davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

for every one of these lines has a
through express service. The trains
arrive and depart with a promptness
which operated favorably in the quick
transportation of troops and aided
materially in the mobilization of the
German army, which, as everyone
knows. was accomplished in a few
days.
While the whole Empire is perfect
network of railways. the most impor-
tant lines are those which cross tho
country from the east TO the west.
The Rhine is crossed by fourteen lines
of track between Wesel, near the
Holland frontier-se line which also
leads TO Belgium, and Basle near the
Swiss border. Railroads run on each
side of the river and connect with
these cross lines-a fact which makes
! it possible for Germany TO send heI
| troops to any point in the shortest
possible time. other lines come in
from all parts of Germany. connect
| ing with the main line, and while o.
/ secondary importance by themselves
dovetail into the great railway sys
item and form important lines of com
imunication.
The thoroughness OF the German
/ preparedness is shown in the railroa'
equipment. During the year 1912 tn
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

partment shows that the receipts and
to and from the Rock Island
Arsenal were larger than at all other
arsenals combined. AS transportation
facilities there are the main line Of
the Chicago. Rock Island and Pacific.
which runs directly through the
Island. the Chicago. Burlington and
Quincy and the Chicago. Milwaukee
and St. Paul roads. And then there
is the Mississippi river. which in a few
years will have a siN-foot channel
from the Gulf TO Minneapolis. AS a
carrier Of iron ore. coal or munition
shipments for the Panama Canal
through base at New Orleans it can
have no equal
The Electric Plant.
Cheapness OF production is a proud
boast of Rock Island Arsenal. There
are ten large stone shops in the gov
ernment plant. operated by electric
power which comes from turbines ir
a dam thrown across the Mississippi
between the island and the Illinois
shore. It costs Uncle Sam just .O03i
per kilowatt hour 10 make 3-inch gun
or armored motor cars or saddles o
tin cups. AS tho average family Il
/ the United States pays 10 cents pc
kilowatt hour for all Of the electricit
/ IL uses the cost OF this Rock Islam
Arsenal power. 2.777 times less,
seen in it's true perspective. Is IL an
wonder that Col. George ". Bur
commandant at the Arsenal. claim
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

gan Canada was busy building new
but her workmen laid down
their tools at the call OF the Mother
Country and the work for the time
stopped. The main part of troop car
rying fell TO the Canadian Pacific line.
II was during the tourist season, yet
without putting these travellers to the
slightest inconvenience the railroad
moved thousands of men from West
ern Canada TO the training camp at
Valcartier, near Quebec. These troop
trains were equipped with kitchens SC
that Il was not necessary to stop for
food en- route. In Australia and In
dia there was also quick mobilization
by the aid OF railroads.
Bulgaria's Part.
with the entrance of Bulgaria intC
the war the railways continued to pla.
an important part. The main rail
roads to the south run through Ser
bia. The other road leads through
Roumania and cannot be used at pres
ent as that country has refused to al
low ammunition TO Turkey to pas
through its territory. so the lin
through Serbia is required 10 carry tn
munitions of war from Austria to tn
Turk and the Bulgarians aided ma
teTially In putting through the project
All sorts of supply trains are run
| especially in Austria and Germany
Food is carried In the regulation bag
Evening journal., 1916-01-28
featuring plant and experimental shop
with over 1000 men employed daily
Location of Rock Island.


featuring plant and experimental shop
with over 1000 men employed daily.
Location of Rock Island.
Rock Island Arsenal is 900 miles
from the Atlantic Seaboard, 100
miles distant from the Pacific coast
$50 miles from the Gulf OF Mexico
and 400 miles by air line from the
nearest point on the Canadian bor-
der. A hostile force on the Atlantic
seaboard, a Yellow Peril developing
from the West or an attack by way
OF the Panama Canal would have to
struggle over half a continent before
it reached the Essen OF America il
such a great plant were located at
Rock Island.
The present Arsenal nestles on an
island Of S92 acres, in the middle of
the broad Mississippi with high rocky
banks for a shore line and with its
ten large shops hidden in the center
Of a maze Of woodland drives and
forested slopes. It lies 1s1 miles by
rail from Chicago. 316 miles from tho
Missouri river. 332 miles north of St
Louis and 397 miles south Of ST. Paul
This inland Arsenal's availability for
a distributing point was forciblS
brought TO the attention of the L. s
war department long ago. For years
material has been shipped here from
other Arsenals. rifles from Springfield
projectiles from Frankford. and ha
then boon distributed to the militar,
and naval posts. training schools an
National Guard commands from III
Atlantic to the far-away Philippines
/ During the Spanish-American war, 70
instance. the report Of the War DE
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

