Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-04-12
DAILY EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INFELLIGENCR. 7

tents The reason Of this is imperative. fer If
visitors were allowed indiscriminately to enter
therein, some little reconsideration ON their
part might be fraught with fatal conseo uences.
Where the manufacture of such explosive CON-
bus;ibles as percussion caps, fuseis for she
&c, IS carried on, too much caution cannot be
practiced, and, therefore the general exclusion
from this department, except by express per
mission, is quite justifable, and, indeed, to be
commended.
BY the permission of Mr.. Chaplain. the su-
penntendent OF this department. who is called
the Pyrotechnist, we were allowed to enter the
other day into his mandatory of combusti-
bles, and were much pleased with what we
saw As matter of course the work carried
on Is very simple and light, but the operations
even here are facilitated by machinery; for
example, the work of filling the percussion
cap with the Eliminating mercury is done IN
very neat manner, and without any danger
Of injury from explosion, if it should occur,
which sometimes take place, to the operator.
In like manner there Is a machine Tor filling
the fuses with their combustlbe contents,
and which latter are forced down by means of q
screw the pressure being estimated at two thou.
sand one hundred pounds. The composition
used is n secret, but is of such a nature that
the fuses made here are declared preferable
70 those made either in England or France.
Another ingenious apparatus Is machine for
vanishing the interior of the percussion CARS
after they have been filled with the fulmina-
ting mercury, by which five hundred caps are
done coDsecutivcly. being placed in rows, and
A few rows vanished ut each movement Of the
h.nd of the operator. The reason of yarnish-
Ing them is to exclude the damp, and this
method is adopted with the fuses, cartridge
packages, &c, so that they may not be spoiled
BY wet and is an efeetual preventive The
varnish used is shellae, and it has been found
that the quilts used, when filled with powder
and vanished, can remain for twelve hours
soaked in water, without the contents being
in any way deteriorated This long exclusion
Of the water is, perhaps, partly attributed to
the excellence of the quilts, which are all
sorted and examined before used, and tested
to q certain size, so that they may be all alike
Another thing in which this department is
very particular. is in the excellence Of their
scales, some of these are 50 delicately ar
ranged, that they will weigh the thousandth
part Of a grain. There is likewise another
scientific instrument used here; namely, the
Hydrometer, which is used for testing alchohol
so that its purity may be well ascertained
before use. Altogether this is a very interest
ing part Of the navy yard. Some time back
we gave desert ption of the navy yard, but
omitted this department, which we now give
and have thus rendered the description COM
,lete.
With regard to the Improvements going for
wards here, we notice that the bricklayers are
busy on new Ordnance foundry, for casting
guns; situated on one side of the new Ordnance
building 1t is seventy feet long by forty feet
wide, and will be finished possibly this sum-
mer. 1twas begun on the l4th of March. The
pile-driving for the other new buildings is like
wise being actively carried on, and the ground
made solid. Indeed, it is said that the Yard
will be altogether enlarged; such a step being
requisite to make room for the new buildings
required, and also that the enccinte of the
yard may be sufficiently capacious.
The principal work going on at present is
in the manufacturing Ct water and powder
tanks, and in the preparation of eight inch
shells, to be sent to the several other Nay
Yards for the armament Of our national YES
sells. One of the most original and curious
articles fabricated here are the anchors for the
buoys used in the revenue service, both the
buOys and the anchors being made in large
quantities These latter are round, and bear
not the slightest resemblance 70 the anchors
used for ships: indeed, as they lie about the
yard one would take them, were it not for
their large size, to be immense shells, which
they appear to resemble at the first glance
They are made upon hi ghly scientific principles
so that simple as they may appear, they are
the surest continuance that could be employed
u. III
addition to the improvements above men,
toned, the anchor shop is to be extended one
hundred feet in line with the present ord
nance shop. deal of heavy smith work being
carried on here. ....-r.-r.s- o. : I
SUBpRgs.-The environs of Washington are
fast being filled up with pretty suburban vii
lagos, delightful retreats during the warm
summer months, when Pennsylvania avenue
becomes too hot and dusty for an agreeable
prone nade. Thus, near to Bladensburg there
is springing up the village Of EllavilIe where
several handsome dwellings are being erected,
among which is new building for Mr.
Mcknew, of the House of Representatives
again, to the north of the city, we have the
village of kendalville, to which place il is in
tended 10 run line of omnibuses q con-
yenlence that Will DO more than anything else
to promote its future growth. 1t is, however,
even without these essential articles of modern
coRtrlvance fast progressing, and dwellings
are being erected about its precincts, extend
ing several miles in an easterly direction. But
Inc place in which improvements are most
perceptbie, Is at the manufacturing village of
LAUREL, in Prince Georges county, Nd, and.
It's surprising increase may be partly at
iributed to the impetus given to enterprise and
speculation, by the facilities Of the railroad
placing this improving village at a convenient
distance not only from Washington, but also
from Baltimore In our account of the i'm
prOyements going on in the environs of the
city, We ought not to omit mention of the
foundry and work shops erected by Mr.. Clarke
Mills, which are situated within a few miles of
Washington, and are striking proof of the
enterprise that our talented fellow townsman
and clever artist displays.
HE FRONT SIDE OF THE CAPITOL BY Moon
uGHT--We know Of no spot more inviting
Tor an evening promenade than the Capitol
Grounds, and large numbers Of our fuetuating
population seem impressed with the same idea,
Tor every pleasant evening plurality of both
sexes may be seen sauntering arm in arm
along the broad walks or sitting in quiet con-
versatiOn on the iron sofas scattered ILLEGALLY
throughout the grounds. We have often
thought it an unfortunate thing that the city
should have been built at the rear of the Cap
itoi, but last evening the fact was dOubly i'm
pressed upon our mind. The moon was throw
Ing shower Of "soft silver light" full upon
the s;atuary and pillars, forming scene
which contrasted poorly with the chaotic mass.
OF unfinished marble blocks, piles of brick,
heaps of sand, beds of mortar and the uncared-
Tor wilderness of a front yard which stretches
away to the east. Even the cold, inaminate
statute of Washington seemed to lock with grim
displeasure upon the scene.
YOUTHFUL PATRIorIsM.--We observed =
e)npany of boys EQUIPPED a la Dati,tatrs
parading the streets yesterday evening to the
shrill screaming of a fife AID the rattle OF a
kettle drum. The stripes and stars hoated
PROUDLY over their heads, and their young