Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-07-11
s'N1isrellaueuns &eadina.

}MIistellau.epas Readtiug.
A TOUR AMONG THE GUNS.
THE WASHINGTON ARSENAL.
At the most southern part Of our city, where th'
Ancostia Joins the Potomac, is located the Wash
ingon arsenal. Its position is a remarkably fin,
one and as its area has lately been considerably ex
tended and improved, it has become attractive II
the sojourner as well as the residen, even in thes.
times of peace In the time of war; especially OF
the first "blue Sunday after the 10th of April
1861, the place was an object Of sdicitude to mort
than one Of our resident patriots, for it was to tha
storehouse of defence that our fighting men turned
their bold inquiries especially as 70 the number O
muskets it contained The usual answer at tht
street corners in those perous days was that thert
were about twenty thousand guns fit for immedi
ate service. As the informatiopis not now. ICON
traband," we can assure our anxious friends that q
that time that there were about eight thousand
m1skets fit for service, though not of the most ap
proved pattern. .'-'
THE BIG GUNS. ... ...
Having rounded the penitentiary, we take the
river side and enter the gate of the United States
Arsenal. Here we have a display of big guns
Armstrong, Rodman, Parrot, Mexican, and Brit
ish spread out into long lines Of iron, that impress
us profoundly with the expense and desolation oi
war. Of political big guns, we have seen some
fine specimens, but the real fre-eaters are to be
seen here By the politeness of General Ramsay,
commandant of the post, Ne are enabled to stroll
through the model arsenaland military museum. u
Here we find material enough to interest Us in the
paraphernalia of war exhibited in miniature in al
most every style now in fashion among Christians
with few Of the "meaner Sort still used by
Turks and Mohammedans s.''.....'
The model arsenal is neat two-story building
built of brick, the dimensions being about ITS fee
long and SO feet wide. In the lower story we fine
innumerable plies Of saddle-trees, halters, blank
! cts. buckets, harness-the debris Of many weary
marches and bloody fights. In the upper story We
enter'the military museum Here are stored mod
es of all firearms now in use in the principal ma
tions of the world, from the Pussian needle gun tt
President Lincolns coffee mill-a very effective
weapon, by the way, and much used during the
rebellion. Another purpose of the museum is tt
preserve mementoes and trophies of the war
most desirable object a.'''
On entering the museum one of the first imple
ments you meet is the ''Danish Espinole Barrel,
with machine for charging it. This apparatus il
somewhat complicated, but probably effective wher
used by practised gunners against the weapon.
heretofore used in Northern Europe Next We
have full uniforms Of the Bavarian infantry, caval
ry and heavy artillery also of the engineers They
are made of blue army cloth, with green and red
facings. The cloth is well made, and makes good
outfit for the common soldier. Near these are
three Mexican flags, with helmet and cuirass also
similar articles from the French army. Models o.
French and English guns are also nehr this group
RELICS OF THE C. 6. A.
About dozen &C. s." tnrpedoes, afording 9
variety of patterns are suspended from the ceiling
some of them resembling lager beer kegs with point
ed ends They are made chiefly Of copper, ard
were to have been placed in the water and explo
ded by electricity A few were so designed as tc
be attached to cartridge-capped pole or PROV pro
jecting forward under water and exploding by per
cussion One of the most interesting stands in the
museum is collection of muskets taken from the
fields of Gettysburg soon after the battle. These
weapons bear the marks of the hot contest by
which they were torn and bent into almost every
conceivable shape, fragments of human hair occa
sionaly intervening between the stock, band, OF
lock of the musket. We noticed one gun barre
which had been split wide open nearly its entire
length. Next we find lot of Indian spear heads
made of blue stone, and about twelve inches long;
These were no doubt the rude attempts Of the red
man long before the progressive white began the
Reconstruction of this continent. They were
found in the recent excavation of James Creek te
the Anacostia-an improvement lately completed
forthe government Nothing, perhaps, couldmore
readily define the vast strides of civilization than
the contrast presented by these comparatively harm
less spears side by side with the formidable array
of Parrot and Rodmon' guns, carrying balls weigh
ing 1000 pounds with lightning velocity, and de-
moIshing houses and vessels miles distant.
SPECIMEN PIECES. ... -..r'
Moving little further on we find specimens Of
old Spanish war pieces, taken in Mexico, and near
them varied assortment Of English, French and
American accoutrements. Here our guide invited
to the inspection of the celebrated Prussian NEE
die gun, which has 50 decidedly curtailed the
boundaries of Austria, and is now held pointed
with defiant air from Luxembourg toward the
realm of Napoleon I'LL The needle-gun is an
doubtedly an ingenious contrivance. ltis breeeh-
leader, dipenses with cap and lock, and may be
charged as quickly as the soldier can place the
charge in horizontal tube, which takes the place
Of the old lock. The piece is discharged by q
needle that works from spring behind the charge,
At pull of the trigger the needle perforates the
cartridge, and strikes the Illuminating material,
which discharges the bullet with precision and
with range equal to the Springfield musket The
advantage is in dispensing with the old rammer
and cap and in the rapid firing which results from
breech-loadipg. The needle-gun must evidently
be handled with care, as its liability to get out Of
order is about tenfold in comparison with its rivals
now adopted for the United States army, such as
Henry's rifles or. Berdan's and Remington's car
bines, specimens of which are in the same case
The latter pieces are all breechoaders and display
ingenuity and simplicity in construction as admira-
Bile as theyare wonderful. No rammer, no cap,
no lock, but in their places revolving tube, that
carries to the barrel succesively from ten to sixteen
charges which may be exploded in less than min
ute, when the barrel may be cooled, current OF
air passed through it, and sixteen additional char
pes placed ready for o repetition of the work of