Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-19
Building Program for 1918
at Island is Biggest in
History.

The Rock Island arsenal has been
designated as one of two great army
supply depots decided upon for the
United States.
AS result, the program of 1917, as
ambitious as it was. will seem COM
paratively insignificant beside the ar
senal construction planned for 1918.
Just as soon as frost is out of the
ground Colonel George W. Burr, COM
handing the arsenal will order work
begun on three great steel and con-
crete warehouses, each to be 500 feet
long, $50 feet deep and six stories
high. They will be located on the
north side Of the main avenue OF the
arsenal opposite the field artillery We
hicle plant which has just been COM
pleted. These warehouses will each
contain 100000 square feet of floor
space or a grand total of 1,350,000
square feet for the three Each ware
house will be equipped with six big
electric freight elevators, will be fitted
with six big electric freight elevat-
ors. will be fitted with sprinkler sys-
tiers and will be provided with every
modern improvement of the efficient
storage and expeditions movement Of
army supplies Of all kinds.
At the same time, or as soon there
after as possible, work will be begun
on a series of brick or tile, one story,
ireproof warehouses for the storage
of artillery vehicles exclusively. AS
many as possible of these buildings,
the dimensions of which will be an
nounced later, will be built this year,
with the idea of providing 100000
square feet of this particular kind of
storage at the earliest possible mo-
nent.
Seventy Acres.
A better idea of the magnitude of
he 1918 building operations at the ar
senal may be gained by comparison
with the Bettendorf plant, Davenports
greatest industry. The Bettendorf
liant has about eighteen acres under
roof. The arsenal building program
for 1918 calls for the construction of
nearly seventy acres of fireproof
storage capacity.
In order to make possible the rapid
landling of army stores in and out
Of the warehouses and to care for the
enormous number of cars that will
roll in and out of the shipping area
daily, it has been decided to build
railroad track across the main avenue
OF the arsenal from the existing tracks
on the south side of the site of the
rev building operations on the south
and to construct many miles of side
ira cks and spurs so as to make every
part OF the great storage area easy of
'Ccess
When these buildings have been
completed, tracks installed and the
plant is ready for use it is planned to
concentrate here at the Rock Island
"raenal large part of the general
dnance and quartersmasters' sup
les purchased in this section and
, distribute such supplies from here
1on Geographic direction from Wash
gton.
The construction operations will be
carried on either by Stone G. Web
-er o. the Westinghouse, Church,
kerr company, whose organizations
and equipment are already located
Nere and. according to the arsenal
authorities, in highly efficient shape.
Not Abandon Plant.
Chairman George E. Chamberlain of
he senate committee on military af-
airs, telegraphed to H. X Spencer,
former president of the Davenport
Commercial club today that the artil-
lery ammunition assembling plant at
the arsenal just completed at cost of
about 100000 would not be aban-
doned or used for storage purposes.
Secretary of War Baker has ad-
wise me- said Senator Chamberlain
in his telegram to Mr. Spencer, that
there is no intention of abandoning
this plant and that he has been I'M
able to ascertain the source of this in
formation"
A letter to the same effect was re-
ceived today from Lee ]. Dougherty,
president of the Greater Davenport
committee, from Senator Kenyon of
Iowa. Senator Kenyon says in his let
ter that the war department has in
formed him that the field artillery am
munition assembling plant will not be
abandoned but will be used as orig
inally intended.