The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-05-04
The o. 8. Armory as Springfield. :

There are now $50 men employed in the ar
mory, and its production is about 1900 rifle mus
kets each month. With new machinery and
more mechanics, there is shop room enough to
extend this to $500 month"; and By working
day and night, employing double sets of work
men, the capacity of the establishment may
even be increased to 1000 or 5000 muskets a
month. The necessities Of the Government, in
this crisis, will doubtless produce Immediate
orders for working the armory up to the latter
production; and then it will give employment to
from 1000 to 1900 men. Besides this, private
armories in various parts Of the North will
doubtless receive orders from the Government
These establishments have been suddenly .'co-
creed" into a position of patriotism. Their
business Of supplying the rebel States with arms
having been stopped, they generally hasten to
place their shops and men at the disposal Of the
Government! These will be used because they
must be; but the Hessians who manage them,
and have sent cannon and guns to the South
since the war begun, must not think TO deceive
either the Government or the people, as to the
character of the service they profFer:s
There have been numerous small drafts on the
armory for arming the volunteers from Massa-
chusetts and these have exhausted all the rife
muskets, save 1900, altered from tire old smooth
bore muskets. On Sunday, some 81, 900 mus.
kets of the old model, but fine serviceable arms,
entirely new, and with percussion locks, were
despatched by special trains TO New York city
and Albany, for the arming Of the New York
troops now cqupping for service. Twenty thou.
sand went South and Ave thousand to Albany.
They were ordered by Gov. Morgan, and the au-
thorities Of the armory, anticipating such heavy
drafts, had 10000 muskets boxed and made
ready for immediate transportation. 30 that the
order was filed at once. There remain still in
the establishment ninety Mousand more ns,lskets
| Of the same character as those sent TO Now
York, and these will be made ready for trans.
portation at once, and will doubtless soon be
called for. So that the Government is not with
| out generous supply of arms to start its cam
paign for Acknowledgements; and with an imme-
diate enlargement of its powers Of production
| to the capacity OF the public and private armo-
res of the North, there need be no lack of
means anticipated in this regard The Massa.
chusetts volunteers, being 6rst in the field, arc
| all or nearly all armed with the new rifle mus
\ ket. OF this arm, some IS 900 in all have been
| manufactured since the work begun, and il is
believed that not more than hall at least of
these have fallen into the possession of the Sc.
cessionists OF the South. sJis 81 tpgtn.
| The Armory establishment--building and
grounds-is now under strong and strict guard,
dag and night, to prevent any mischief which
q. ason might attempt 20 execate. by incendia-
rism or other dabolis,n upon the great interests
now centered there. A force of 80 men Is on
constant duty. and all egress TO the grounds, ex-
4 cept by persons belonging TO the establishment,
/ or on known business, is forbsdden. At present
this duty is performed by men from the shops,
but they will be relieved by a body Of men or.
ganized and detailed tor this special service
| The armorers viii also probably be organized
Into companies. armed and drilled, for prompt
! local action in any emergency
.9as iSpTng6eld Republican.