Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2016-01-27, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, January 27, 2016 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com Nuron Expositor PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 P.O. Box 69, 8 Main Street Seaforth Ontario NOK 1 WO phone: 519-527-0240 fax: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor POSTMEDIA NEIL CLIFFORD Advertising Director neil.clifford@sunmedia.ca SHAUN GREGORY Multimedia Journalist shaun.garrity@sunmedia.ca DIANNE MCGRATH Front Office seaforth.classifieds@sunmedia.ca NANCY DEGANS Advertising Rep. nancy.degans@sunmedia.ca MARIE DAVID Group Advertising Director Grey Bruce Huron Division 519 376-2250 ext. 514301 or 510 364-2001 ext. 531024 SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 2 YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) SENIORS 60WEEKS $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 120 WEEKS $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 69 Seaforth ON NOK 1 WO For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns: phone: 519-527-0240 Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. Seaforth Huron Expositor is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For more information or to file a complaint go to www. mediacouncil.ca or call toll free 1-844-877-1163. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. 14. Canada editorial The Bell Munitions Works, 1915-1918 The Robert Bell Engine and Thresher Com- pany was founded in 1903. According to Isabelle Campbell in 'The Story of Seaforth,' the Bell Engine Company occupied the foundry formerly known as the Coleman Foundry and Machine Shop located south of the railway tracks and east of Main Street. The Bell Engine Company was famous for its steam engines and threshers that serviced a rural market. The outbreak of the Great War in 1914 created a demand for mass produced armaments. In early 1915, the Imperial Munitions Board awarded the Bell Engine Co. a contract for 10,000 artillery shells. The foundrywas hast- ily re -tooled to begin the pro- duction of high explosive shells for the Vickers 18 pound quick firing gun. By early July 1915, the Bell Munitions Works produced its first 18 pound artillery shells. The process of manu- facturing shells was a labouri- ous and potentially danger- ous one. Sixty-five men working in two 11 eleven hour shifts were needed to fulfill the initial contract. The Bell Munitions Works was instructed by the Dominion Shell Committee 'not to allow visitors' into the production area now that the foundry was manufacturing weapons. The 'Huron Expositor' gave a brief description of how the lathes milled the 'high car- bon, solid steel blanks' into cylindrical shells and cut the shell's nose into precisely defined measurements. Each shell was inspected to ensure that no variance was greater than 4/1000th of an inch. The shells were then baked in an oven for eight hours at 800 degrees Fahrenheit Huron History David Yates before they were filled either with high explosives or shrapnel depending on their intended use. Another inspector inspected the shell a final time before fitting a copper ring around the base indicating it was ready for firing. The quality of shells pro- duced by the Bell Munition Works was deemed satisfac- tory because a second order was placed for 30,000 shells in November 1915. The Munition Works expanded its work force to meet the war's insatiable demand for shells but with a nationwide manpower shortage, the company had to advertise in the local papers by the sum- mer of 1916. Art Bolton recalled that his father, Rus- sell, a future Ontario Agricul- ture Hall of Famer, left school after Gr. 8, at about age 14, to work in the Bell Munition Works. Young Russell cycled 7.5 miles to work and back every day to work his 11 hour shift. Art Bolton still has his father's stamp with the letter 'P' that he punched on each shell to identify him as the shell's maker. One advertisement appealed to 'Young Men or others who are unable to join for overseas service can serve their King and Country by helping on Munition Work' to apply. The 'others' referred to in the advertise- ment were undoubtedly women who filled the ranks of industry to free up men for overseas service. Many women saw working in war industries as their patriotic duty to contribute to the war effort. Questions about the moral- ity of mass producing weap- ons of death would come nearly a century later by those who never lived through a national crisis. In hindsight, the Munition Works location near the heart of a populated area should have been of more concern. If anyone raised concerns about the wisdom of mass producing high explosives on the south edge of town, there is no record of it. The long term health effects of working with vola- tile and explosive substances were not known during the Great War. Yet, post-war studies showed that drowsi- ness, frequent headaches, eczema, jaundice and other liver diseases were common amongst munition workers who handled explosive substances. Nationally, there were rumours of war profiteering as the House of Commons Shell Committee investi- gated complaints about price gouging as munitions mak- ers inflated the costs of shell production. However, once again, if there were concerns locally, no one voiced them publicly because the Muni- tions Works, as the 'Exposi- tor' said, was 'a boon to the town.' On average, the Muni- tion works paid the consider- able sum of $24,000 in monthly wages. In 1918, at the height of production, $32,000 was paid out in wages in one month alone. Only the outbreak of the 'Spanish' Influenza inter- rupted shell production for a few days in late October 1918 when 25 workers were stricken with disease. At least two employees, William Oughten (43), a machinist and town councillor and John Hopper (30) died of the influenza. Hopper's death was all the more tragic because he was to be mar- ried within two weeks. When the end of the war was announced on Novem- ber 11, 1918, the Bell Muni- tion Workers downed tools and took to the streets to cel- ebrate with the rest of Sea - forth. Pulled by a steam engine, a train of wagons carrying cheering workers helped head the parade to Victoria Park to give thanks for the war's end. They must have known that they would no longer be needed as war workers. Within days of the war's end, the Imperial Munitions Board cancelled all con- tracts. The Bell Munitions Work was given until mid- night December 14 to fulfill existing orders. However, many of the workers had already been laid off. The 'Clinton New -Era' specu- lated that the 'firm expects to absorb a large proportion of them in the manufacture of farm machinery' and gas engines. Indeed, the Robert Bell Engine Company had already begun construction on a plant expansion for building steam and gas powered trac- tor engines. They continued to produce farm machinery until well after the Second World War. As the Book of Isaiah states they literally 'beat their swords into plowshares' and 'neither did they learn war any more' as they returned to manufactur- ing farm machinery until well after the Second World War. SEAFORTH HURON EXPOSITOR — HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY: 9:00 - 5:00 • TUESDAY: - CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • THURSDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • FRIDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • SATURDAY & SUNDAY: - CLOSED ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 2:00 • PHONE 519-527-0240 • FAX: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com