Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-31
OREsAHcs DsPAKTIEET,
RieuXoaD, June IL %, 1861,


Sir:-in reply to the resolution CT the State
Convention Of this date, requesting Information
with reference to the progress "Aate in Con.
s,ructing the armory at Richmond" and re.
terred to ne by yos,. With Instructions 1o make
q report thereon, beg to submit sue foiio"ir2
statement:
With refereace to the progress that has been
made il he alteration ana adaptation Of th.
old buildings OF the simorE, may ssJ, that
they are three. to2Ft5s completed, and provided
that such shops as are still used IN tits prepa
ration of gun carriages, &c, are vacated mt
once, the entire alteration Of the Did buildings
can b. accomplished in about ona month t:pu
this time.
With reference tc tbe erection Of new bGild-
ings, the ool5 building of iUportan0s coltsiu
plated in the original srmorg scheue, vas one
for the reception Of the necessary tilt ham.
mers, forges and barrel rolling machinery.
This building is we'll advanced, The walls will
be complete 10 few days time, and iae whole
is expected to pe urder roof in from three to
four weeks from this date.
With reference to the r1achner; idr the
Armory, MessTs Jos. R Anderson & Co,
who we're the contractors :er Tho @ho:e T:1k
ing, pla1 cf machinery, &C, had made good
progress up {: tie time of Tho secassioa ol
tbs S:siz Of Virginia, and they had ell their
arrangements complete for fully complying
with the terms Of their contract; aDc Gsve
reason to believe that they wou!i hive .nct aii
their obligations &c the State, had IL not reeI
for ice change Of circumstances Incidental 20
the political action Of the State. The MACH
ne.y, which was sub contracted for out Of The
Ssate By authority, of couise cauac; oe t''-
liYe:ea uatar existing circumstances. a"a
hencs tlie aeceSGry suSp>nS'Gh oi G2SSrS. dos
K. Anderson S Cas- contract, ~hicr occurred
some thrne Dr iuu1 weeks siio:, durpg Whloli
time nelh:ng furiher Las been dcnc by ihem
towards the supply 6 aGy portioG Of the ma
chiacry they contracted fc!; and | believe
that Ecgotia,nns are DOW pcndog with ref.T-
euce 10 tie obligation of tie contract The
main lines cf snaiting have btea completed
and erected in the west wing Of tae Ara.o.g
and have been in running ordaE for sotue time
These for the east wing we're in hand at the
time Of the suspension referred 70, but were
not very Gar advanced
The capture gad removal to r Richmond Of The
machinery, &c, at Hirpe:'s Ferry, with
view to its erection in the State Ara!ory, places
the whole affair in 4 Few ;ghti and II the
State desires to avail Itself u inc tult nanniac
turing powers Of the machinery thus rendered
available, soma important aGd esSe"tlal changes
will becolue necessary in the arrangement oi
build ngs, and i'll tue details Of manufacture
generally, inasrnuch as the original a'mor!
scheme contemplated the nsauiscturs o.
5000 arms per snnum, whilst tie u'scblner.
from Harper's Ferry is cspsbie cf producing
at least l6. 900 arms, if properly ana jGdicious
II erected and worked
I. is clearly the true Interest cs the State 10
manufacture arms 90 the largest scale possible
with the means at command, as they will, IL
this case, cost less than when manufactured
On a small scale, for obvious reasons. Iht
machinery being available for producing NJ
teen thousand arms per annun, 1t only remains
to make such additions to the existing bu Id
ings as will accommodate it, and which, !
think, can be erected at q cost not s4ceedlns
ths Sum that will be saved by the abIosatloi.
Of Messrs. Anderson & Cos. contract for ms