Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-07-13
WILL LOAD $4,000
SHELLS EACH DAY
GREAT GOVERNMENT PLANT IN
NEW JERSEY TO START SHIP
MENTs BEFORE LONG.

MENTs BEFORE LONG.
IS LARGEST IN THE WORLD
Three Others Like It Being Constructs
ed-Med:cal Department Has Mobile
Apparatus to Provide Pure Drinking
Water in France.
tTrom Committee on Public Information
Washington.-Quant If not capac'
ity shipments will start soon from |:
new government shell-lOading factory
in New Jersey, one AOf four such gov
ernnent plants each of which is larger
than any similar plant in the world.
When turning out $1,000 loaded
shells day under full operation the
plant will use 1900 tons of shells and
explosives daily. the products OF some
Is factories. More than 5000 work
men will be required. Plans c1ntem-
plate the employment of a large num-
Der Of women. The marking Of shells
to designate size. load and range will
require 2a0,OOO operations each day.
The plant has total area of approx
imately $500 acres. More than 100
buildings, with an aggregate floor
space of 100000 square feet. will pro-
vide storage for shells and parts and
Cor material. A small city, with .:eat-
ing and lighting plants. water and sew
gee systems. hospitals, f1re-fghting
r!ant and restaurants. was built to
house the employees. There IS equip.
ment to protect the health Of those
who work with poisonous gases. and
:, school for instruction In the load
ing Of artillery ammunition with high
explosives.
Tie operating plant consists Of Is
shell-ioading units. each independent
af the other. with equipment for load
ing Is sizes of shells. ranging from the
"cccntly developed 7-millimeter to 1G
inches. On two sizes of shells the pro-
Yelling charge also will be loaded. the
shell and cartridge case being assem-
lied at the plant. All other shells are
assembled in France.
In the construction of the she'll
loading units the problem was far
greater than one of mere building. I'M
mense fans have been installed to dis
nose Of the poisonous fumes from the
high explosives. When unit is in
operation the air in the loading room
is changed every few minutes.
The American soldier in France gets
pure drinking wafer from mobile water
trains. The trains are under the jT-
Of the army medical depart
ment. They are miniature water
works, which chemically treat. filter
and Sterilize water. making it fit for
What municipal water
works do to insure heaithfu. water to
the people Of city these trains do for
the soldiers.
4 number Of publication units with
attached motor-tank trucks constitute
4 train. Each unit is complete filtra-
ton plant. including laboratory. Ar
irving at a stream 1t sets hose into
the water and pumps the water
through a pressure tank. Before the
water passes through sand filter it is
heated chemically to rid 1t of disease
germs. The pure water IS pumped
into tanks mounted on trucks. which
carry the water to the soldiers.
Each mobile water unit carries an
expert chemist, bacteriolOgist and
pumpman. There is complete lab
oratory in the front of the machine for
the testing of the water. Tests are
made every two hours or more often
"hen it is thought necessary. The wa
ter is lifted into the filter by gasoline
pump engine and complete supply
Of extra pipes and tools are carried so
that all repairs, either from accident
or shell fire, can he made on the spot.
The trucks are equipped with electric
lights so that the work can be carried
on at night. Many of the chemists
and hacteriologists assigned to the mo-
hiic laboratories were formerly con-
nected with municipal waterworks and
filtration plants.
Every community will be combed for
war workers. War industries are short
nearly 100000 common iaborers and
~ In l,n s,,s,, in
lustry is imperiling all war produc-
ton There is also a serious shortage
Of skilled labor. One of the largest
plants. turning out heavy
caiiber guns, is short 1000 machinlsts.
The war plants Of Connecticut and
Maryland are undermined $4,000 ma
The United States employment sery-
Ice will begin an intensive recruiting
IF workers for war work from the non
industries. Employment Of
fees will be Increased and the force
Of local agents and travelling exam
iners viii; be enlarged and sent into
every community that relief may be
1IVCu DelOIC luc UdI uEullSl
ahor recruiting goes into effect on
August I.
Nearly 100000 girls and boys have
volunteered for the United States gar
len army in the department of the
interior. Their service flag bears u
crossed rake and hoe with the letters
U. s. S. G. in blue on a field of white
with a red border. The enlistment
entails pledge on the part of the
child to use efforts to increase food
production by cultivating one or more
crops under a garden supervisor or
teacher chosen for this work and to