Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-12-18
STAR.
eLoCAL INTELEIeENcF
a Eambls through the Washington NAVY
fard-No 8.

THE ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT,
under the direction of Lieut. John A. Dahl
gfen, MIR. John Holroyd, foreman) This Ia
large and very handsome brick structure.
seout two hundred feet in length, and sixty.
NE feet IN width. 1t is to the visitor ono of
ire most interesting departments in the yard.
hsre there is stsam-engine (Mr Matthew
Beard, enginesr,) of seventy five horse power,
built at this yard by Mr.. VIM. M Ellis. This
engine drives large rack machine for boring
AID turning brass howitzers, several planning
nachines, drill presses, and small lathes
heavy and lighttwelve and twenty four pound
boat or field brass howitzers. with their car
rages, are here manufactured. All the gun
rights, shot-guages, and other similar fixtures.
fre made in this establishment for the entire
favy. Here may be seen vast numbers of
y lot and she'll, varying from twelve FOUNDER,
eleven inch, the latter weighing one hun.
ed and thirty-one pounds; also fixed aumu
ton shell, shrapnel, and canister) for boat
Did field howitzers, neatly packed and secured
IN wooden boxes, ready for sea service. In
iis department, besides several beautiful
brass pieces designed by Lieut. Dahlgren
tIere are various small arms such as muskets,
,arolnes, pistols, eutiasses, boarding pixies,
lattle-axes, &c, &c. Here, ALSO Is enc Of
Eade's Testing Machines for testing the
length Of metals. Its capacity is LOCO
lands. A half pound OF the lever is equal
~ 100 pounds strain on the metal under test;
r! pounds ere equal to coo pounds; and %
J 1unds to 5000 pounds. Here, too, is a very
Ingenious machine for the manufacture of per.
custom caps, invented by New Epglander
famed Bouton. This invention has, however,
been elaborated and improved by Wright &
Fisher The process of manufacturing caps
Is very simple and beautiful, a cap being
tarovn out at every revolution of the wheel
y ae cap is complete, with the exception Of
the illuminate, which is afterwards pressed
;.to it by a machine in the Laboratory
lear this is bullet machine (also novel
snd Interestingly for making musket and pis-
fol balls by compression between two dies
There are also 10 this department several beau
iful and deeply cherished national trophies
Here is a brass field howitzer, cast at Douay,
rance, in ll77, and surrendered by the Eng
1i5h at the capitulation of Yorktown. This
trophy stands on carriage made of thirteen
different kinds Of American wood, commence
u tive Of the glorious - Old Thirteen An
cher venerable looking piece rivets the atten-
ton of the visiter. This is small brass four
FOUNDER, mounted on field carriage, which
was surrendered to Commodore Stockton at The
t.ty of Los Angeles, then the capital of Cali
;ornia,l on the 18th of January, lo47. This
gun was used by the Mexicans against the
americans at Domingo's Rancho, California.
in October, 1916, also at the Rio San Gabriel
"uu on luo pldlus VI the mesa. california, on
the Sth and 9th Of January. 1S47. After its
capture it was used by the Americans against
the Mexicans at the conquest of Mazatlan,
&iexico, Novenbsr II 1347, and at the village
Of UriOs where the whole guns crew were
either killed or wounded. 1t was also used at
2alo5 Pretcs and at San Jose This gun vet
bears the grim visage If War Here are also
1ao French twelve-pouLd siege guns, cast at
Douay, in Trance--one marked s L. Blu.
toll OF A IL. 81,
PigoreuT, which csms into our possession by
the purchase of Louisiana. These guns are
highly ornamented. They were cast a. the
same fouDdery, and in the same year Q74O
Probably separated by the bugle bias; which
called to arms, they have again come together
under our starry fag-one by the victory of
War, the other By that of Peace; for
"Peace hath her victories as well a. War;
Belonging to this department, there are also
two brass 36 Founders, captured by Commo
dore Decatur i. ne Tripelitan war These
trophies are placed on either side Of the flag
staff, near the main gateway The saIuting
battery, in the southern portion of the yard,
IS composed Of twenty two English guns C12-
poupders) captured during the war Of 1872 in
various naval engagements. I'll cir thunder
ing voices, now used in salutation, are we'll
calculated to silence the breggart boast that
" Britannia rules the wave" Near by is the
experimental battery, pierced for six guns,
and representing section Of ships broad
side. Here experiments are made with guns
of all classes, to ascertain their relative
ranges, accuracy, and penetration. There is
target, thirty inches in thickness. placed in
the river, at distance Of 800 yards from the
battery. Between the saluting and expert
mental batteries are tho ballistic penduiums
fol- testing powder. Connected with the Ord
nance Department there is foundery (Mr
James Davis. foreman) now in the course of
preparation, for casting the various ordnance
work for the six steam frigates now being
built, and also ordnance material for general
service. Lieut.. Dahlgren i, assisted in This
Department by Lieut.. c. A. p. Jones, Assist
ant Inspector of Ordnance. There are now
sixteen hands employed in the Ordnance
Shop, besides seventeen ia the GuHncrs gang
We will low visit
THE PYROTECHNIsT's DEPARTMENT,
under the direction of Mr.. John Chaplain,
(Nr. Jeremiah Cross foreman) Here are
manufactured blue lights false and port fires
primers for cannon; cartridges for muskets,
carbines, and pi3tOls fuzeS for shells of every
description, &c all of which are secured
from dampness, and neatly packed, ready for
service. Connected with this building are
four others-one for the manufacture of rock
cts another used as stOrehOuse for the vari-
Gus kinds of materials used a third contain
ing by draulic press for the manufacture of
war rockets of the largest size; and a fourth
for the storage Of acids used in preparing full
inmate. There are eleven hands employed in
the Pyrotechnist's Department
In the rear Of these buildings, on the mar
gin of the river, there is long row of beau
tiful willows, grown from a single branch Of
tree overhanging the tomb of Napoleon in the
Island of st. Helena, brought to this country
some fifteen years since by Commodore J. H.
Aulick, whilst in command of the ViDcennes
We will next look into
THE PAINT SHOP,
under the superintendence of Mr. John H.
Peake. This is q neat brick building, cup
Piled with fine tanks for oils and spirits of tur.
pentine, handm for grinding paints, and
all other fixtures necessary for such an estab-
lishment. There are fourteen hands en-
ployed in this department
Passing towards he main entrance to the
yard, We observe the handsome
QUARTERS FOR OFFICERS
Taking them In the order in which they
staud on our route, We pass on the western side
of the gaze, the quarters Of the Chaplain, Rev
Mason Noble; of the Surgeon, Dr. David s.