National Republican., 1873-05-06
WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
An INTERESTING DESCRIPTION.

haultNht rutuauoNeuhh ahe ~
The Green Pasture. Around the on
GERS Quarters-A TruIy Pastoral sceno
-Immeuse Activity when the Bell
Rings.
"Marie lie Baron sends to the 81. Louis Globe
the following letter describing the washington
navy yard:
ouR NAVY YARD,
nying Its nag over the bright waters OF the East
peaceful and quiet enough, for all lts show Of
the dread paraphernalla Of war. Cattle iced IN
the green parks before the oficers quarters; Y
and grass grown, are As quiet as country lanes,
save when some unusual parade is ordered In
honor OF some illustrious visitor, or at stated
men, snswerins the great bell, enter Or leave
srswny, bra smofe-dyed men. This Is
THH ROLLING Mtfi,
with ita great piles of copper; copper stained
with time and usage, which further on We ind
wondroualy metamorphosed into shining sheets.
This shop Is one o. Uncle sans economls,ng % MI 1. M
from the various yards, In the shape OF old Ret
ties, pipes and worn and useless sheets from the
bottoms Of vessels, fragmenn that teli thelr own
Of q calamity that men have been called upon 70
meet and overcome; dark night, an IN.
known current . coral reef, and wreck And
water songs At the galley nre through three
years cruise, hisslng accompaniment 10 Jacks
sklllful yarns. "Unnt for issue," L. is epitaph
il neishbor relic through nery ordeal TO live
again IN new form and duties. Into the cavern
Ous, yawning furnaces are thrust these useless
that aaapts itself 70 molds, and ends In bars or
would would tafs % the mass a mi; stage FOR iIoa-Ssi
walt, Into ovens Foes AM and ,,Dn,s mystsriossy
q fairy pantomine, and the workmsn spring at
the signal, for the "heap 10 ready, The oven
doors ny open, and monstrous tongs selse q cake
which Is Instantly thrust between two immense
revolving rollers. Other wortmen stand ready
to receive II as II emeracs, pass II back, and .
slight turn OF an adjusting wheel brings the
process is repeated until the short, thick cake ls
hattened and thlrned 10 the desired dimensions.
Il begins foot square, two inches thick; u ends
well S.. ..osuboed , % ready for he = msnuisstory. ,
Nothing is perfected IN this shop except nails
and tscks, which are made with lghtnlng-lke
rspdy y saSTse ,ss maGslhs ssp npae mn
Sans monogram, and every visitor 10 taxed
with handful asa souvenir Just across the
street from this busy place We are shown into
TH. ANCHOR sBor.
Our welcome, q thunderous noise that rover
bsrates through the surrounding country like
RIP Van wlnkles bowlers Ia the echong Cats-
kllls With fingers In our suffering ears, through
much pantomIne. we ascertain that this dlstur-
bance u occasloned by the working OF one OF the
largest steam hammers 10 the country, weighing
,SIng y upon th The anvil beneath can be 80 regulated
that the sllrhteat may but crack nut, while the
heaviest will disturb the surfaces, Of q bowl Of
mercury At 2 distance o. Ave miles miles, and I've we are E
commodea the inhabitants OF Australia, and
causes the Chinese goda 70 tremble In their tenn
plea The workmen handle the huge anchors
forged In this shop, weighing four tons, with
ihe ease that the common blacksmith handles
me nall bar, There are several steam hammers
n this building, used for forging anchora Of Q
'"'- TnE BoiLEn AND H,oann siiors
are near and hero workmen are engaged on the
new compressed engines, win the necessary
9S,e 9Sr sctvies' A the steam, when in tSs nrsi
| cylinder In these engines, "a At much higher
pressure than was formerly used, u requires
stronger boiler S0Hs assiI economy IN ,onnS tns
| and speed, TO make q change In the engines Of
our public yessela thla will also entail further
| expense by requiring a change IN me b9llers'
/ and the iron Ia much thicker than that ordi'
| nartly Used In boiler making. This Ia one Of tho
| most perfect machine shops on this continent,
| and turns out the largest kind OF work. TheJ
say q ffteen-inch gun would be but q playthinl
Ia the grasp OF one OF these immense lathes, and
| ones muscles relax TO nabblness 10 the face oil
,ns and sas Il ns more as SiSy ~
wonderful reign OF the "lord OF creation" ove
the material world than the sight Of on'
| delc1tRlv-fOfTne0 man CAmty uauunuN = HLhu
TIC piece Of macnlnsy, producing. o. y b,
/ M glc from the rough casting, the perfect In
