The Washington herald., 1919-05-11
Naval Gun Factory Puts Washington
On the Map as Manufacturing Center;
Local Yard Leads in Ordnance Making
Modern Machinery. Up-to-
Date Methods and Ex-
pert Workers Make Dis
trict Workshop Best in
The WorldAEGciency
Shown After We Entered
World War.

"sshinston 10 known throughout the
United States as q communicating
cry. and yet 1t can boast Of what II
believed to be the largest ordnance
manufacturing plant in the world
Thank Secretary Daniels. It was
mainly through his efforts that the
Warrington Navy Yard and Naval
Gun Factory. right arm OF the Aneri-
can navy, and unequalled by any plant
OF is type. was expanded to its pres
emf proportions. with the annulment
OF tne krupp works In Germany as an
ordnancs plant. the navy yard stands
unolsputed leader of the world In
mat branch of manufacturing.
Within its shops can be seen some of
tne most remarkable features Of steel
manufacturing known to science. visi-
tors Al the yard are awed by the mon
seer cranes used in the handling of
neavy pieces of metal. machines cap
aole OF lifting the combined weight of
tnree locomotives. and are wonder
sruck with the infinite degree of ac-
curacy. made possible by delicate in
sfuments. employed in the making of
huse guns The wonders of the yard
are numerous and varied.
Has 10000 Employees.
It's employees total nearly 10, 900.
Ihe moor area of its shops is more
tnan 1.s50.000 square feet.
The expansion in production, force.
area, buildings and class of manu-
iecture Of the yard began in Octo-
per OF 1918. when the land west of
the then unpretentious plant, includ.
ing the area between Second, Fourth
ana M streets. and the Anacostia
River. totaling about eighteen acres,
was bought.
An emergency appropriation of
se.OOO,O00 was made in 1917 for shop
extensions and additions. A further
appropriation was made for the ac-
QUESTION of the Eastern Exten-
sion, which included the area from
Ninth to Eleventh street and from
NJ street to the waterfront This
increased the total area from sixty
three to nearly 100 acres.
Extensive Program
The building program was an ex-
tensive one. including new shops
with extensions to existing shops,
as follows:
New buildings, machine shop. five
storieE pattern shop, four stories;
brass foundry, boiler makers shop,
transformer house and gun parking,
for the western acquisition. In the
yard proper. additions and extern
sions were made to the following
buildings: Forge. erecting tool.
general shop. cartridge case. draft
ing room. miscellaneous. sight and
breech mechanism shop.
The eastern extension was taken up
by the general vehicle storage, optical
shop. range finder tower, ordnance
laboratory and seaman gunners' quar-
tiers, with additional buildings pro-
jected as the area is cleared Of all
houses.
Only $500 In 1915
In 1919 the floor area OF the shops
was about 10000 square feet. About
$500 men were employed.
The gun shop has been planned for
some exceptional loadings. The three
main cranes are designed for 800 long
tons (672!Oo0 pounds on a span of
eighty-two feet. each crane alone
weighing more than 1000, 0CO pounds.
THESE are the largest cranes of their
type in the world. Each could pick
up three ordinary locomotives together
without effort. With the three cranes
working in unison to maximum capa-
city they could lift a weight equal to
. line OF freight cars nearly a mile
in length
The shrinkage pits are unique in
their design and method of construc-
ton. The pits were made OF rein
forced concrete and built by the open
type Of caissons, sunk to a depth of
10 feet below the gun shop floor level.
This is the largest thing of its kind in
tbs country. To give an idea of the
immensely of this feature. II the pits
were sunk, one below the other, they