Evening journal., 1915-07-22
whole TOWNBU|LT
UP ON WARIORDERS
Hopewell Plant 5f du Pont
Company Runs Day
and Night
ROSE IN NIGHT LIKE
JACKS BEANSTALK
nae Baltimore Sun az:

pany is said to have expended WlJnln
the past few months for the erection
and operation of its plant and the
development of its surrounding prop
erty al Hopewell, eight miles east OF
here, where thousands of men work
day and night. turning out munitions
of war on a scale that is almost be-
yond comprehension and where. like
mushroom, sprang into existence
one of the most remarkable towns
in the world.
Whether these figures minimize or
magnify the company's actual outlay
no one but its officials seem to know.
They sound no more eXtravagant,
however, than do many of the other
things one hears about Hopewell,
which are not 10 he disputed because
Hopewell a city of something like
$4,000 people. built on what up to
January was o Lrush and tree COW
cred field, is a reality and can he seen
for itself II is not a beautiful city;
II is not a model city by any means.
but it is a city nevertheless, and
it is getting larger and larger all
the time. No man can say when its
growth will STOP
Town Product OF the War.
The Hopewell of today is a product
of the European war Had there been
no war the probabilities are that
Hopewell would have remained as it
had been for many years. way sta
tion on the Petersburg-City Point
branch of the Norfolk and Western
railroad. where. IN addition TO the lit
tie sun-burned station as one man
expressed it, nothing existed but pine
trees and a retired Methodist minis
ter
But with the outbreak of hostilities
in Europe. there came from England
and her allies. orders for millions
and millions of dollars worth Cf am
munition. The DUPONT company, un-
able, according 20 the story. to fill
its orders from its existing plants,
went down to Hopewell. where it own
ed a lot of property purchased about
three years ago and where it had built
a small dynamite plant. and about
January ] began the erection of what
is said to be the largest and most
modern munitions-of-war factory in
the world
One establishment was completed
and put into operation. Then another
factory was begun. Before il was
finished work was started on an ex-
tension This extension is now well
under way and there are reports to
the effect that still other factories are
10 be built. Whether more plants are
10 be erected. or not only the people
interested know. but it is a fact that
the company now gives employment
TO 1900 men and that its payroll
arounts TO approximately $500 900
every two weeks.
In Operation Day and Night.
The plant never shuts down Night
and day it is kept going right up to
the limit of its capacity The men
work in three shifts of eight hours
each. and more men are being taken
On every day. Some are hired to take
the places of others who have failed
to make good Some. presumably.
are hired and carried when they are
not actually needed in order t1 take
care of emergencies. But be that as
Il may. men are coming and going
Ill the time
The plant is located about a mile
west of City Point, an old James river
landing, in a forest of pine trees so
nick that it is impenetrsble to the
eye for a distance of more than 100
Yards or so. Approaching il by rail
from Petersburg, the observer q mile
or so away sees something like 20
steel smOke-stacks towering several
hundred feet in the air. And that is
about all one ever sees of the plant
unless he is an employe of the com.
pany or goes there on business WITH
the officials
The camel that essayed to pass
through the eye of the needle had an
easy time of 1t compared to the man
who tries to make his way into this
colossal powder plant II is situated
IN the middle OF a tract of several
hundred acres of land that has been
completely surrounded with a woven
wire fence at least eight feet high
topped with four strands of barbeC
wire placed about five inches apart
and forming a barrier that is practi-
cally unsurmountable for an ordinary
human being.
Mounted Police Reinforce Wire.
But the company in its efforts tc
Keep out those who have no business
WITHIN does not place its reliance alb
solutely on this veritable stockade
Mounted policemen. armed to the
teeth, patrol the fence night and day
Other armed policemen there are
SAID TO be 145 men on the force un-
der the supervision of Major Richard
sylvester. formerly police chief OF
Washington stand guard at the two
lone entrances to the property anC
every man who passes through the
gates must show either a brass checl
or a written pass. The brass checks
each with number on IL for the
most part designate laborers. The
written passes are issued 10 clerks
and others licensed to enter tht
grounds.
Nor does the company permit anv.
one with a camera to approacb its
plant II is said that several dav,
ago one man did succeed in gettins
inside the grounds and taking som,
pictures, whereupon an Injunction
was sued out Immediately to CONNIE
him to destroy the negatives. Anothe,
man, who is said to have attemptef
to take a photograph Of a long strins
of applicants for jobs as thev wer,
lined up outside of the inclosure saw
his camera taken away from him anf
omptied of the films before it was
handed back
Difficult 10 Get Permit.
When a stranger approaches on,
of the gates TO the factory ground,
he is told to go away and get a per.
NIT If he desires to enter. Asked from
whom a permit can be obtained IN,
gatekeeper obliges with the name O.
an individual who is about ss cas-,
Of access 10 the ordinary individua