Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-01-10

machinery I refer 10 has 5e=n secu'cI' .sao'
as the buildings in Hair:i j: fe7csinco nave
teca tu' nsA, ( h." rcrt? rscsOn 70 suppose
that i, has bo:. :ntnriy da7tfA?cn' these
MACHINES Conu eight or ten III nuAn:r) are
therefore wanting to complete tho SET OF mus,
Ike: machinery, and will have to oe suppteo
from sorne n'her source. Several tht-aam-
mers, iorgss, e., essential to the manufacture
of the ride, n.ra 81 20 not been removed from
the shops OF the rife works; but as l learn
that these shops were not destroyed, pre-
slime these niachines sill remain OF daFpers
FerrT. 1t is asutject Of much doubt however
whether or not they can no% Be TemoFeu 70
Richmond. There atiil remains O large nun
Der Of RIA stocks in the shops .! the rihe
factory, but tho remainder oil the musKet
stock. [somo Ks, 900 in number, huVe oeen
burnt About 40 900 Of the laltrr hso oeen
previously removed in safety 10 Hichmona.-
It will bs Seer, therefore, that certain ihachihes
essential TO the manufacture cl oolh lhe Fins
and tbs rife muskes have no: been removed,
and are still wanting - complete the l"o. scls
Of machinery.
TIE system OF manufacture pursued Ut
Harper's Ferry ~ the time OF .lts ldl!lhe into
the hands Of tho authorities CT Virginia Was
such as necassita.ed the employment Of " con.
siderable number OF machines IN tne pfoluc-
ton IF certain parts Of arins common 10 ooth
riio and riiia muHkct. Tns entire locas lor
bo,l classes of arus we're produced 1t the
muskct works, and Il portion OF the machine
stocking for the rifle was also performed on
machines at the muskat works. These ma.
chimes, together with other facilities essential
to the production OF the rho musket. nave
instructions % retain .or the Virgins State
.- - - a.. --,. a,a In q 49,. rfl ppo
with my Instructions in connection with the
t~ruusfrr Of tla riils machinery to Fayetteville
Arsenal.
In view, therefore, Of the facts herein refer
red to, the question naturally suggests itself
whether or not il. is e6pudicnt or proper to
make any division of tho machinery from
tlararr's Ferry, srcing that neither See can he
made quite complete, particularly that Tor The
rifle Elua4flcture, which would lack the entire
sct Of machinery necessary Tor the production
nflocks, and one or two very Important ma-
chimes IN connection with 'he stock, tGgeit'rr
win the ulzsn5 Of forging 5one parts Vi the
mounting. In addition to those machines
herein referred te, which it has becn found
impossible to remuvn from tie rifle works ct
Iarre''S Ferry, IL IS essential also that |
should mention the fact OF he machin:iy gen.
orally being much broken in its removal ard
transit To Richmnn1, ma3much as Il large pn:'
ton nf il ws3 forwarded without being boxed
ur picked. Some machines are so very much
broken as 10 ~reritier it exceeding doubtful
whether they are worth the expense Of repair.
!ns
These iuach;nes must be raulaced anil male
good from soue source; and, If all the ritl,
machinery is To be sent oat Of the State, or
separated from the whole, the State must in.
cur the expense Of constructing new p:aca:n=:,
which might, to n great cxtant, BE- avoided
if the SEPARATION did not occur, 20 say nc!niuS
If the de!ay that would necessarily result |
am, therefore, compelled 10 fovorabiy c1n-
slider the expediency Of the State OF Viz
GINA re~:ainirg all the machinery fcon Hsr>
per's Ferry for the Richmond ArmoTY, with 8
view u tile eariy co nple.!oa Of the sv. of na
chinery essential 70 the manufacture Of the
r,Jis-mnSkst, by drawing upon !ta r!ll, MA
cnincry Tor such machines, or parts VI una.
chimes, as inlY be necessary 10 replace those
missing or broken pertaining to the ride
musket, and which will have the effect If en-
selling this arm In BE- turned out Iuucn sooner
in Redmond than would otherwise he tie
c2ao. In the meantime steps can be taken, If
desirable. 10 replito tha machines thus Dor.
