Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1915-10-08
TO KRUPPS.
British Arsenal at MoolWich Is
Immense Plant.
Munitions 81 War Being Turned Out
In Enormous Quantities to Supply
Forces engaged In France
sid Turkey.

Whom Good Queen BesS, In 1870,
decided to establish a store & arms
and armor Il the old Tower house. a
mansion In Woolwich Warren. adj0in-
ing tho then bogsy and unheaHhy
marshes d Plumstead. she little
thought that by 80 doing sAe was
founding Britain's greatest arsenal.
which 800 years later would be giving
employment to 10000 men, earning |
more than 100000 week for making |
munitions Of war for the greatest con-
fiict 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 600 acres, and where guns Of all
ICES, every form Of military wagon.
shot, shell. torpedoes, cartridges. bull
'ets. war signals. life-saving rockets,
and high explosives are manufactured.
Even in the bygone days, however.
Woolwich figured largely in military
history. 1t was Prince Rupert who
protected the Warren with batteries
in Charles lis reign, and other forti-
fications, which have now disappeared.
were 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 priva-
teers were captured of Woolwich.
It is obvious that the secrets Of the
arsenal are most jealousy guarded,
particularly at the present time. In
deed, the government, since the war
broke out, has adopted the precaution
OF recalling all textbooks about the
arsenal, although in peace times, when
the average number Of men employed
there is about $4,000, visitors of Brit
sh nationality. DESTROYS OF seeing
the arsenal. may do so BY obtaining
an order from the war once.
| It 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-saving ideas Is to
dip military wagons bodily In huge
tanks Of paint and hang them up to
| Try.
Woolwich arsenal is really divided
into three great departments, called
respectively the Royal Gun factories
the Royal Carriage department and
the Royal laboratory. It is in the lat
ter that every kind Of experiment is
made with explosives. and where Of
ncers 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 exten.
sive practice ranges which were for
merly the Plumstead marshes.
Apart from the actual workshops,
there are various important military
establishments at Woolwich. There
is the Artillery college, for instance,
which gives special training to Off.
GERS Of the Royal Artillery in order
to fit them for appointments in the
manufacturing departments Of the
arsenal. Then there 10 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 woolwich
was closed nearly nifty years ago, but
it continues to be used as = military
store depot, and 1t is interesting to
note that 1t 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 1853, and more
than 200 other ships. And the curious
may spend many an interesting hour
In the Rotunda museum. which con.
tains the finest collection of military
antiquities and models in the world