Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1842-08-04


|. VIZ naluraIIy rscur % u.1I n considtri6- -
a. he re.cmmen61lI11I Ct 1'I report. -
i ssTlefe rs stiIl sncihcI Get lhsi rendered n
esntlrm,n's sppoi1tneaI '1.f particular lnIr 8;
hsorubls % N lnpart'.l I|nrnt q tks dfliss
sash so@ni..'oa. "a ..sn ns'hsd y 4
deni, 10 The eVsnt he tsfint.adsnsy sherl
u resumed.-
s'JehR Chase. anpthsr 1lnt.r cf he bard
II proprietor o. stoekholdsr|na large mnnuis.l6r
q articles Of iron, slso n Ne nsiEhborho6d a
.sesrhy si,u..ed aDf .1ki14 Eo1ira<t, 10 fsbfisii
legmnsnds the dspermenl'to farm on. since ~
3atopion Of the rerork By de 1e1nrtment hi n ,
Chess has visited hlt orn7nca ulf;ee al WSri,;-~
loe, n comp,ny yih The us.I<r armorer az Sofa,
nsid srnoty Tho Z sompliuelied ii the rrptrs.
"Charies Devices The Other member az n, hr,-S
soon sfter The SERIES Be rendered a ssr;n-s.,5
sss appointed pay MASTER , The militar2 ssr,i,e.
Asi,her Of these men - - urmorsr. mi N
y oue Of them 1neehnr y. itV 1fnie Tks .si.,
Won 80 noninsiion q e Es.iE 10 Of Wnf q psf
80 ~ s.rcu!HlAnesd sst obviously not The mos
sor.bie % an impartial and useful exarainatioi 3
that establishment
The examinations Of the rorkshous made n,
'se board were esrsoty and hasty, and could haytt
saorded even experienced practical armorer, bul
sery in.dequste means Of forming any tolerabTy
Judgment conserving the various details Of
any considerable number Of Ihe nurnerou. br,nehs,
mo which the mannfacture or the muxket 4, d;,;-
oed, he board likewise profess 10 have formed
some 81 their opinions rs 10 prces from e.refnl
comparison of3eaeb part Of the Oh and new model
maskess Az oesulAr comparison Of The two model,
ae once, each having about fly parts, and re-
curing some three hundred and fiits branches ~
various labor without considerable practical =
renee 10 the fabrication. would have given an IN
ieisent operator but little help towards forrnine
correct opinion Of the differences in amount Of IaSor
required on the two gdns III
-. 1 la 4
NJ CLERK, and i've OF the asixteen', insDeetora ami
~. % them certain kradiRg gitssfions with which
.ney mai been lnrpisher BY the qficers These viii.
nssses were not sworn--Were not eross-examined-
ensir testimony WIS given ID privsie--impor,aut
ppruons o. are suppressed and material parts Of
y o.nervlse garbled Material portions Of The tes-
umony attributed 70 the matter armorer can 81
proven by many sworn witnesses to be the reverse
o. tru'h. Other parts can 10 like manner be proven
70 ne az variance with bis oft-expfessed opinions.
pom The testimony Of some Of these witnesses
.ne eosrd seem 70 have placed great reliance while
tnat OF others was deemed Of ttle value Al ii did
NOT cencide with certain note, Or time n
o. the board see on mage IS u and three Of them.
va smith, Lumbard, add Sexton were removed
from office, andtwo ofthem DISCHARGED from the muir
i.s employment altogether. The notes Of time n
ianea 2, = = kno~n, were not kept BY officers The
board 90 not state by whom they we're kepe but
mere q 20 doubt " Springfield asto their author
snip From the nature Of tho case, they must have
oeenin great measure fictitious aAd proof Of their
gross neorree,ness Is 10 The hands Of the Repre-
tstve from that district Suah we've the examine
ions and such the evidence on which many Of the
ressonings and conclusions we're bsaed How thew
eoqid De otherwise than fallacous il may be Difficult!
10 perceive.
