Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-08
Bureau of Ordnance.

~ Wv -
c!udes supplying guns and their con-
troll equipment, together with powder
and projectiles. to all ships in the
Navy. 1t also provides. among other
things. armor plates for battleships.
torpedoes and their launching appar-
atus. all our naval mines, and the
many new devices that have been de-
veloped to combat tn, German sub
marine.
Because of the vast quantity and
variety of material that must be sup
piled the organization of the bureau
is in the nature Of a committee of
experts.
The work of the past year has
largely dealt with an enormous OK
'pansion along ines laid down prior to
the declaration of war. AS early as
1885 plans were drafted in prepara-
ton for war. should it come. When
the President signed h declaration
of war, April s. 1917. kilograms were
dispatched, setting in motion the ma
chinery that had previously been pre-.
pared and during the past IL months
the work Of the bureau has increased
almost 1000 per cent.
For the two or three years prior to
the war the expenditures were in the
neighborhood Of 100000 900 a year.
For the fiscal year ending June 80,
1917. a period which included about
Itiee lIoIlNS VI war. tnet jumped 10
$l0S,450,000. For the current fiscal
year., up to tho present time, about
$560,000.000 has been obligated. and
deficiency bills calling for almost $50
100000 additional are before Congress.
The bureau operates many ordnance
plants and factories, some of which
are owned by the Government, while
operated under contract or on a cost
plas percentage of profit" basis. Vast
quant!t es of material are also pur-
chased on contract.
Chief among the plants and stations
operated arc the Naval Gun Factory.
located at Washington. y. {. 5 nee
the declaration of war this factory has
Iloys nearly 5000 men. Fifteen acres
OF adjoining land have been puff
chased and six large buildings are
nearing completion IT, ,reon. The
Nava. Gun Factory builds many OF the
gu;1s and by Ear the greatest amount
and var;ct% OF the special ordnance
equipment for them. 1t has orders
on its boo,i% now, and 1t is dong work
that private concerns have confessed
themselves unwilling to attempt, In
addition TO the new construction men
toned m:ny Of the shifts have been
r~e2rraneed and enlarged to increase
their output.
Navy Powder Factory.
The Navy Powder Factory, at In
diauhe:d. sid, manufactures powder
OF the highe.,t grade for use in the
,g suns. employ; 1000 men, and CO..
ers a ss ls.~. m.ie:% Additional build
ings anI machinery together with Il
rev lene! a!ing station. are being
csaeteu aud ,n.,ilied. and the capacity
p, n. t..; ll11t is INCREASING lanuiIS.
&c to. re.o station at Now port, r.
=. u lara plant. is engaged IN the
l~t.:aHiI.e Of torpedoc.. Its facili-
,.rl have Leon increased during the
rat year.
Numerous ammunition depets, To-
Gated throughout the country. prepare
the powder charges, load and fuse the
&he:., handle high explosives. and ship
Tie ya,ilnurition to vessels in the naval
ss,srice. Among recent additions ito
facilities is an automatic mine-loading
l"iant OF great capacity and OF new
design.
I;espite the huge increase in num-
Ter OF guns supplied during the past
.ca..' and the restricted area n in
lie facilities Of the Naval Prov
-" .o-l.i, the Bureau OF Ordnance
r.. -. tliG, 4 70 te t every gun there
..Nl as TO assign c.erN powder
c~i,%T.r. test every lot OF si:ell. fuses,
ca. ..Se cases, armor pla.c and do
eli a~.l.i.unit.on experimental work.
P%roicrli.c Plant.
On June i. 1917, $50 acres of land
were obtained at South Charleston,
". Va. for a proj>ctile plant. Build
inss are nov Leg erected. machinery
Oi the most nolan tyEe installed, ANA
the plant is scheduled to be in full
operation by June !, 1918; heavily in
creasins the gun power OF the Navy.
The armUr-plate factory VIII follow.
In one pant taken orer by the bu-
reau, manufacturing steel yforSings.
the output was increased 800 per cent
within two months after Government
managers We're Installed In another
pant. manufacturing binoculars and
optical Instruments, the previous out
nut was about 100 accepted pairs per
week. over Is per cent of tho binoca-
lars made failed to pass inspection
tests. l'r'.r Navy control the output,
without the installation of new equip
nearing 1000 pairs per week. Prac-
tically every pair made passes insl C.
ton.
TIE naval warfare Of the enemy has
brought many new developments. one
OF the most important steps taken by
the United States was the a.rr1ing OF
its merchant steamers. as well as the
naval 3uXtlIArlcS, IfdHhpOFIS, IhIUlle
vessels. sub chasers. etc, following the
~severinE of diplomatic relations with
Germany.
The first merchant ship to be armed
was the oil tanker Campana. Guns,
manned by Navy men. were on hoard
when she sailed on March IL, 1917.
The. big American passenger liners,
New York and st. Paul were armed
on March 16, the Kroonland and Mon
golia on March. 10. And continuously
up to the present time, merchant ships
as they have become available, have
been armed nj provided with Navy
gun crews.
Guns for Sub Chascrs.
Guns have likewise been furnished
to more than $50 patrol boats. to ali
our sub chasers. to the Army, and
many to foreign governments. These
guns vary in caliber from the 14-inch
naval guns on British monitors to the
6-poundsrs on the French fishing
Meet. Since the arming Of the Cam
pana. more than 1,aO0 vessels have
been furnished with batteries. anmu-
milton, O parts. and a~uxiiiaries-
a procedure which had never been
contemplated by the department, prior
to the out break Of the war.
Constant work has been dom in the
matter Of armor-platc development
and considerable, progress made dur
ing the past year. The problem ct
) correct amount and location Of arnor
on battle.hirs and battle cruisers has