The Raymer enterprise., 1916-06-08
SECOND TO KRUPpS
British Arsenal at Woo!WIch Is
Immense Plant.
Munitions Of War Being Turned Out
In Enormous Quantities to Supply
Forces Engaged in France
and Turkey.

Wien "Goo1 Queen Bess," In 1888,
decided to establish a store OF arms
and armcr at the old Tower house. a
mansion In Woolwlch Warren. adjoin.
ing the then hoggy and unhealthy
marshes Of Pinmstead. she little
thought that by so doing she WAS
founding Rritain's greatest arsenal,
which go years later would be givine
employment to 10000 men, earning
more than s5o0.o0o week for making
munitions Of war for the greatest con
fiict the world has'eyer seen.
That snall armorv at The Tower
house. however. was the crisin OF the
Woolwich arsenal c; TODAY. whiah GOV.
ers COO acres. and where guns Of all
sizes. every form of military wagon,
shot, shell. torpedoes, cartridges. bnl.
lets, war signals, life-savins rockets.
and high explosives are manufactured
Even IN the bysone days. however
Woolwich figured largely in military
history. Il was Prince Rupert wao
protected The Warren with batteries
in Charles II's reign, and other forti-
flcatiGns, which have now disappeared.
we're added by that Kings successor.
The pHtch several times threatened
the dockyart's ut Woolwich and at
chatam. while at the erd OF the sev-
enteerth century two French priya-
teers were captured of Woolwch
It is Obvious that the secrets of the
arsenal are most ienlorsly guarded,
particularly at tho present time. In.
deed. the government. cince the war
broke out. has adopted theprecarticn
of recalling ell textbooks about the
arsenal. although in pence times, whe,
tie avcrare number Of men employed
there is abont 1900. visitors Of Brit
ism nationality. desirous of seeing
the arsenal, NAV do so by obtaining
an order from the war Office.
II might be mentioned. however,
=
manufactured at Woolwich arc the
famous six-inch howitzers of which
the Frsrch speak 80 highly, while enc
ef the attest tiTe-saving ideas Is to
dip military wagons bodily in huge
tanks OF paint and hang them I'D to
dry.
Wcolr'ieh 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
fioers and soldiers learn their use and
effectiveness. while In the gun fac
tories. which arc iilled With ma. hincry
Of the best and most modern kind,
guns Of all sizes are manufactured for
The arTav and tested over the cyten-
slve nfae'ioe rarres which we're for
merly the Plrmstead marshes.
Apart from the actual wortqhors.
there are various i-nportant military
establishments at Woolwioh. There
is the Artillery college. fer instance.
which gives specia! training 10 Off
Gers CT the Royal ARTILLERY in order
to fit them fer appointments in the
manufacturing departments Of the
arsenal. Then there Ia the Roya,
Military academy, the oldest military
echoel in the kingdom. where men
destined for the Royal Artillery or
Royal Engineers begin their trainiag.
The Royal dooliyards at wcclvich
was c'esed nearly fifty years ago. but
Il continues to be used as A military
store depot, and II is interesting to
note that 1t was the first, and fer very
long the principal. dockyard in the
Kingdom. The Great Harry was built
there in 1862, the Roval George In
l75l, the Gslatea In 1859. and NOR,
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
and models in The world.
NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION
NJ Dal.