Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-01
The Mechanical and Industrial Resources
Is NJ I1goI,,,ov,

trial interests Of our city, as shall Ir1hrlAlra!r
at Ii glance the rapidly increasing Importance
of Richuloni Us Il manufacturing place, aud
tlie entire ability Of our mechanics, ah'' bust
ness mulI generally, 10 assert win else aIid
profit their entire independence "' Yankee
capital, and Of Yankee enterprise. As II mat
ter Of justice to long-established success We
devote this initial sketch to the Rlchmonu
'T'redesur Iron Works" Of Messrs. Joseph h.
Anderson 4 Co, situated at the James River
terminus Of ---- street. For n very inter
csting witt To- these extensive works, IN Wct.
neSday, and n detailed cSplana'!ou Of Us olc'
ra,inIs, We rest under ot.ligatinns To III: c1ul.
tosy Of Mr.. Edward r. Archer, It's Assistant
Superintendent.
TIE 7REDEHAR IRON WORKS.
THIS vast and magnificent establishment, The
resourc es and the important services OF winch
must Constitute Il prominent chapter in the
future history Of Southern independence, has
lorg crjpyed u very vide spread and honorable
celebrity, hot only as tho most extensl"c Of its
character in America, but on the scnic also OF
the superior and admirable quality u TIC work
which has issued from it. Established many
years ago, and alta period wiIcn the mcchari-
cal ari industrial inferiority al the business
men Of the South to those Of The North,
seems to have been generally conceded even
by Southern writer's, the Trcdegar works, nn-
der the well dir eclrd skill aud quiet enterprise
Of its proprictors, gradually extended its opera
tons, and developed lis resources IL 4 d"sree
which brought it into direct competition with
the best establishments Of u similar class in
the North, when its superior excellence in
many, if not all tho branches OF iron manufac-
ture, extorted an unequivocal recognition from
the Government Of the United States, which
awarded to MessrS. Anderson & Co. the con-
struc,iun Of the engines of the first class steam
~friyates Roanoke" and Colorado" and the
manufacture Of a very considerable quantity Of
cannon and ordnance, and proi.ctiles Of all
kinds.
Il was in this latter department--the fabli.
cation Of cannon that the ''rredegar Works.
achieved its first popular distinction. So dcci
dedly superior were the ordnance here manu-.
featured found to be, that the fame Of the
foundry in which they were cast soon became
firmly established, and the u. 5. government
lhcnceforward, and up to within 4 short tiaIc
of the election of Linculn, entrusted to McssrS.
Anderson j. Co. the manufacture OF the chief
portion Of the best ordnance required by the
war department. An officer Of distinction in
the old Federal navy, and who had been long
engaged in MISUNDERSTANDING the manufacture and
proof Of ordnance made for his government,
writes of the Trcdegar Foundry. that OF seine
l 200 guns made there, every One oil tue num-
Der successfully wittstood the tests to which
they were subjected. aud adds the safe asser.
ton that "thsy are July equal to any made in
this country or "a Europe" In proof Of this
opinion, the fact may be mentioned here that
several cf the Tredegar guns have endured,
without injury, Upwards .: 1000 rounds, and
in one memorable instance 1t least, the piece
safely withstood the Excessive test Of 1900
consecutive fifinss, 10 which it was subjected,
for the purpose Of asrcltainitig its actual pow
cr CT endurance. 4 chief causo Of this r..
markablc excellence of the ordnance msAc
here, is said to exist in the admitted fact that
the iron used in their manufacture, and which
is principally obtained from tho "CloperJalr
Mine" in Bntn.ourt connty, Eirginia, is tic
best in the world for that purpose. 1t is Ger
tain, however, that tho landlblc professional
pride and mechanical skill Of Messrs. Anderson
& Co., hare contributed no little to their fame
in this respect.
The experience and the facilities which the
"Tredegar Works" have thus bccn enabled
to acquire, would seem TO have hecu the IL.
suit of q special direction, Which the %cnth'i-
siastic patriot may well Dc excu:aI for IL.
galding as providcntial. Without the eSla.
blishpient CT Messrs. Anderson i Co., and the
opportune Possession Of the Gospnrt Navy
Yard, it is difficult to conceive how the
South, relying solely upon human agencies.
could have successfully resisted the assaults.
of q neighbnriug. powerful, and wcll-apraint
ed enemy. rhe importance of these works 10
the South does not APPEAR to have been IN
derrated by our enemies, since, avoTediy,
the chief Object Of the "0n 10 Richmond ="
march, was their Aes!rncticli and CONSEQUENT
crippling Of Southern RESOURCE; Of war.
The number Of ordnance, Of all calihra 3.
furnished to the South 10y llm IrcdcaaT
Works, we have it not in our power now 10
stale but, taking certain facts Hilhi7 our p?s-
session Is the data If the estimate. il mu:l
reach to hundreds. st present tho utmost a.,
tivity is being displayed in this department,
and lrom six t" eight snail, and about sin
large suna, are turned oul weekly. The floors Of
the machine shop are crowded with pr2iecl,!:$
Of all sizes md SHAPES, varying in weight
from the cue hundred pound percussion shell
Of the riled ColumbiadS. to tue six. pound
shclls Of the jaunty and svinetrical, but De.
structirc, little rifled "Tr,les;At gIin," ~ il. IL
termed.
The percussion shells, Of which a large INN
Der are nnw being used, are provided with
BorInaun's celebrated graduated fuse, with q
safety attacllneEt-the invention OF DR.. Robe.
s. Archer, a Installer Of tho frIn-to prevent
premature explosions by the careless dropping
Of the shell. Quite 4 number of these terrible
projectiles are ready packed for transhipment
TO Charleston, are abon! 200 shells. are each Dig
sent to the laboratory to be filled. The mn
cllinery for boring and riIins cannon are of
the most improved and powerful description,
and are kept constattlT employed. During
cur Visit on "Wednesday, L monster lO.inc
Columbiah weighing about II, 900 pounds ard
having 4 range 9; four miles, was being riiicd--
q process which would occupy ai'5ut days.
Three Of these enormous cannon are cast each
week lin the a~vcrage), and six Of them wvr,,
during our visit, undergoing the process Of
boring, preparatory to being rltled. The op.
Grafton of boring is by far the most tedious Of
all connected with the manufacture Of a gun,
occupying from five days to two weeks, accord
ing to the quality uI the iron or the excellence
Of the tools used. There are six boring beds,
OF mills, and u proportionate number Of planners,
or Alhes, for smoothing anu finishing The piece
after it has been bored. The light "TredegaT
Gun" and ri1cd field pieces Of ordinary cali
bre are turned off with great r~apidity, and
removed tn Siiitnhla fields of action AZ so.,n az
finished. Among the guns now being rited
for field service; are some fifty bronze ard iron
guns Of a small calibre, belonging 10 the. State
of Virginia. These had heretofore been ~.
garded as wholly useless, but will, in their
altered torus, become exceedingly effective.
The latter pieces will be contided, it is sup