rGwed irtm the Iida, So thu: eventual the
;nlnGfactUrc .: botn classes Of arns ,nty be
carried or in thin A-n,ory 10 much b:t.cr al.
vantage than GIN possibly DO the case Il . =ep
a~rat;oa is made, particularly in v:eT; u tic
fac. OF So much of the machinery beins ua"d
il ccmmcn ior both. This lesds inI.vu!atciy
10 he consideration Of tie question IF room
in the Richmond A7mory for the acconmoda-
detoa Ct ali the machinery from uarpe:'s
Ferrv and II this point | will nov address
myself, quoting facts as evidence Of the cor
~rectnrss uf my representations.
The best comparison | can make With refe>
renee 20 The requirements in Ibis particular is
with the EahsId RAJ Factory il England,
which cstao lsh,neut | developed, AID managed
during l periud Of over i've years, up to Oc.D
Der last, ut which tint the production OF arms
was 1t the rate Of one hundred thousand r.h"s
per snnu!1.
fnd, On Tetereuc GU 70 rny notes, that the
total ares 9! al tha shops Of that esLa olish-
ments, containing machinery aud otherwise
essential ~ manufacturing Purposes, IS very
nearly "a eco square feat. This snlour: Of
room | !nuu'! suiiIlrm, ~ ~aGrOmm0ure the
means vf proiIcing i00, GEO RI :: per anlcm.
The total s-ca 81 tnr shops OF The Rci:moEd
ArpIcry vii 1t, when the present building, in
process IF erection. j. completed, very nearly
81, 900 square feet. II mccT - furnist: addi-
;ional accommodation iur machiGnTG ,rd calo-
pltte tt= quadrangle ii A!mory building, |
propose tn cree. 4 TWO story brick building p;
tie eouta- vest arSn, Row occupied by su,re
old b.:rack buildings, which Will add about
Is CO.. square fee. of noor room. In addition
TO this, | prrptsc 10 occupy The si;e Of Tho Old
-four mill as the back Of The A:mGrS, and
erect thereon r building 100 b. 40 Iee', in
which 10 piace the machinery FOR rolling oar
rcls, &c, making u.o Fl Tue MG!rr privilege
already existing q: thia point l. viii be ne.
cess.rr 10 acct thres additional water wheels
il order 10 supply the amount: OF motive pgstr
required but the canal will not require 10
be tapped 1T aay E:| aGiG!, al .hs water
will bU USED u SECOND, lii tle c,SU Of tho barrel
rolling mill, a ,cird tJmn. The total area Of
The ArIDnry shops, with tho proposed add.
tom, will ke ahou: 81 900 square fort, which,
when compared with the r!luireEieais Of the
Enfield Factory, will at once be seea TO BE-
quite ample fGr the accommodation OF ell the
H4rpe.'s Ferry. machinery. which has ~i,".cio-
FIRE produced net over 1G 0C) to IS 000 arms
o. both kinds pcr ANNIE, W about oa,-Gitil
Of tire product of the EnIield Factory. As |
hure stated, in & former report on this subject,
the expense Of erecting the proposed add.
tional buildings, g., will BE- more than met
by the sa7ing Of fuodi resulting from N: ab
roge'ion Of tie contract with Mcssri. joseph
joseph f.. Anderson & Co, Tor machinery,
whicn Will rot now inc wanted. | may, with
propriety, hare ct.erye. that sorno of the ma.
chimes commenced hs Massrs. Jc5rpl r An
dsrson { ca, oE thc!r Arnorv c~or'rsci, are
0! tie class required nov, i'll consequence OF
u" i4'iure 10 Temose from IIarpor's Fairy thu
machi.;es of the same description, sad i; will
he well for the Stats 20 cine to snInr under.
standing vita Messrs. J. P. 4. & o., ~ thal
the m.chints tbay h-se il progress may Is:
rendered .v1llaLlr.