entluptTRreaJ JhSyahlif suds m 'itn'a -cdse tde
| wo. must he done with such mathematical pre-
cisi,n that a halr-breadth from perfection woul'
THE ORDNANCE PARK 4
i Ia bat a STEP and here are guns Of every callbre
from monster mortar 20 smallest howitIer' thos
| failed. Here we are shown Q target OF soli'
iron seven inches thick. which has been perfo
rated by steel shot fifteen inches In diameter
showing the pcrforating power OF these guns
and showing, also, how insecure are the Iron
clads OF the world against this kind OF ordnance
All great guns for service are cast Of priyat
foundry at Pittsburg. under the charge OF ON
GERS detailed TO oversee the work. The onl
guns cast here are bronze howitzers, the mel
engaged In this work having attained TO sue
| pronclency that their skll Ia considered unsui
passed. Ii the park fronting the Presidents
| Mausion are two large vases, copies OF the an
tI1ue, which are regarded with much favor b
Judges Of bronze work. These were cast a. u
TRs bronze howItzers are cast solid, the
| placed In lathea, aud bored out aud finished In
most exquisite manner. Here, TOO, they mant
quite out Of fashion for land service although n
| cumbersome Affairs are still retained for use upo
ship-deck. It Is 10 be hoped, our nautical lear
ing teaches US, that before another "oupleasan
meas, " by sea and shore, q carriage more easil
handled, and more desirable viii be inyente'
| Now here ls a chance for patent and 4 nav
| bleaaluQ. Here we lOOh Win w
upon the most Ingenious md curious machln,
for making leaden bullets from the rod OF u
| metal, and others for the manufacturing OF pc
cusslon caps, which are finished, all ready tS
feminine strong expresslons-die upon the air
premature death when we are told that this m
chine Is played-no, worked out rendered US.
less by the necessary use OF breech-loadera, an
consequently OF metallic cartridges In sma
: arms, and we are recommended TO the place
noxious odor and internal name.
TIE LABoRAroRY.
Here tSe cartridges are prepared, also sign
lights and rockets used upon ships Tor sIgnalln
! This Ia q reminder OF -
nights Of Noaha naval cruise, q little strong
| expression for "lAnd lubbep," but quite y
thing for sailors whose audience are the Will
es ne story S aasss @ back 70 The sik.csi days Il
, poet still lives and-slngs, Once upon q tin
the "Mlssissippi" was towing the '1ndependen
Frigate" through the strait Of Gibraltar, but =
: Mis- slgnaled tie Independence that d
| would be unable to proceed unless the eiemen
became more propltious. Tne nag ofnoer,
having given rise TO considerable ouriosl
| among the oficers, one OF them spproached
h nofficer OF the deck" and asked lniorpstio
: siightIy disagreed with him his mood was q
: Of breyity. lie turned upon the querat, "s
4 the Misalsslppi says
III mind and tide do not Abate
y y cannot tow you through the strait
We replyi
: 80 long as you have wood and coal
The successful improvisAtore has remained 1
I naval poet ever since sunning himself 10 y
3 glory Of the past. But We forget the laborato
a There powderls Is tested carefully, there bel
pendulum guns for the purpose, These gu
are precisely swung upon narrow edge 50 as
n cause the least possible friction, and oeii'
q amount OF powder being exploded, the recoll
n the gun, whioh is shown BY pointer upon
ID arc which Is carefully graduated, shows
N strength OF the powder. These guns receive
\ most particular attention, and are frequently
Y posed 10 the fresh air. This Ia the principal
q nance depot for navy ordnance material, a.
= with the exception OF torPedoes, We believe
N | are manufactured here. For these an e1p'
IN mental school Ia established at Newport, X.
N where a certain number OF ofiiceTs are sent,
q limited time, to learn the art OF manufnotu
and the principle which should govern the
OF these engines OF destruction which millt
~ observers believe will play an Important part
y future naval warfare.
~ Now let us pay visit to '
y | ... Old JACK HoLNEa,
II the pTesidlng genluA OF the neat little mnset
~ Here are collected specimens OF all small-aI
In and ont OF use In army and navy. JACK
stunning his Btorm-beAten lace ~ the SUI
| doorway, and grina In q satisfied manner
~ sight Of his curious friends. He Is antlquAl
~ heIs loquAeious, Records OF his services
y, back into the days OF the "drft period" So
=, | yarns and rigging exercise are long forgot;