Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1915-08-13
SECOND TO KRUPPS
British Arsenal at WooIwich Is
Immense Plant.
Munitions Of War Being Turned Out
In Enormous Quantities to Supply
Forces Engaged in France
and Turkey.


When Good Queen Bess." in 1885,
decided to establish store OF arms
and armor at the old Tower house.
mansion In Woolwich Warren. adtoin-
ing the then DOGGY and unhealthy
marshes of Plumstead she little
thought that by so doing she was
founding Britain's greatest arsenal.
which 800 years later would be giving
employment to 10000 men. earning
more than $4,000 a week for making
munitions of war for the greatest con-
nlct the world has ever seen.
That small armory at the Tower
house. however, was the origin OF the
woolwich arsenal OF today. which COW
ers GOO acres. and where guns of all
sizes. every form of military wagon,
shot. shell. torpedoes. cartridges. bull
lets. war signals. life-saying rockets,
and high explosives are manufactured.
Even in the bygone days. however.
wooiwIch figured largely In military
history. II was Prince Rupert who
protected the Warren with batteries
IN Charles IFS reign, and other forti-
fications. which have now disappeared.
we're added by that kings successor.
The Dutch several times threatened
the dockyards at woolwich and at
Chatam, while at the end of the sew
enteenth century two French priya-
teers we're captured of wooiwich.
IL IL obvious that the secrets OF tho
arsenal are most jealousy guarded,
particularly nj the present time. In.
deed. the government. since The war
broke ont. has adopted the precantIon
OF recalling all textbooks about the
arsenal. although In peace times. when
the average number OF men employed
there Is about 1900. visitors OF Brit
ish nationality. DESTROYS OF seeing
the arsenal. may do so by obtaining
an order from the war office.
II might be mentioned. however.
that among the most effective guns
manufactured at woolwich are the
famous six.inch howitzers of which
the French speak so highly. while one
OF the latest time-saying ideas Ia 10
dip military wagons bodily in huge
tanks of paint and hang them up 10
dry.
Wooiwich arsenal is really divided
into three great departments. called
respectively the Royal Gun factories.
the Royal Carriage department and
the Royal laboratory. II Is In the lat
ter that every kind Of experiment is
made viih explosives. and where Of
flcers and soldiers learn their use and
effectiveness. while in the gun fac
tories. which are filled with machinery
OF the best and most modern kind.
guns OF all sizes are manufactured for
the army and tested over the extern
eiye practice ranges which were for
merly the Plumstead marshes.
Apart from the actual workshops.
there are. various important military
establishments at Wooiwich. There
IL the Artillery college. for Instance.
which gives special training. 70 on
GERS OF the Royal Artillery in order
20 az them for appointments in the
manufacturing departments Of the
arsenal. Then there IL the Royal
Military academy. the Oldest military
school In the kingdom. where men
destined for the Royal Artillery or
Royal Engineers begin their training.
The Royal dockyards at woolwlch
was closed nearly fifty years ago. but
II continues TO be used as a military
store depot, and II Is interesting TO
note that II was the first. and for very
long the principal. dockyard In the
kingdom. The Great Harry was built
there In 1862. the Royal George In
1851. the Galatea In 1859, and mora
than 200 other ships And the curious
may spend many an interesting hour
In the. Rotunda museum.- which cen
tains the finest collection of military
antiquities and models. IN the world.