one OF the disadvantages OF Russia.
Although this land is ten times the
size OF Germany It has less railway
mileage For the most part the Rus
sian railroads are far flung trunk lines
running on uncertain tracks. The
Land OF the Bear nowhere has any
thing corresponding TO the interweav-
ing railway nets OF Germany. Trans
portation in most parts of Russia.
even in time of peace, is both difficult
and dangerous. for even the main
roads leading into the cities are very
bad.
Railways of France and Italy.
France has a fairly good railway
system, but few OF the tracks are
double and the loading and unloading
platforms are small. Few improve
ments have been made in recent year:
as France has not kept pace with heI
Teutonic neighbor in being ready"
Italy has some twelve thousand
miles OF railroad so laid down as e
bind almost her entire frontier by 8
rail line fringe. They are we'll man
aged and troops we're moved with fail
rapidity.
In England where there is an ex
cellent railroad system troops wer
soon brought together. It was no
so easy, however. in some OF her colo
nies-Cansda. especially. where dis
tances are great. When the war be
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

government of that country spent
over million and half dollars in
increasing the rolling stock OF its rail-
ways. All the embarking and unload
ing platforms were enlarged and
cleared of distractions so that there
might be no delay. The handling
equipment. too. was improved to such
an extent that when the war began
military experts were astounded by
the immensity OF these things and the
perfection of their management. A
railroad expert who happened to be
in Germany at the beginning of the
war declared that the German Cen
eral staff was able to run over various
lines trains of fifty cars every ten min
utes. six thousand cars every twenty
four hours-which represents an army
of one hundred thousand men trans
ported in two days from one end OF
Germany 10 another.
The German railways have been in
struments Of first importance in every
Russian defeat as they parallel the
frontier and receive feed lines from
all parts OF the Empire; in fact. rail.
roads paralleling the front both or
the cast and west OF Germany have
been their greatest asset.
Russian Railroads Poor.
Lack of railway facilities has beei
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

his power is the cheapest at any man
ufacturing plant in the United States?
Every bit of power on Arsenal island,
down 10 pumping water for the Off
GERS homes, is OF this same turbine
generated electricity. This is the only
water-power plant Uncle Sam oper-
ates Since the Arsenal was founded
In 1852 Il has cost the government
s1.969,209. It is valued at $1,000, 900.
The power dam has AZ openings OF
which only rs are now in use. These
IS openings with present inadequate
equipment produce 1000 horsepower.
with modern machinery. which could
be installed at an expense of Si35,00O,
there could he produced 1000 horse
power. This would reduce the cost 10
.OO19 per kilowatt hour. The cost OF
producing power from a modern steam
plant at another government arsenal
/ is one cent per kilowatt hour II tho
entire AZ openings in the dam were
equipped with modern machinery g.,
600 horsepower at the same low uni
could be generated.
Labor Contented.
Labor conditions I'm the industria
community surrounding the Arsena
. are excellent. There has never bee
a strike. The government now has i
/ its employ over 1000 men. The hig
5 water mark on the payroll was reache
, during the spanish-American wa
. when the list rose within a few week
S from 500 10 1900 men
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

French "75s" His present plan Is to
have 1900 Of these guns ready for any
sudden outbreak OF war. Here also
has been constructed Uncle Sans first
armored motor cars. They arc $4,000
pound speed trucks. big steel ma
chimes fairly bristling with automatic
guns. the largest OF which protrude
from revolving turret. The car Is
driven by a 7O-H L. motor and Is
capable OF a speed OF from 30 to 80
miles per hour. This is but one type
OF Uncle SANS new fighting machines
OF which the country at large as yet
knows nothing. But to show how in
adequate the munition supply OF the
United States really Is. these 1900
guns which arc to be stored up would
only equip an army OF 100000 men.
Various Manufacture.
Rock Island Arsenal now manufac
lures all OF the canteens. knapsacks
knives forks and spoons. belts, hol
sters. saddles. brides, artillery har
ness, tin cups and all OF the gun car
riages. caissons. limbers. battery wag
ons. forges for tho 3-inch gun bat
teries. Many OF the 3-inch. 5-incl
and 1-2-inch howitzers are also mad
here. From here comes all OF tn
! personal and horse equipment for IN
5 army. a diversity OF products tina
D would astound the average American
who has perhaps never heard OF TIL
- inland workshop OF Uncle Sam hiddo
b in the Middle OF the Mississippi rive
- on a beautiful park-like island.
8 To an advocate OF preparedness, OF
h OF the strange things in connectiS
j. with Rock Island Arsenal IS that
ie has more shops than are now bell
used. There are ten large shop bull
~ lngs. eight OF which are three stori
n and basement. Eight OF these sho
Ell now in use have floor space Of 2f
n acres. The two not in use have
Evening journal., 1916-01-28
Ncar Grcat Messaba Range.


