New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-08-19
Things I'm Russia-The Great Imperial Kali
road Machinery Establishment.

road Machinery EstaDif-hmcnt.
Correspondence Of The Tribune
ST PETKnsBURG June l6, ISL
To day had been fixed by appointment to go to
Alexandroffsky with Major Whistler, and visit the
Locomotive Establishment OF Messrs. Harrison,
Winsns 4 Eastwick, Of whom | have before
spoken. At about one. we drove to the MAJORS
and transferring him to places in the carriage
with Mr. J.. young = and myself took the
Majors republican drosky, and followed on after
the coach toward Alezandroffsky. Oar route lay by
some Of the remarkable places Of the city. Leav-
ing the English Quay we struck across the lssac's
place. by the foot Of Peter the Greats Equestrian
Statue, perched upon its chiseled rock BY the
Isaac's Church. which, with its gilded dome, Is
conspicuous object from all quarters, and which the
Russians affirm will scarce be second TO 81 Peters
At Rome. when finished, then along the ADM
ralty SQUARE where for half a miles extent
stretches the Admiralty itself surmounted at the
center By its tapenlng neede-like splre gll,terng
with yellow gold and from which the CENTER d.
verge the three principal streets OF 81 Petersburg
The chief one OF these the famous Nevskoi pros.
pective we turned into, leaving on our LEFT that
roonolIth of all, the Alexander Column, reaching
with its winged angel to hight OF $50 feet and
standing in the center Of a piaoe-ironting on
one side Of which was the Winter Palace, and on
the other extending 10 a semcircle the noble pile
of buildings Of the Etat Major, and ending at the
foot of Admiralty square with its boulev ards eav-
ing these say. we dashed down the Nevskob
which extends for three versts from the Admiralty
square and were glad 20 exchange the Joiting ano
rafting over the execrabc stone pavement for tne
smooth rolling along the wooden pare OF the
Nevskoi.
The usual number of gay equipages, one, two
and four-horse were out, bearing many fair occu-
pant dare say, on some euand OF extravaganza
the streets. too had plentiful sprinkling of sol
diers in all sorts Of costumes Cossacks win thelr
long lances Circassans with their yataghans, and
ofthose in long blue coaks Roman helmets and
horse hair "fxinsr upon top, not few, TO say
nothing OF the lower soldiery or their gray cioaks
and Fat caps which they were continually donng
TO every officer. We dashed along this avenue OF
fine buildings and gay shops passed the bazaar 'ne
Kasan Church a model OF 81 refer > WIN US
senicircle portico and which two years labor com
pfeted-the fire tower with its apparatus Tor sig
nalizing fires and on which the watchmen are
always treading with ceeseess step their narrow
round,- were finally glad to get out oil town
upon Macadamized road, over which we drove
for three or four versts more, the ROAD mostly
skirted by one of the branches Of the Neya, where
were countless numbers of those rude craft that
bring down the rivers and lakes the great staples
of Russia TO this place for market and foreign ex
port Grain Tallow, Hemp, Fleetwood, and many
were loaded with Hay. Some, indeed, OF these IN
calmly arks come from the Caspian, with which,
by means of short canals connecting some OF their
rivers there is water communication. Few Oh
these boats find their way back, being often broken
M for timber The Iron from Siberia, the second
wear after it is ordered, finds its way here 10 this
manner, one season being too short for the trans
port and so, by the way of Grain OF the 1000 oOO
bushels now stored here, mostly the whole Is oil
the crop of the third year back.
And now the crop of year ago last season, or the
second wear back, is coming In therefore notice.
partial failure of the crop in Russia can never have
a very Immediate effect on the markets as is tue
case nj home or in England The coming crop, l
am told. ia not very encouraging TO the proprietors
of the South of Russia; long drouths have injured
the shoots and swarms of locusts which caused
much damage last year, and OF which oeIieVe
told you the Emperor made mention at our present
alton, are doing the rest
And now after all this diverging TO look at OBJ
;ects by the roadside, behold rs at Alexandrofsky
which as seven versts distance from the Admiralty,
ia A manufacturing village where, apart from the
Locomotive wofks are several other nanuiactories,
as Of cotton, glass. porcelain and such IKE. Inc
glass mandatory u royal establishment ana
turns out excellent work not quite equal to Bone
mia perhaps bat nevertheless some that would do
credit 10 any establishment But particular ac-
count of this at another time
We found Mr. Harrison waiting at his house 10
receive u.s. and were presently joined by the other
n.
They cover a space OF ground OF about 100 acres,
and are the most extensive OF the kind IN the world
We commenced with the boiler-works, saw hrst
the process of punching the boieriron tor rveting
which is done with exactness and In any iorm'
whether circle in right lines, by machinery
the plates being. placed on carriage, "nicn car
ried them directly under the punching apparatus,
and that being finished, took them through set OF
shears for trimmng-the whole being set 70 cut
and punch in any form, and requiring but compare
lively little care from the workmen, VINO denver
the plates ready to be shaped and put together:-
From this we went through the part where WIN
endless clanking, the pieces were being rveteu
together 10 make boilers, tenders and such Ike
Here were several unfinished Locomotives upon
wheels gaunt spectral things they were, upon
which many vorkmen were busy fitting them Tor
future being when, shrieking with tneir copper
lungs, they should rush whizzing, coughing rafting
across the plains Of Russia, frightening the wolves
and bears in their swamps, and bearing witness 70
the march of improvement in Russia After this
came the moding and casting works, end we wit
messed the process Of casting heavy stand ior
steam engine. The long bearded nyicks with
their black caps and katans engaged over the WORK
the lurid light Of the melted metal resting strongly
upon them gave an almost diabolical effect TO the
scene After this came the preparation OF the
heavier castings, by trimming, turning planning
gouging mortising and what not Every operation
to be performed had its appropriate machine, and
I heavy masses oil rough llOu NcIo s0ch tu'"eu W.
in every shape and form requisite, and ready to
be put into the machine they were TO form part Of
and all by steam power, directed by men. Iron was
being bored, chseled and planed like 80 much
wood. There were here some very heavy apparatus
for their work. inquired the weight OF one lathe
which noticed from its sze-the castings for H. it
was not upon stand weighed 10 tons, they told me
From this we went through long range where
hundreds of workmen were employed In working
at the smaller portions OF the work. This was
over the one last visited, the ceiling OF which, as
were all the groundter Of shops, was OF arched
stone. ., =,
There was more than ever struck with the
number of labor saving machines, many OF them
the invention OF the enterprising proPrletors and
which are as yet in use In no other establishment
There did not seem TO be part OF locomotive,
no matter how small or trivial, that had not IT'S Pc
culiar apparatus for shaping and forming IT, Take
for example, the making OF the brass balls used Tor
weights 10 ssfety-valves and such like: these are
generally turned by hand. requiring much care and
Continual measuring during the process OF turning IN
order TO have them Of an equal FORM Here was
machine for proving them that anybody could tend
without other care than to regulate screw coca
sionaly. the chsel revolving on an axis completely
- ~ hill IN he furned and thus turning out q