Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1857-05-21
Special ceErespsadsnse.
HAETrosD, May 18th.


HAETFoRD, May l4th
A lonaswalk brough, Us this morning to the
Office Of Col. Colts wonderful esiablishrDpn for
.hr manufs c,urs II rrvsssins firearms. As many
% our readers are probAhly not acquainted with
The magnitude Of she embs nkmrnt< 81 dyke upon
whirh stands The machine shops. il may b. y ell
no state. Al the outset HAT j, nearly miles in
length. averaging over 100 feet wide at the base.
md over 40 feet in width at the top. and from 10
70 20 feet in height 1t is built in the most sub
stan.ial manner. the sides covered with ozrrs
which. while frey sffari protection. will greatly
ornament il during the summer season The
sn,n"ilness Of the road this enba"kment
m,akes Il a favoriie aud most fashionable ride;
and dashing along at $40 gait may De seen The
tr.n,s of The fas, MA abort Hartford, followed by
The prancing paifrirs Of children and ladies'. The
dyke has reclaimed $50 acres cf fine meadow
land, whrh heretofore has been swept by the
yearly firsi, IS Of the Connecticut. and from N.
entire security against the floods Of the spring and
tall season il offers most favorable and convrn-
lent situation for large manufactures Of all de-
criptions. Upon the east side of lhis rmbanknent,
fronting the river stands th., manufactory.
II was finished in the ycsr 1855. is built Of
brown sand stone e. Portland free stone, ~ in the
form of letter II. The from, parallel is sou feet
ing by 80 wide. At the centre there is q pro-
lection Of some 90 feet. which. gives ample space
for hall and stairways for the diseren, stories: :
on The top is a dome covered wiilJ4s blue canopy
on which stands horse, whose i46k and attitude
We presume represents Colt. The rear parallel
is also 500 feet long. hut narrower than the front
by SOME 90 feet. The centre part IS l6O feet long
by 60 in With. and three stories in height Al,
the ends Of the parallels are TWO small TWO story
dwellings. which are occupied by the wa,c',u.-n
Tie whole spare enclosed is 500 hy $50 fee,
square. The steam engine which carries the en-
tire machiney Of the bniIding is si,notrd in the
centre Of the establishment; the power is carried
to the attic by belt ! is feet long by % inches
wild and travels at the rate Of 500 feet per min
u,e. There are in the employ Of the company
500 men--,mariy all Of whom are American me-
chanics, Of the first order Of intellect the greater
portion RrpuhIicasns. lovers OF the Constitution
and State sovereignty. This force is engaged up
on 400 mrrhinss, which turn out 40 600 pistols
In manufacturing the same there are consumed 20
toms Of Steel. Is do. bar iron. and Is do brA>s.
There WAS IS tons OF casting for machinery pro-
dured iHthe building the last year 1000 tons If
hard and 10000 bushels Of charcoal burnetr
Every thing connected with the business is con.
du"ied upon the cash principle, the capital Of the
company hping $780, 600. the whole Of which is
invested in the buildings. machinery and raw ma
terial The entire labor Of the establishment, il
performed by contract. The contractors are furn-
ishrd with power tools. material. heat and light ;
they are themselves suhordinatee. h.wevrr. and
all subjected to the rules laid down by the com
pany. But few visitors are admitted To the pre-.
misses. The ten hour principle Is strictly exac,ed.
the men all locked In at certain hours, one en-
truce to the building alone being left unholted.
isnd this carefully guarded by watchmen. Al
though the patent originally taken out by Col
Colt has not heen renewed. he labors under no
disadvantage from competition. nearly all the ma
chimes In the establishment, being patented. which
Of course obviates all difficulty under this head
The immense capital at his command. az we'll az
the perfection Of his machinery in fact render him
beyond the reach Of competition; and should the
demand for firearms continue he must in a very
few wears become one of the richest men in the
world. .4.. .-.... ~. ...... t.
Although Of himself he has done little in pre-
pairing the wonderful machines which now BY the
application Of power stamps and turns the mos,
delicate portions Of the pistols, (,hese being al
most entirely the invention Of Mr.. Reed. the real
head of the manufacturing depar'fn~ns) he has
done more originating the idea Of the revolving
barrels. bringing into existence and perfecting the
mann tacture of the same, and ny the force Of a
strong and sagacious mind establishing one of the
most perfect manufactures in the world.
Ia passing "vcr this immense establishment
one scarcely knows whether to admire most the
accurate and powerful machinery which answer.
to the touch Of the spring az though within i, was
mind Of keenes, perception. or the man tina, con-
ceive.i the plan Of the whole. and by his energy
carried i, out sarmounting obstacles Of the mos,
| oppressive character. Although the old fogies
about Hartford turn up their noses. and pronounce
hard names, and endeavor to make sport Of - Sam
Col," as he is called, they cannot overthrow the
opinion ofthe Russian government regarding his
ability or affect the character of his orders frola
nearly all the governments in Earope. He has ia
fart done more for the success OF Hartford, circu-
lated more money. employed more men. than all
the sellers Of danestics that ever passrd through
1 =.
State street, We would advise every man that
goes 10 Hartford to endaavor 10 obtain admission
10 these mos, wonderful works. and il he does no,
succeed 10 take morning stroll along the EN-
bankmen,. the magnitude and beauty Of which