Iron Is the principal material OF
munition production and but a few
hundred miles TO tho north is the
great Messaba iron range. Montana
copper IS comparatively near az hand.
n tho waterpower should ever prove
inadequate there are private hydro
electric plants here that could be
requisitioned while the Illinois coal
fields arc distant but a few hours
haul Behind all OF these mineral re-
sources is the limitless agricultural
and manufacturing wealth OF the Mid
die West. making the adequate sup
port Of governmental Essen here a
surety. No invasion OF the United
States along either coast could imperil
this supply as It could in the case OF
the eastern arsenals..
In October a party Of Congressmer
were taken through the Arsenal shops
and the waterpower plant. They were
taken into government confidence anC
shown Uncle Sans first armored mo
tor car, his hidden supply Of 3-incl
guns. his 5-inch and 1-2-inch how
itzers. his new-type anti-air craft gun
and his big supply OF munitions whic
is rapidly being increased here. ur
J known 70 the general public. Thes
j men are sitting in Congress now.
] In Rock Island Arsenal are alread
+ stored up 100 cannon OF the s-inc
S field gun type. a gun which Coloni
Burr says is far superior 10 the famot
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

pitfalls in themselves, the aim OF tho
ambulance service being 70 transport
the wounded 10 the base hospitals with
the same celebrity and safety as when
placing fresh troops in the field.
The French, too. have an up-to-
date hospital train service. Their am
balances. with a heating apparatus
and traction engine which is said to
be able TO conquer the toughest roads,
are feeders for the trains to Paris
and Bordeaux where those who arc
severely wounded are sent. These
French hospital trains are for the
most part the best passenger coaches
fitted with hunks. and although they
are not as fine and certainly not as
sanitary as those used by the Ger
mans. they serve their purpose so well
that more than eighty per cent OF the
wounded sent TO the hospitals in this
manner recover.
Even In Egypt hospital trains come
in bringing the wounded from the
Dardanelles. These are British Red
Cross trains made up OF passenger
coaches from which the seats have
been removed and hunks built in. The
many windows make these cars very
ioinloINdblt Aoi a. ilOt NiihAdlcs
Bath Trains.
Perhaps the most unique train OF
the present war is what is known as
the bath train" Of the Russian
army sort of combination bath and
sterilizing section with a special de-
/ partment for destroying parasites. The
trains, OF which there are three, each
capable OF giving three thousand sol
: diers a daily bath, are lighted by elec-
: tricity and heated by steam. The
, bathrooms are provided with hot
, water from the locomotive boiler. two
extra tanks being carried, also an
, electric pump by means OF which
) water can be drawn into the tanks
from nearby streams. The baths are
I of the steam and shower variety
- While the soldier is enjoying his bath
his clothes are being sterilized'
5 lcleaned OF parasites and mended.
, So, with every phase OF warfare mo
4 railroad plays it's part. from orinsing 9
, the men in from the rural districts
and sending them 10 the front e~th
Z ering together the great engines OF
, idestruction and hauling them 70 tno
battlefield for their deadly work. %
/, the mission OF mercy in carrying the
! hsIriess and wounded 10 the hospitals
u1th All possible speed, thus increas-
linz their chances for recovery.
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

