Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-22
BALDWIN'C GETS BIG
MUNITION ORDER
Local Plant Will Turn Out
Large Supply Demanded by
Lord Kitchener.

"Aii the shells that the Bethlehem
works turn out in one day often do moi
Last my sunners at the front more than
an hour"
This sharp rebuke, reported to have
come hot over the cables recently from
Iotd Kitchener. has been followed by a
vast increase in contracts given by the
British Government to munition-pr produce
Ing plants In this country. The Baldwin
Locomotive Works has received large
order either directly or as a subcon-
tractor OF the Bethlehem Steel Company.
and has Transformed It's old cylinder de-
partment in the main plant in this city
into machine shop for shells. The
cylinder department is being removed to
Eddystone.
Fifty thousand shrapnel shells day
and $1,000 one-pounders a day-thls is
the supply that is demanded Of America
IN the new contracts. The plant at Beth
lehem can take care OF all the one-pound-
ere, but only 1900 shrapnel shells can
be turned out there daily, so II was nee
esbary to call upon other manufactures to
supply 5000 shrapnel shells day. The
Baldwin works Is said to have contracted |
5000.
There was every sign OF exceptional
activity In the cylinder room at Baldwin's |
today Two hundred men at least were
employed. and II vas said to be com
paratively eask task to install the machin-
cry for she'll making
Other plants which share the contracts
or. sub contracts, with the Baldwins. in
clude the Carpenter steel plant, at Read
ing; the lngersoll at Easton; the Car
negie shops, at Pittsburgh, and a number
OF plants in New England. After being
machined the shells are shipped TO Red
dlngton, where. on its proving grounds the
Bethlehem company has established n
fuse factory, the shells are loaded.
GIRLS LOAD SHELLS.
About 1000 girls, men and boys are en-
ployed at the loading plant. and the forco
win soon be increased to 200. Strangely
enough, little girls are particularly i'm
portant factor In the loading of the death
dealing shells For the work of handling
the powder and placing It In the shells
they are especially well adapted by ma
ture, better adapted than men or boys, as
they are more mlnutely careful. more del
icRte OF touch and less likely to cause
accidents.
Lord Kitchener's order for shrapnol ..
shells has been increased from 100000 to
IT least 300oO,OO0 and his contracts with !
Bethlehem have risen to more than $780, =
1000. In addition he has placed an order I
'or lyddlte shells, which were used as a {
asst recourse in the Boer war and spelled I
'ictory. They are Englands reply to the {
Use OF chlorine gas shells by the Ger n
mans. n
One million of these shells. four inches c
n diameter, are to be delivered at the /
ate of 1900 day for the next $50 days. S
hey are hollow. explode on contact and C
ave terrible effect, Captain Scott,
'fitish ordnance officer who Is at Beth n
shem as an inspector OF the Iyddite 81
hells, has made tests. Seven cows, scat q
cred over an acre, were all killed by a p
ingle shell which was dropped in their "
MIDST without hitting any OF them p
So powerful is the explosive that the Il
rucible steel shell does not burst into al
fragments, but expodes into an impaI- u
able powder. dealing death within so II
ards OF where 1t strikes and often fatal m
ithin radius OF 100 yards. nj
To Increase the capacity of the steel u
,mpany to furnish $4,000 shells day, :,
iother shrapnel building is to be erected. de
feet long and 26O feet wide. It will he sp
''rhed in a month. In this building WI
from 10000 to 1900 shells a day II
turned out at Bethlehem err