The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-06-18

quircd in Naval architecture, nnd Naval ser
vice, in every particular. Adjoining the foun.
dry are the ordnance and boiler making de-
partmcnts. In the ordnance department are
fabricated light brass cannon, IIowitzcrs for
land and boat service, also shot, Shells percus
sion caps, musket and pistol balls. and every
other missile used in modern warfare The
machinery is curiously ingenious and interest
ing. particularly TO one used to the quiet home
and peaceful vocation Of Carolina planter
Our mind. naturally turned upon, the. rs yet,
non-ratIonal condition of man; the proof of
which ~ before us i'll the vast expenditure of
industrial energy, and genius to fubricule
Wholesale means. to destroy his fellow man.
The same amount Of money. labor and skill,
employed for defensive and offensive works.
would educate every child and benutify every
homestead in these United States But this
may not hc mans destiny in this world even
the gospel has failed to establish peace. uul
good will among men, bm rc suppose it is all
right.
There Is also Il very extensive machine sbop
containing machinery and tools Of every kind
required in the manufa.c,ory of steam engines
bl"ckInuking. d., dc.
On the western side Of the Yard, is n pvro
tcchni"al lahratorv, III which, MS its name i'm
ports. are prepared all explosive missiles, such
as bombs. rockets, hand grrna,les. de-, ttc DC
Near this steam engine Of two hundred.
horse power, drives a rolling apparatus, which
works mp the bloom iron. made by Kinks fagot.
! ing hammer, into bolts, bars, and sheets
There rr n tir S,r,l w, l,r,,, "a; l,x,,.,
covered in, large enough TO build n large class
ship III aud make her ready for the water We
! understood TINT n marine railway was about
being constructed under one Of these hous.s
10y which large steamships could be baued up
out of the water for repairs. We did not learn
the number of hands now employed, but we
should think there were several hundred The
grounds are shaded by trees and all looks ncat
and tascfully laid ont. bringing the mini of
hard handed labor in relation, with the still
lifcl beauties in nature; we much admired this
i'll all the IuLlic establishments in and around
the metropolis.
We extcnlcd our ramble of ht.s.ciaq to
the extreme Southern point of the city, called
Green Leafs Point, on which is located the
Washington Arsenal; all the machinery of the
work shops are driven by steam, such as plain
ing and boring iron and wood for artillery,
here was mt work; Blanchnrds ingenious lathe
used III turning irregular forms in wood, smch
as spokrs for gun carriages, axe-handles .tc.
very ingenious machine for manufacturing
percussion caps invented by one Of the work
men, Mr. George Wright may be seen here at
work ns thing Of life: sheet Of copper is
inserted on one side and percussion powder put
in hopper on the other this is all that has tc
he done, the machine does all the rest, the en- ps
come out ready for use. Cannon Of all sizes
from the huge coiumhial to the monnta in
howitzer and little parlor window cannon. are
here piles Of boirhs and balls of heavy calbrc
are all around. There is here n collection nj
brass cannon. taken from the English Mt Sara.
toga, Yorktown. and Niagara, also, some of the
guns taken at Vera Cruz, and other parts OF
Mexico. Dmncan's Field Battery, which told
the sad tale o: death on almost every field o
battle in the war with Mexico, Is ST i'll mounted
| and is used rs n saluting battery. In the
model office, we saw many specimens Of ole
md new inventions Of repeating firearms, re
volvcrs, blunGcrbusses, rifles aud pistols, man,
Of them ingcniorsly contrived.