"A few items in The report may be examined
10 detail 10 illustrate the errors into which The
board were led. The board complain Or The
heavy loss on barrels as evidence Of bad con-
tracts oJ the civil superintendent When The
ale superintendent weat into Office, ia l633, The
men' was receiving iron from eight d anus
ie gan barrels. He asderlained as soon as prac-
icabie, by course Of experiments, whose iron
nade The best barrels. and contracted with the
wo companies whose iron proved to be the best,
~iih The understanding that the orders would be
discontinued if the quality of The iron should
TALL OF. This soon after happened in the case
Of one. and the orders were given TO another
By this means the loss on barrels was
reduced 10 less than Is per cent. Three years
afterwards, new master armorer was appoint
ed, who had the barrels condemned for blemish-
6 merely, and The loss Of course was greatly in
creased, The highest loss in any year was 29
per cent. On page 81, We have the statement o.
Lieut.. Colonel Talcott respecting the qualify OF
these condemned barrels. He says: "a large
portion OF the loss is on barrels nearly finished
great number Of the rejected barrels, especially
those nearly finished, present emily slight blsmiskss
which relate TO their beauty alone. and do not.
In anu degree, dsrogase from their qualities for
service. So that the fault was not 50 much in
tie iron and workmanship as in the master ar
morer's notions Of beauty.
"When the present superintendent took com
mand. there was very little barrel iron on hand.
By The most recent quarterly inspection, reports
Of barrels and other limbs, now on file 10 the
ordnance Office, il will be seen.that since the pur
chsses O: iron have been made by the ordnance
officer the loss on barrels have gone up 10 the un-
preeedenied extent Of Ihiriy-6ys per cent This
extraordinary state Of things, however. the board
seem 10 have anticipated; for in their recon-
mendations 10 the department, on page It'll, they
say: This Government is CRY likely TO sustain
= heavy loss on The manufacture Of the gnn-bar-
rel. owing 10 The defective iron,' SC. The board
represent thatthe late superintendent made .
tariff for the nes-model muzket 10 violation Of
orders, at tho suggestion Of the workmen, ID The
absence Of the master armoTer and without his
knowledge and that the workmen exercised an
undue conlrolin the establishment Of the prices.
The superin;endeni's aulhoriy for regulating tbs
prices will be seen 10 The ordnance regulations,
Par 80, 81, and 40. Moreover, at The lime d
the transition from the old 10 The eew model
muskels, Lieut. Col Tacotl. then in charge Of
the ordnance office, directed the superintendent
10 make lafif for the work on new gun the
eesonel himself fxed the per diem allowances fol
he ave principal classes Of work, and directed
he superintendent 10 tx the prices Of Ihepiecs-
work as soon IS practicable This tariff was ia
progress Of adjustment during four or fvs
nonihs, in which iine Lieut.. Col. TaIcoil va.
Il The armoTy,, examined il, and expressed hi
satisfaction At the PROSPER d is early compile
liion. 10 The performances Of this daiy the super
| tniendent was. assisted BY The master armore
and The inspectors. The lalier were required 4
ipise their opinions on the work in their respec
i've shops. These opinions were submitted 4
The master arnnreT, v hose opinion vas likewis
required on each estimate of The Inspectors :
fkey were often together superintendent
oafce, exchanging opinio Mld correcting ihei
/ estimates, and in 10 instance was 4 price de
llegnined and hxed without he concurrence o
III master armorer. A while Afterwards, upel
4 application Of The woFkmen on some Of n
ibflnches, the superintendent directed The ihspec
Tors 10 review those prices. The Fesuli was
Recommendation Of soma alterations, which wsl
cnncurred ia b. ih< master arnoreI, and adoPte
4 b the superintendent. This iauf vas scaFcel
c9npleied when the laie supsfiniendent vas =
Il moved. This tariff made The cost Of labor
lie usr gun ~ u more han % the Old
I, iaIi may not Be improper. IN this place. y q
v$ri 10 statement % page ssh, for ne ps
n pose Of preventing misapprehensicn As y Y !.
! Ialerferenee Of uorkmen u the business 2,
: superintendent Lieut. Colonel laleou me
says: "A snail steam engine o. he hil vou
: ave much transportation Of work: tne mon
Z Tor one eas granted hY Congress some yeas "a
,llis33 ! hut he superntsnde1, did no. 1ss y a
M, reverted 10 he surplusfun1. has been 81