolutely colossal,
nd would suffice for ten years war,