gage cars. but nat cars are employed
in transporting aeroplane parts. guns,
etc, and many times an auto car train
is sent out. The machine has wheels
such as can be used on railway
track The same wheels may be run
on dirt roads by the addition OF rub
Der tires which are always carried
as the car must be in readiness TO
leave the railroad az any point.
As a vast amount OF oil is needed
to run the motor trucks which carry
the ammunition to the field whole
trains OF oil tanks are sent out from
Berlin and Vienna. During the heavy
lighting along the Russian frontier
there was almost a constant process
sion OF these trains carrying food 20
the auto trucks and ambulance cars
which bring the wounded to the wait
ing Red Cross trains ready to carry
them to the various base hospitals.
Hospital Trains.
And here again the railroad plays
its part in war. for the newer hospital
trains are perfect wonders in their
completeness. These cars are the evo-
Tuition OF the hospital car used in our
Civil War, and later developed by the
French and Germans during the war
OF 1870, and made more perfect by
1.-THE English during the Boer war OF
fifteen years ago. AS far back as 1887
Germany had COMMITTEES for the
Transportation of the Sick" and hos.
pital trains. only a few OF the car'
were in existence at the beginning OF
the war and until others could be com
pleted every sort OF car from first
class passenger coach to a freight ca
was quickly furnished with hunks o.
cots for the accommodation OF tn
wounded. but these old cars have beeI
gradually supplanted by the new hos
pital or ambulance cars especially oi
trains running from the front TO tn
} base hospitals at Cologne, Hanover
= Coblenz and Berlin. They are perfec
q models of sanitation with their con
. crete floors and enamel Furnishings
! The cots are arranged for special case
p and operations are performed e.
. route. There is a spotlessly cleal
5 kitchen where all sorts OF food ca
e be prepared at the doctors orders
e Medical supplies and appliances
e every variety are carried together Wit
% corps OF surgeons. nurses and cooks
|. There is telephone communicated
|. between the cars by which doctor o
:. nurse may be called al any time-ii
: fact. the trains are nrst-eiass nos
Evening journal., 1916-01-28
Without the Aid Of Rail-
roads Few Battles Could
Be Won = Their Great
Value To the Warning
Nations Of Europe.
Copyright. 1916. by The International
Syndicate.

- HE military necessities Of the
present-day warfare make
greater demand upon railroad
~ facilities than the wars in days
gone by. In former times roads could
be utilized to some advantage in the
absence of more rapid transportation,
but now It is entirely different. The
huge guns, with their delicate mech
anism. could scarcely be moved at all
along the ordinary highway. to say
nothing OF the delay in using this
mode OF travel Quick mobilization.
the assembling with rapidty Of all
the instruments of modern warfare,
make the railroad one of the chief
agencies OF success in the campaign.
without the railroad the present war
in Europe could never have assumed
the proportions it did in so short a
time-in fact, it is doubtful II II could
ever have made much progress by
means OF other channels of communi-
cation.
All the railroads on the Continent
are owned and operated by the re-
spective governments, consequently
when these governments needed trans
portation for their troops the rights
of the civilian traveller were entirely
overlooked.
Germany's Strategic Railroads.
Germany was particularly fortunate
in having thirty-seven thousand miles
of railroad, the majority of which ar'
double tracked, and in many casel
having four parallel tracks. Added
TO this. their system of running train
"a about as near perfect as possible
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

floor space Of seven acres. There are
four large stone storehouses which
bring the total floor space TO 4o.s
acres. The small arms plant at which
125 rifles per day we're formerly made
Is now shut down.
How the Arsenal could be rapidly
expanded is seen from tho fact that
on an island OF S96 acres the arou
OF the shop floor space is but little
over 40 acres and that 40 acres OF
factory floor includes over seven acres
which Is now idle because the gov
ernment appropriations arc not sum
Client to equip II with machinery.
The greater part Of the island Is laid
out in beautiful drives, making IT one
OF the beauty spots along tho entire
stretch OF the Mississippi river II i-
tho paradise OF the automobilists OF
the tri-citlcs. Part OF II Is planted to
corn and TO sec n soldier plowins coru
or moving hay 81 no uncommon sight.
In fact. the "regs" OF such govern
ment posts as Camp Robinson. wis,
scon at the Rock Island post ying
one might az we'll work on a farm rs
be In the service there. Golf links
cover n great tract of the Arsenal
island. The greater part OF tho entire
island is above high watcr mork and
Is available for factory buildings.
History.
II was on July ] 1. 1859. thei Con.
gress passed The frst approprio ion OF
$4,000 which was the nrsi anite
action -on the building ot The present
arsenal The land was first acquired
back in May OF 1915 when a small
army detachment pushed up tho Mis-
sissippi river In keel boats and built
a biockhousc. named Fort Armetrong
10 protect the frontier from tho Sac
and Fox Indians During the civil
e. war st was n military prison housing
1900 Confedorates.
Gen. r. j. Rodman. inventor OF thl
% smooth bore cannon used In the Clvi
81 war. was the man who laid out thl
h present big shops when he took com
q mand in 1854. He predicted at tha
a. time that the Rock Island Arsena
e would eventually be the main manu-
II featuring plant OF the United state
n. army. The building plan was com
Is pleted under the command OF Gen. I
mi w. Flagler by 1856, and since this
sr time the plant has seen little expaI
sion. AS Colonel Burr, the preset
ne commandant. looked over the b
IN plant on the occasion OF the visit
II the forty Congressmen and Senate
nE here last October, he predicted tn
d. another ten shops would soon be bu
les and that the immense possibilities
ps the island arsenal as foreseen hs
IS century ago by its founder would sol
be taken advantage o.
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

