South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-05-19
Russians Amazed
At Efforts Made
By Great Britain

International News Service:
LONDON. May IA body of
Russian journalists who have just
visited England as special guests of
the British government express
themselves as amazed at the ire
mendous effort Britain is putting
forth in her factories. One Of them
said
I'VE are in a celebrated city. The
dismalness of the city is indescrib-
able. Miles of streets stretch with
out any windows sort of narrow
corridor between dark brick walls.
behind which one hears the clash of
steel, and above which hangs a
black smoke.
THE city is intersected in certain
parts by high block viaducts, over
which trains run. which serve the
numerous and widely scattered fac
tories and works. Sometimes we
drives miles and miles along brick
walls, the top of which is made Of
ore-slag.
AT last we come TO the first and
most amazing object Of our atten
ton, the main nest of the works Of
the British Krupp's. Along the
front OF the furnaces are construct
ed aerial rails on which moves an
object similar to a locomotive. but
not standing on. but hanging from
the rails. Behind is a mechanic,
anc at his least touch the whole
machine rises or lowers. approaches
the fire-box doors of each furnace,
opens their headly hell Onto which
we can only look through dark
glasses), brings up a waggOnnette of
coal, raises it by means of a lever
pushes it into the fire, turns. with
draws. and again closes the gates
of hell: then the locomotive runs
further ard feeds every monster in
turn. one by one.
Visit Gun Factory.
Afterwards we are taken
through the stages of manufacture
Of the giant 15-inch guns, which
adorn the Observation-Disclosures, the
Queen Elizabeth. The weight of
such a gun is 90 tons. The hydrsu-
lie press which has 10 squeeze the
metal of such monsters develops a
pressure Of $500 tons, but there is
another one in the works of 10000
tons. We were shown combined
steel trunks. containing potentially
three 15-inch guns.
The making of a big gun takes II
months. Some idea Of Il , import
ance and productive capacity Of
these works can he formed from the
fact that they employ in their vari-
Gus departments scattered all over
England. $4,000 workers and that
they are engaged at this particular
moment on the making OF 1000
guns.
we were then taken TO another
establishment which produces 500
tons of munition a week. Here we
were shown the manufacture Of Is
inch shells Enormous shops full
OF light and air. with iron and glass
roofs. but partly finished. Still half
OF the benches are already at work.
and 15-inch shells are being turned
out in red-hot condition by means
Of 1000 tons pressure.
We were shown mountsins of
these 15-inch shells in special de-
pots. But shells are not the only
things made here in all shapes and
forms. 1t is said that this is the
longest gale y in existence-about
1900 feet
Lastly, we were shown the Ma
tonaL' that is. popular workshops
pf a firm which has VIC ks also in
Russia. We were shown a gigantic
agglomerate OF buildings covering
acres. They are all Of one story.
fun OF light, made Of steel and glass
with light wooden partitions
Working ut Full Speed.
About One-half Of them is still
unfinished. but work is going on at
fun speed"
I'm August. 1915" said the engi-
neer in charge. when our company
began negotiations with the govern
ment it was all fields and empty
spaces here"
Though not all the shops are
ready they accommodate already
1900 benches. and some shops al
ready turn out over $1,000 shells a
week When everything is COM
pleted. the stan will amount 10 .
600 men"
The male department turns out
S-inch and the female S-iDch shells