Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-08-08

street and the city canal Previous to its purchase
by Mr.. McClelland 1t had been at one time a gas
mandatory. then livery stable; once or twice
carpenter shop; once depository for barrels of
lime; once a feed store and for long time il had
been nothing at all but rninOus pile of bricks
with disrupted doors and dismantled windows
its interior sacred to damp rottenness and prey
TO the wharf rats its exterior the victim Of general
decay. Less than one year ago this damp rotten
Tuinous pile was purchased by McClelland from
the gas company, and with the enterprise of an
eRterprising and industrious artizan, he at once
set himself to the task Of making something of H.
For considerable time after the purchase labor
ers were engaged in racing the old crumbling
walls, picking from among the rubbish that nor.
ton OF the materials which might be of use to the
new proprietor and aking care Of them, while all
tha' was unworthy Of economical regard re-
moved out of the way, and Of this latter there was
much, but finally the place cleared away
Then the ground was measured and found 10
contain some l0,6ls square feet Choosing an
area fronting Louisiana avenue and Tenth street
and embracing about 8, 600 feet OF the whole plat
Mr. McClelland laid il off into conveniently
arranged plan for an iron and brass foundery and
machine shop. The plat thus laid of is irregular
obiong, having depth of 81 feet at its eastern
line and Of thirty odd feet its western line and
Is about I20 feet long. Upon this site men set to
work 70 erect new thick strong walls Of brick and
mortar, some 2s feet high, with thick division
wall, thus dividing the whole into two compart-
ments
The eastern portion of the structure was then
converted into foundery irregular in shape but
containing as much superficial space as would be
OF the building is covered by truss suspension
root, which obvlstes the necessity for columns
and leaves the room entirely free from obstruc-
uen; and here In one corner the proprietor has
set up cuPola for melting iron ore which
melts az one heat four tons and is so constructed
with one of the celebrated patent Alden 36-inch
blowers, as to economic greatly the consumption
of fuel. This cupOla Mr.. McClelland thinks
quite large enough to supply his ordinary wants
In the way Of melted iron, as it is capable Of
being charged without losing Cheat Here
some Of Mr.. McClelland's sSbusy bees NAV be
seen at all working hours moulding and casting
water pipes, fOurway stOp-cocks, and all sorts Of
castings for our new Water works iron columns
machine gearing, beautiful smooth quoins for the
new front Of the f street Baptist Church; TASKS
for the Statue Of Freedom, or for Mr. Clark Mills
winch IS about the same thing, and every species
Of work required and expected of any iron foun-
der: Does your printing press, your planning
mill, your steam engine, your shafting or anY
Other piece OF machinery about your printing
c1ice, carpenter shop, steamboat, or mill get out
81 repair, break wear out, otherwise reunire
the attendance Of the machinist you go to McClel-
land, and he takes the broken, Injured or worn
out article to his Bee Hive and makes a model
like 1t, which is placed in mould into which
his assistants pour the melted iron and presently
he returns you new and complete affair in its
place
Just outside OF the foundery to the rear OF the
main building you may see McClelland's forging
snoP, large, convenient room filed with FORCES,
where stalwart men are beating the red iron into
shape; where continual spray of melted drnss Ia
falling like shower of molten fire all around
them, and the perpetual din of the sledges upon
the merry-sOundlng anvils. warns the visiter that
no drOnes are there. At the side of the forging
room there Is . water-tank which holds 6UO hogs
heads Of water, and is a dsSiderairm indispensa-
BILE to an iron foundery.
Entering the main building again by differ
ent door, the other side Of the division wall
the whirl of shafting over head, and the FIXING
Ecraping, grinding, grating all about, reminds Us
thatwe are in the finishing room or machine shop
Here We ind room 60 feet long and averaging
40 feet wide, where we discover hne tur5ing
l7fbPa drill ne nj
and one bolt cutter, and more busy bees'' pre-
siding over them, like many gods Of Industry
can be fashioned is here spread out upon the ma
chimes, undergoing the finishing process and
handsomely indeed is the finishing done to the
credit and honor OF the master mechanics and
journeymen mechanics Of the city of WASHINGTON
be IL spoken. Mr.. MeClelland Is here prepared
TO turn an iron column no less than 20 feet lone
and to turn II In workmanlike manner. too.
