Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-10-16

whole length Of the iron, and Is presseu against
i, by a streng spring; ibis wheel, II VIII oe re-
men,beret, is connected Invariably with that
which is furnished with cutVrs; II then the lat.
ter be brought in contact with the wooded
stock al The moment when tte hrst wheei COM
M noes its motion along the pattern, u VIII per-
form similar journey along Inc wooded stoek'
and only requires that II shsnid oe kep' IN
rapid ro,a,ory motion, in srder that IL may
shape, by its cutter, this sock 10 the FORM OF
the iron pattern against which the gu'ding
wheel is pressed. Some con'r'Ssnce IL rqui.
size 10 provide the ro,alory motion, spoken oil,
in the second wheel; as this wheel moves ION
gitudinally, The strap by which il turns must
have a like motion; 10 effect This it is passed
below, round a large cylinder, in lieu oil an or :
binary drum wheel, and being conhned ABOVE
by The side. of the drum over which |, passes,
shif,sit itself without fficu'y along the cylinder
aid remains always vertical. This machine
will shape musket stock in about eight Sc
cnnds.
The limits of paper will not permit US to
describe the oDera,ions by which The minute
parts OF the mu,kris are completed The
whole gives employment, when in full wo'k, 20
abou, TWO hundred and fly men, aud al such
times fourteen hundred muskels have been
nished in a mouth. The average cost is ahou,
eley ven dollars for each muske,, and good
workman will earn Two dollars day. About a
dozen of The workm,n are from England, chief
" from the Armnry Mills, which we're worked
during the war near Deb ford in Kent. The
muskets are ligh err, and in his respec; prefer.
able 10 the English; Ibr workmcn did not hold
the iron, which is chiefly from Massachusetts,
in the SAME esteem. The establishment Is
governed BY superintendent, who receives
fourteen hundred dollars year, and conducted
by a master armorer al 60 dollars per mon'f,
and four assistants al 40 dollars
mast no, quit this pat Of the subject with
gu, mentioning Halls rife, which is loaded at
| the 5reech, and of which there is separate
manui cory here. The barrel is formed ct
| Two portions, by being CUT asunder few INCH
| es from he Lreech. And, on touching :rig-
ger, placed before he ordinary one, the lower
portion is aised GU. OF the stock BY spring.
| ma may be losded as pistol. When pressed
down again the parts perfectly coincide, and
,he mn,eabl- part Of The barrel is retsined in
It's place ny each.
Much lime is undoubtedly saved in loading
a rife by this conlriyance, and ii may obviously
ne done with less chance ofexposing The rifle
| oen To hostile aim. But no Inventions are
more uncertain as to ultimate fleet Than those
in ,he art of war. The confusion and violence
Of warfare forbid The employment 1t any hui
the simplest weapons: and it may be doubted
whrher these divided portions subject 10 vio-
lcnce, % rust. 10 the intrusion OF foreign SUBJ
stan, es between the stock and the lower p"r-
,ion-whrn elevated, will, af'er much use, CO.
incide with suffiIi lent accuracy o allow the pas
sage Of the bali, even though no great accuracy
is required for hat purpose. An incon'enir nee
does, however, attend ,he loading OF ribs, a
weapon Of great importance in American war
fare, and the expedient we have Described s ems
the mos, simple, and therefore, the best which
could be devised 10 remove il. II.