Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-05-17
WHAT THEY ARE DOING AT THE
WATERNLIT,r ARSENAL.

AAalrs at the Nateriiet Arsenal are ON a
war lootlaE. Intense activity prevails in ev-
cry department But its walls no longer
irs,ie with guns aud bay0nets for nearly
al th" stores OF small arms have been re-
moved on requIsIti0n, and some Of the build
'ogs have a decidedly bare appearance The
principal business at present occupying at
te1,3u is the preparation and supply Of am
muulton. Sixty thousand ball cartridges
are tlrael out daIly, and about fifty men and
boy are employed at this work 10 one who
has not witnessed the operation OF making a
cartridge the dexterity of the employees seems
really maTyelous-thc cartridge enclosing
the bali being made ready for filling in less
time than would be required for reading these
Zines The cartridges appear to be mainly
INTENDED for the minnie rifle, although some
ol the cd patterns are required. The pro
cess OF manufacture Is somewhat as follows
\ boy sits at the counter, provided with a
pile OF papers cut to the requisite Size, which
are placed before him. One Of these is quick
ly wrapped around a wooden cylinder-the
bail, previously creased, is slipped ina
string is dextcr9usly caught around the ball
end, "a twist and a thump on the counter
are given. and the cartridge is ready for fl
ling. It's then paced with a number of
others ul right IN a box, taken to another
room. and filled at the rate Of about 80 Der
minute by means Of 4 graduated charger,
which drops into each cartridge an equal
quantity ot powder. The ends are then
twisted up. and the cartridges are packed in
bundles OF doxcn each, boxed and made
ready for removal.
IN another department men are busily en-
gagged in making bags for cannon cartridges,
lrom the mighty cOlumbads 10 comparative
ly Insignificant SIX and four FOUNDERS The
material of these bags is a species OF wooden
t4hIia- somewhat resembling morccn, i'm
ported Tor the purpose.
ln another building wCrkmcn are prcpar-
ing bomb-shcll~, spherical case shot, grape
and cmlster, and the work seems to be ac-
lively going forward. Messrs. GuIlcy, of
Troy, have recently furnished and de-
liyorej upon one contract 1000 brass fuse
cases. costing go cents each, for the bomb
shells, which are now being fitted IN their
places.
The celebrated buliet-machine is also in
active operation, turning out " little iokcrs'
ut the rate of $4,000 per day-Minic and
round bullets being produced with equal ra-
pillty by change Of dies. This machine
was invented at the Arsenal, and only three
are at present IN existence, viz the one
working at lhe Arsenal, the one fOolishly
presented by the Government to the Japan
cse, % be used against us should occasion
offer, and that manufactured by T. w. Par
mouter Of tins city, and now owned by the
State. As an evidence Of the dcep-laid
schcmcs of the traitor Floyd and his cOnfed-
crates, ii may he stated that it was the in
tcutiun Of ths Ordnance Board to exclusive
ly withhold "a knowledge OF the construction
OF this machine but the patterns from
which Ur. Pirmcnter worked were furnished
by tie direct order Of Secretary John B.
tloyd-It probably being his intention that
the machine should 90 into the possession Of
the ConleIerat1 Government.
Inc harness shop. over one Of the carriage
houses. Is a.sp working It's full complement
Of men ou sadddi,s and artillery harnesses.
The stock 4 this material on hand is fair. In
the .up-clrriage department there does not
appear to be much doing, as the stock on
hand six weeks ago was immense. The
whole ground floor of the new iron building,
covering several acres, was then completely
occupied WITH these implements OF warfare
4 lar-e draft has, however, been made upon
tacm recently, vet tho stock on hand will,
undoubtedly. suffice for more thdn one cam
laign.
The Natcryliet Arsenal is the largest for
storage and fabrication in the country, iand
one visiting its workshops cannot taIl to be
impressed with the resources and advantages
that it is able to furnish the powers holding
IA possession. This impression, moreover,
is not likely to be weakened by the consider
alton taat no arsenals Of fabrication exist
south of Washington-so that when the
Confederate States have used up their stolen
munitions, they are likely to find themselves
lacking in many Of the essential elements of
warlIkc strength.