Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-04-29
ON ROCK ISLAND.
Pr0p0ssd InsprOrsssenfs f.s
the presssss ss0sOse.
Tive lmnen~e Avsn pry 0olld1nge
% ~ erected.

Eve 101ne0se - ~ vey oD0AA obD =
% ~ oeecee0.
We paid the Island hasty visit, on Sat.
usday, 70 sscsstain someshiag Of the extent
Of The imprsvs0sote to b made shsfs By
the 0ovssaosat, rsdsr the direction It
General Rsdoss, dssing the present ssesoa.
AZ psrsens there is nothing Of import
ancs ~ hanf. ,hsseh The Ssscs 10 being
steadily increased Asd propositions being
msds fse more sxesssivs opesaaisas. There
~ nsw employed in different ways upen
the 1s'And, sbess goo pssssns. Of which
over afty ere sssissed men. These ere
vsrisusly disposed smeas the temporary
shsps; upon the Arsenal, and slse~ here
about the hnd. The enlisted men are for
the most psrt dessi,ed upon clubbing duty.
and otherwise recti'y,ng the unseemly pos.
tons Of the bssviitul Island which sventu.
ally 10 to become the paradise Of the North
west, when the face # the goo acres over
which Gen. Rndmsn psesides ehsll have been
reconstructed" fashioned and smbellished
according to his excellent and comprehen.
sive plans.
For this seasons operations, the sum Of
$685.. 900 vas appr, ,'pristed by the last Con
gress, which sum 10 TO be mainly applied TO
the erection Of two vast Asmssy buildings
on the high greu,.d near the centre Of the
Island. But - the financial year does not
bssis until the frst Of July, very little,
other then securing contracts for building
material and arranging other prsliminaries
viii be done until that time.
These two building, which will probably
cos. not less than &35o,0Oo each, will be
built in The shape Of the letter e -. having
frcs,ase Of 2lO feet On Main Avenue
the wings extending beck 800 feet, so feet
wide. and three stories high. which will
make the buiidings shout 40 feet in height
above tho basement line. and give upon each
floor super iieisl space Of shout ~ 400 feet.
Of. on the three floors Of l42, 200 square
'sst. The court between the wines will be
y0 feet vide, ard in this will b located the
engine and boiler houses. eistesns for sup
plyiae water, etc. The basement walls will
~ high ssough - admit train Of cam
rhe tustesisl used in the construction Of
thee sr0osiss will 10 principally stons and
,ron-wood only being used ios d.msiny.
~ ~ -.
pillars, sta,scases. etc.. will be Of ison-aod
the walls w.ll b. o. .i.hes NAuvoo o. Juliet
stone, cut 70 dimensions. rou sh face and
drove edges. The fae ids. OF front will pre-
sent very imposing appear ance. And the
straight line u the wing walls will bc bsoken
twice, or jet,ed out TO admit Of st.ircase
room inside.
Specimens Of stone from several qnarsies
ave been tested. We believe the l. :Cla,sc
,,one has been ruled out. and that either
the Nsuvoo or Joliet ssons will have the
pref.1eacs. These buildings are de-
>isned 20 s,and for eyes, conse
quen,ly none but the very best, and not
enduring nsterial the country affords vii
enter into this construction. The ceiling oi
each story will be composed Of numerous
brick arches, resting upon wrought iron
hsams, and the roofs Of iron covered With
slate.
According to the full plan there sss to BE-
ten Of these buildings. which, With The in.
,esvsning streets, will cover space efnors
than thirty acres. But for the present only
two have been ordered 10 b. built Tn.
wssk thereon vii! BE vigorously commenced
sbsut the ilsss Of july, and I'll the help .ha,
caa b. used 20 advantage will be employed
therson-psobsbly from Ave hundred tt
eight hundred soechanics end labosers Tn,
excavations were commenced last fAll 70,
one Of the buildings.
AZ the m ,chins shops we found pretty
fair force Of men engaged upon variou,
kinds of wo,k in wood and iron. This de-
partment 10 under the supervisory contro
of Master Armorer Fleming, whose assist
ants gre Mr. Boyington, Master Mac Ainist
John Cbannon. Master Carpenter; Chic
Engineer Talbot, and Mr.. Hilton, Machiniss
The iron machine de cpsrtmens is well sock
cd With plancrs, bot cutters, drill press, in
dex drill machine, slosting machines anc
,sthes-all Of the latest and most approved
style, and principally from. the manufsctosy
Of VIM. Sellers 4 Co.. Philadelphia. Tn.
large pisner 10 about 40 feet in leng,h-cs.
'psble Of planning . piece Of iron 81 feet long
and 4 feet square. II is the largest machine
of the kind West Of New York.
The woodworking department 10 also
supplied with smlls mashinsry. Unde,
tais shop 10 an Immense dry room where
cay quantity Of lumber can b msds abs"'
lussly dry in shsss time BY means Of sev,
ssal thousand feet Of sseae pipe that is COLL
I'd absua uadss the piles Of bssrds. The
fosyss aes eli tIswn by or ssppl'ed BY .
huge fan. jsseins . curreat through pipes
lssdise into The black smith shops. Az
THE machinery i, ran BY . 20 hosse powc,
sagine. which u . nedel of excellence and
pe~@.
~ ths Arsenal = he lesss end Of The
lslsad ~ found Assesr Mssoe. Lloyd ssd
Master Usrpsnsss. Dowrs, psshing speis
wesk fsssssd 70 esmplstiSs - sast - pos.i-
be. They thiak shs building viii BE- finish
- within the nsxt 90 dsys. The toses has
70 travel up ssns s6esy fsss farther yss,
which = . slsw JOB. By the wsy this @wer
is y b u 80 to cor citissss, e. is is 70 b
decorated wi,h - Immense clock. the disls
vf which will 10 twelve feet IN diameter, and
the hands sSflicienlly Large 10 enable the
peo 10 Of our ci.y u ses the time Of day
sishens dsawieg lhsis watches. A tell VI
suf1eioae strength Of vsicc 10 b heard fUl
miles ssvoad shetld and probably will At
END the e3sc !.
Thus it wMl be seen that immense lsbors
sse . b psssSsmsd upon the Island shis
year. end ~ hepe u see Il progress frva
ysar 70 year Under ita present eficisat usa
sge0ens until tbaa nssyniiieens sp0e Of eassf
<6oIl besees whst Il d~sssee 10 be--sh,
gssas sssussy - ths nati~n. Already has i
pAdssgoos & Wossdesful cAoge; bus q 70
Il ~ received bus i,s tirss sad fainiss
ssachess e -.
O. snnAssun - I. d d. r.,a. a. Rec,