Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-12-29

~ I
forge, where ,he"native quality is goo I, !
no; more than two or three 10 hundre
would burst: But sanuld the same work
men draw the iron INFO bars aad III IS
bars should be drawn into scalps, impure
or uureHned PARTICLES being dispersed
through the bars, much greater qaan'isy
will be destroyed in the proDs and even
those that escap viii deserve less csai
dence, than Improperly prepared 1T IL
forge. This has BEEN fully Illustrated b.
Mr. John Strobe, and may bc demonstrated,
! by the destruction Of harreisi at the araao.
ny during the present year.
To give employ to the trip ham
mer, it is necessary Ia procure the iron in
bars, drawn to a pirticuir Si8 add form
! (gun-scaips could be IS easily drawn and
would cost m more). Tb bar iron is cut
into proper weights by tie aid OF mac ins !.
ry, then heated aad drawn az thc tip
h miner. The scal?s thas N ld' COS, muc
more and arc worih much less, when
mlde, than those made at II forge
| Such have been. aud viii d. the iniuri-
OILS consequences, oil giving emplOymen- To-
,he trip hammer, and no art, care OF | lbAt
can prevent il. ] make these assertions in
the fullest confidence that no man OF
candor and common sense will pretend u
contradict them. Ii is true that the barrel
welders, are now chargeable with the bar
rcls that burst bu suppose that twenty
"a = hundred burst, and the we.dcrs shoHl .
pay forty do lars for these buts.e l barrels
is It uot likely that thry wilt MAKE NY their
loss, by the prise in nose tn staod thc
proof. and Oi course, that IN ge,tug hun
dred good barrels, the ate wall pay or
! lose forty dollars more than would be
paid if gool WlrrAn cd gun-scaips were
procured in the hrst instance from Cac iron
masters
The situation between the present works
and the RIVER is welt adopted tor the cree.
ZION of forge, the water now wasting be-
ing sufficient for the plrpose bu. before
this pian IS adopted, It ought 10 be recol-
lected that the pig iron 10 supply the forge
must be obtained by contrast with inGIvt-
du4l owners that move but metal OF the
yurest and most malleanle quality will do ;
and tnat the owners OF such may either
exact very high prices or refuse TO SELL
their metal in that state that the coal
for the forge must be made OF wood, and,
THAT therefore the supply may be uncer-
tam, because the SupL rintendant must de-
pend upon purchasing aud it must bs bro't
from considerable distances.
But if such 4 forge was situated at a
place properly selected, the co4i would cost
but little more tnan tbs expense OF cu,uns,
burA'ng and hauling. a forge erected at
the armory, tho pgac,iclOlc, and greatly
10 he preferred to the present Rloda OF ge.-
ling scaips, falls far SNORT ot an est ,0.ish
N mt ia a proper situation, one conve.
Hient to fHel, iron, sc.
Objection he sicL!, relates 20 the eEheHse
o management.
In thIS case | do not mean 30 say that
the duties performed by the present oil.
GERS, considering their expenses for house
rent and other nec6ssaries % support their
families, are too nigh. From the extent and
unhtness OF thc buildings and rae manner
of dividing the work, The officers nave
much more Constant and co,npiiclted du.
! ties to perform, than would be necessary
in works conducted according 20 the mode.
already herein recommended. Let t3osc
changes be made, and then the receipt,
from one and the delivery to ano her. mipb,
be performed at fixed times, without inter
mediate risks and Wi5h case. Inc expen
SEES OF manage ment ln,ghttherefore be great
y diminished.
am told that the expense of conducting
the works at Harper's Ferry, where
greater quantity OF arms are nannlactur.
ed, do not exceed 3 1900, We II, while il
the public arIrory o! Virginia, the manage
ment alone, costs about 8 600 a wear
TINS is VIDE difference ana deserves :
remedy !! 1 CanDOt skate the expenses o
conducvog the puDlc works al Fredericks
burg du ing the war, but know well thai
tbs management OF Hunters works did MOI
exceed S 1000 year, dlths' there were
employed, ten Wagons and teams, TIVE
mills, forge, furnace, a sitting mill, an
armory and many other branches OF busi.
ness allrequiriug about five hundred hands
These were superJntended by manager.
two clerks, and some Ov3rseers.
| admit that forge may be erected for
about 5 1000, that the wafer is now vast
ed, aGd that il is more prudent to adop,
thIs mode Of making scalps than TO make
them under the tnt hammer from Common
bar iron. Bu, before Jr,s mode is adopted
hops what has been said, as well as what
1 am about 10 say, VIII be considered.
a complete SET OF works suitlble Tor ma
king arm IEAy be erected for less IA an
nai! as much money, as viii cieate ca.
pital to raise as much intGres, IS VIII nav
the James River company heir annual de-
maDd for water The two winss of TN.
armory with parts of the uniting Duidinr,.
are well calculated for manuf tc,ories of
! wheat spinning, weaving, &c. and persons
inclined 20 eng g. in these or such pursuits
would find great advantage M renting or