Remington's private security coupled with local Bridgeport police acted with lethal force to stop rioting and quell the discontented workers. In July 1914, in the midst of Remington's WWI expansion, at least 100 workmen went on strike. Many workers lost fingers in the presses or suffered injuries from accidents with chemicals and gunpowder. Lead dust from the bullets filled the factory and slowly poisoned those with prolonged contact. On April 4, 1905, 3 men were killed when an explosion blew 1 of the 38 buildings to pieces. In a factory that large and with an emphasis on output rather than safety, industrial accidents were commonplace and often fatal. Of course, this powerful and lethal production line had a dark side. The New York Times called the plant "the greatest small arms and ammunition plant in the world" employing well over 17,000 people. The factory continued to supply ammunitions throughout WWI and the Russian Civil War (1917-1923), churning out approximately 10,000 rifles per day. After $12 million in 12 months, Remington was now 1 of the largest ammunitions plants in the world. Remington also employed 300 former soldiers to patrol the buildings and the factory lines. Remington kicked up its production output by building a massive factory comprised of 38 buildings over 73 acres - all in less than a year.
In 1912, the European conflict that would eventually become World War I was escalating, and in an effort to increase their production of ammunition and rifles, Union Metallic merged with the Remington Arms Company to form Remington U.M.C.īy 1914, WWI had rocked Europe. In 1867 the Union Metallic Cartridge Company opened a factory in Bridgeport's East End. After the United States Civil War ended, many Americans owned guns and the global market to supply shotgun shells and bullets was expanding.
0 kommentar(er)