HH HERE will Uncle Sam, II he
decides to prepare for war
W on an adequate scale. build
Wv the great munition plant that
IS to make him feared and respected
in these days of factory-made war?
Statesmen, business men and military
students declare that without an un-
limited supply of guns and shells no
great nation can now dare to fight
another. And they also hold that the
government ought to be Independent
OF private munition plants.
Germany had her Essen and Aus
tria her great Skoda workshops when
the present war broke out. and these
two factories, even more than the
wonderful Prussian military organiza-
ton, are responsible for the success
of Teutonic arms. Where, then, is
Uncle Sam to build the Essen of
American
AT Rock Island Arsenal on the
Mississippi river" says the Great Mid
die West And If the East coast with
its highly developed manufacturing
industries should ask-Why, the East
with its Watervliet Arsenal on the
Hudson, its Watertown Arsenal near
A'DHANh anu idnhAbAu AIetndA a.
Philadelphia, the Middle West an
swers:
An ideal location making attack by
any foreign power impossible.
The best possible central distribut-
ing point to all parts OF the United
States
The cheapest power Of any manu-
featuring plant in the country.
Location in the heart of manufac.
turing center with an unlimited mum.
Der OF skilled artizans at instant cal
and with the Great Middle West witt
its iron and copper for munition ma
terial and with its boundless argicul
tural wealth to insure a continuou
food supply even IL the entire SCI
coast should fall into the hands OF al
enemy.
The fact that Rock Island Arsenal
right now Uncle Sans largest manu-
Evening journal., 1916-01-28
Rock Island Arsenal Lo-
Gated in the Middle of
the Broad Mississippi
Which Uncle Sam Will
Probably Develop AS a
Rival To Essen and
SkOda.
us %N
BY G. r. BACON.

- HERE will Uncle Sam. II he
A decides to prepare for war
N on an adequate scale. build
w the great munition plant that
Evening journal., 1916-01-28

- HE military necessities Of the
H present-day warfare make a
Il greater demand upon railroad
- facilities than the wars in days
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-05
TO TRAIN NAVY ROCKIES
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
They Will Be Given Opportunity to
Drill on Warships Once
Week.

Steps have been taken to place 1000
civilians who participated in the re-
cent John Paul Jones cruise Of the
navy on a permanent basis for instruc-
ton. The Navy Department announced
today that they would be given an OPP
portunity to report on board any Of
the reserve battleships at tho various
navy yards once a week throughout
the year and attend drill and practice
instruction. =
The suggestion that a permanent Of
fee be established in Washington to
handle the volunteer civilian prepar-
edness movement is being considered
by the department, and probably will
be adopted. officials believe that with
the start already made 1t will be COM
paratively easy to enroll at least
10000 men for next summers cruise.
this summer contemplate forming q
national organisation through which
to enroll their full complement as
reserve under the new naval BILL.
consideration" says a statement issued
by the Navy Department today. and
il the details can be arranged the
movement will start in concrete form
and on a large scale. either this winter
or early spring When this shall have
been accomplished q long step will
have been taken both toward the Sc
curing of 100000 volunteer reserves
and in educating the public in
thorough preparedness and an ade-
Quate navy.
''The plans contemplate extension Of
this training to the Pacific coast and
the great lakes, SO that every sec
ton of the country may participate"