Slowed away In one corner Of this room we dis
cover the prettiest little specimen of mechanism
we have ever seen, in shape Of a I2-horse power
engine, which drives the machinery Of the whole
establishment. This engine occupies very little
space, Is kept rubbed up to almost painfuIly-
shining polish by Its engineer, who evidently re-
CARDS IL In the light OF mechanical pet and there
Sits, working away so noiSelessly, that but for
the motion OF the balance-wheeI and eccentric
crank one would be likely to pass II without dis
coVery. Mr.. McClelland asks US to place onr
hand on the bed plate of this wonderful little
machine - Do you feel the slightest iar?' saws
he. " No" we reply. mot the slightest; one
might write like copper plate with his hand rest
ing on It," That is so, - saws he with = t,i
umphant smile; ''that engine was made In PLfIa
delPhia, and runs in this way the year round so
PERFECTLY Is every part Of il constructed; and IL
absolutely makes less noise and jar when In mo-
ton than the engine in the Mint there which Ia
considered the most perfect piece Of machinery Of
the engine species In the countryn We eniov
with McCleiland his feeling Of pride in conten-
plating this busiest OF all the busy bees,' in his
establishment Close to the division wall a stair
way leads TO another room overhead, just the size
Of the finishing room, which is the pattern room
Here we md lathes for turning wood circular
saws, moulding saws, work benches, tools and
another collection Of ssbusy bees' engaged In
making models for the moulders
The same exeellentcare, the same nicety regard
ing the constr ucuon Of the models is executed by
Mr. MeClelland, as with every department on the
esaohsement His practical eyes scan each piece
OF wood or brass, each joint, each edge each mi
mute detail of the work, while his assistants con
selous In The excellence Of their work look ON
WIN an expression OF face which seems tell the
" Kos, :. YOU may look, and you NAV look spain
but you II md that piece of work done 10 vonr
king, else where's the Of making il at an -
The " Bos" takes another look and then mods his
head appfovinglY, while the - busy bee, resumes
bis work with an air Of triumph. Thus we have
completed the circuit Of the :. hive, y" and have
found In the heart Of Washington an establish
nected with the foundry business the result of the
private enterprise Of one Of our excellent mechan
les we think we know Of one or two more sim
liar estaonsnmenfs In this city, which we intend
TO lock up at convenience, With such adyant
ages-in our midst, why do our people 90 TO other
cities, as they sometimes do, when they desire
castings OF machinery2 w g have enterprsing me-
chshics at home. Let them then be encouraged
sTAnsTies OF MORTALITY IN AIkx.rns1.
CoUNTY.-fhe Gazette says sc The an nal state
ment Of the number and causes OF deaths in this
county during the year 1859 submitted 10 the last
term OF the county court, makes the following ex-
hloit- IL Is Interesting as showing the unhealthy
periods Of the year and prevailing diseases Of the
county, The whole number Of deaths reported
to have occurred during the year IL $50. For .
OF these deaths no canse Is assigned One hum
dred and nine died from natural causes and thir
teen from violence or accident. The specific
causes Of death Were az follows:
Natural Causes-Consupptien 81; old aye
losseAsls. fever. teething, 81 bilious fever. s;
bowel compaaint, d whooplng cough, S; convul-
terry 81 child birth, B mania potu .; Group, ?;
cholera nfantum p paralysis 2; dtopsy 2; worms
1; tnmor, 1; appoplexy, !; heart disease /; burst
Ing OF blood vessel, Total, 100.
" Accidental Causes-Drowned, S; burned, 3;
murdered. ?; poisoned, I; killed on railroad, 1;
oyerlaid, total, 10. -+st i'----s- :