| Show Tooele Ordnance I Depot Also Storage Dept Depot Repair Activities at Plant E Even yen More Important Than Storage Phase Newspapermen ermen t Learn on Recent Tour of f War Ordnance Depot I y By O. O M. M Malmquist i The Tooele Ordnance Ordnance Depot a avast avast avast vast Installation on of the army ordnance ordnance ordnance ord ord- nance department spread over thousands of acres lands I south of Tooele is commonly common y thought of as just an immense storage facility for explosives explosive But representatives of the Utah press learned that it is much more that on a recent tour sponsored b by bythe bythe the Ninth Service Command The project Is a whale of a storage storage storage stor stor- age depot de ot but It is also aa apt important important important tant salvage center and wh a l the necessary necess necessary ry equipment is received and ln In Installed it will be one of or the West's major tank and artillery re repair repair repair re- re pair centers From the standpoint of personnel personnel personnel person person- nel in fact the salvage and repair activities are more important than the storage phase The d depot pot currently currently currently cur cur- employs about 1000 persons but when the tank and artillery re repair repair repair re- re pair section are fully activated employment em- em will be in the neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neighbor neighbor- hood of oC One single concrete building by feet has been erected at a cost of more than as asa asa asa a tank repair shop Tools and equipment will add hundreds o 0 or thousands of dollars to the investment investment investment invest invest- ment in that unit The salvage section offers an effective effective effective ef ef- ef- ef refutation of oC the popular notion that the Army just uses materials materials materials ma ma- but doesn't bother to r r r- claim them On the contrary the millions of oC rounds of ammunition fired in training camps and on en b battle battle bat bat- tle tIe fronts parts of oC smashed tanks and automotive equipment packing packing packing pack pack- ing cases and scores of other items are gathered up and shipped back to such places as the TO Toole ordnance ordnance ordnance ord ord- nance depot for use re-use or as scrap Carloads of fired shells ranging in size from 30 calibre to mm are arc rolling daily into the Tooele depot The small shells arc are run through h a popping furnace to explode explode explode ex ex- any live ones and then shipped to the nearest smelter In need of that type of oC scrap Larger shell cases are carefully inspected for live ones and then sorted The undamaged ed or slightly damaged damaged damaged dam dam- aged are reshipped directly to ar arsenals arsenals at ar- for reloading and the damaged damaged damaged dam dam- aged ones go to the smelters as scrap A large part of oC this work dirty dirty dirty dir dir- ty and disagreeable Is done by women In fact women are arc doing a big share of oC the work at virtually virtual virtual- ly all of the military installations in the area and the commanding officers have nothing but praise for their morale sense of oC duty and willingness to perform tasks which are normally regarded as a mans work To the average mind accustomed to thinking in terms of past experiences experiences experiences ex ex- the storage facilities at atthe atthe atthe the depot are on a scale difficult to comprehend There are approximately approximately approximately 1000 partly submerged magazines or igloos for the storage of high explosives and several large ground above-ground magazines for forthe forthe forthe the storage of small ammunition One foot SO-foot igloo they range in size fr from m 40 to 80 feet has a capacity of approximately 2500 worth of pound 1000 bombs If all the igloos were filled with this particular explosive the value billion dollars would exceed two than three times the assess assessed as ns- or more state sess valuation of oC the entire of Utah constructed In a The igloos are of nine Inch reinforced reinforced rein rein- b shape barrel with covered and forced concrete The two feet of dirt and gravel gravet intentionally made end Is front remainder of the then the weaker structure structure than so that 1 In n case of or an ex- ex explosion j r J the force would be expanded expand expand- the danger ed forward lessening of or nearby Igloos being exploded are stagger staggered d on the to end-to- They the distance distance dis- dis to increase end line so as tance between them on that Plane I 1 t A few years ago the acre I. I reservation occupied by the depot was one of the states state's states state s worst dust of or dust bowls There Is still plenty there when the wind blows and It does docs much of the time but real progress is being made In tying the soil solI down with plantings of resistant drouth-resistant grass rye and brought from the steppes of Russia Rus Rus- sia The igloos and spaces unoccupied unoccupied unoccupied by buildings are already covered by a sparse growth and the hope is that this will seed re-seed and thicken the covering This dust-control dust program Is being carried carried carried car car- ried out under the supervision of oC the Utah State Agricultural college college college col col- lege at Logan Housing for has been one of the major problems of the depot but a housing project to care for Cor 1000 families Is currently current current- ly underway Some of the units are already completed and the re remainder remainder remainder re- re will be ready for cy For single workers and troops stationed at the depot there are barracks arracks with a capacity of approximately ap ap- approximately proximately 1400 The future of the depot of course Is uncertain Whether it will operate operate operate oper oper- ate after the war Is dependent upon upon upon up up- on factors which no one can foresee foresee foresee fore fore- see with certainty But much of oC the construction Is of the permanent permanent permanent perma perma- nent and semi-permanent semi type and would be usable for an indefinite period with proper maintenance The igloos for all practical purposes purposes purposes pur pur- poses are permanent In the broadest broadest broad broad- est sense of that term Colonel Henry E. E Milton is the ding offic officer r of the depot and Major M. M R. R Gillette is the executive executive executive ex ex- officer |
