, 1874-09-27
4 NATIONAL ARM0RY.
The Government Works at Spring.
field, Mass.
ech-Loaders that Can Be Fired Twen~
ty-eight Times Minute.
Weight of the Ball--The Cartrit1re
---Trowel Bayonets.

F! ---Trowel Bayonets.
Corrtspondenos Of Tia Chicago Tribune
! BosroN, Sept q 1874
The word "Armory,* in the United States,
desisnates an establishment for the manufacture
aud storage Of Arms and ammunition. It there
fore includes m Arsenal" which denotes
place for storage, or storage and repair only. In
European usage these words exchange thoir
meaning. and the word " Arsenal" las the mora
| extended application. Thus Ne speak Of tho
| National Armoty at Sprindcld and the National
! A1senals ut Noolwch, Breht, and Locdon,-re-
ferrins to tho sazoe class of establishments.
Having a few spare hours in Springfield, the
other day, 1 visited the Government shops, aud
| gathered some items Of Information
The Armory comprises
| TH1RTy-F1yE BUILDINGS,
situated On high land, overlooking the city, and
| commanding fine view OF tho beautiful Valley
OF the Connecticut far to The south and west.
The grounds contain IS acres, we'll shaded
by New-Eosland trees, and covered with
heavy swaEd, intersocted by neat walks
and drivaways, bnt with no evidence Of care be-
yond that required by ordinary neatnass. There
is also an outlot OF 13 acres, ACROSS the street,
with solitary building on it, used for the trial
| Of arms
| In " these pipins times Of peace" only 700
men are employed, d,-occupying but . portion Of
! the extensive shups built for the accommodation
| OF much larger force. AL hands arc engaged
| IN the manufacture ct the Springfield musket
| and carbiue Of the model OF 1373.-a neat arm,
loading at the brcech, and differing little from
previous models, except in the diameter Of tho
lore, which is reduced to 45-l00 Of all inch. No
rcpea.ers are made, and surely none are required
if, as il clained, an expert load and fire one
| OF these, 1T rest,
T|ESry-E10HT TIMES PER MINUTE.
With such arms in their hands, no wonder the
Pr1lssans were "too many" for the French
Re;ns curious to know the weight Of the ball
with which 1 am to be killed in tLe next great
rebellion, inquired OF tho gentlemanly CLERK.
He allowed he was not posted, but referred
ne to tho MASTER -armorer. Across the
him, aud obtainet 'squaotit1es Of statis-
tics: but the weight OF the ball Vas not in
his department., and LIE confessed TO irnocence
on that subject, but thought too Keeper OF tha
Arsenal would know.
Down the long, shady walk, pas. the brass o.
Founders, standing Like sleeping bulldogs on
the great platH OF green turf, went to the huge.
cool three-story Arsenal, with its halls silent
and contents 50 om'nous Among vast tiers and
rows OF coh0-Ike cun-boxes, l diecoye.ed the
polite Keeper, oTerh1uling some muske.-atocks.
He was very accessible ou many Items Of In
formation; but, is to ''the weight OF the ball
"any Of the men in the shops could tell :" me-.
So mounted the second and third stories,
There, in countless rows,
From floor to ceiling
Like huge organ rise the FURNISHED arns,-
some zoo. 600 Springfield and 35 600 Enfield 1ides
all uuzz1e-loading, and therefore
OUT or DATE
The late Franco-Prussian war settled it that
notwithstanding arm Ii as in'o1ior to The
needle-gun the old dntlock il to the
percussion. Each il as good IS ever it
was. but caunot compete with the more
modern invention. Therefore the Govern
ment ATTEMPTED to remodel them into breech-
loading arms but. after trying few thousand,
the barrel WAS abandoned. aad the other por-
tions only employed. Bnt thiT coarse also
proved to be poor economy. So :hers they
stand now, unmolested, still regularly OILED,
and busted, and b1rushcd, but with no mora
prospect OF future usefulness than the Demo
cratic party.
4 L.tle side-chamber gave me- sight al
''InGuy curious carblne, " and rusty old blum
derbuss, aud sabre bayonet,-instructiye relics
OF past ages. illustrating the elon progress by
which mankind have attained the present de-
gree Of art ID the manufacture Of weapons OF
warfare.
down and out from tho lonesome, echoing
balls and the sombre silence Of the Arsooal,
took nv way to the noisy, Gathering shops, with
all their ingenious nachlneEv. Here tho really
Foreman ''postcd me in his department; but.
rs 10 the weight Of the bail" he Hss "sure
the Dispenser OF Ammunition would know, ~
he weighed out the powder, etc." So ACROSS tho
street went to the one building on the II .cres
where they test the arms. but that Office: was
not in; and my next and last resort Ea1 tha
coMMANDAST or THE POST,
Col James 6. Benton. bln1-looklng officer, OF
curt, direct address, and definite information
He Nas deep in tho mysteries of contracts aud
p4tcnts, but politely accorded me the 1oag-
sought information.
TIC weight Of the ball for both caEbno and
musket is 405 grains ,0oo grains to the pound}.
The carbiue cartridge contains S. grains OF pow
der, and the musket cartridge 10 grains Of pow
der, OF sufficient strength to propel bali $50
feet per second.
Tho ammunition for the army is made chiefly
at the Government works, at Franklord, ne.1
Philadelphia; and most Of the heavy guns ara
east at Pttsburg By contract At Springfield
IRE made nearly all Uncle SANS muAkets aul
ca:.:nes; aud ho has now on hand there soma
20, COO Of the Remington and $1,000 Of thu
Springfield patesn.-all brecch-loading arns. and
ready for usc. Here also is manufactured tho
trowel bayonct. 1ecantly adopted. Thn fact,
long since discovered BY the army, has at length
aawned upon the authorities, viz: that, III our
modern battles, the boyonet had become.
Il NEARLY USELESS WEAPON.
The form has therefore been widencd to that Of
he hand, it may be used, either with or without
he nusket, ~ convenient tool for intrenching.
It is il said s1a: trained soldier can, with ona
II these, cover himself in three minutes; aud
hus regiment have always It hand tho ueaz.
IT throwing MP a b1eastwork-
At the "Water-shop." near the Ar.nory.
he Government is making an experiment
n the construction of 12-lnch gun
rom wrougbt-iron rings welded together. Il is
new method and promises success for zined
:annon. In leaving the grounds, 1 noticed tha.
ome OF the idle shops we're out Of repair. and
hat the driveway needed attention. Il; the main
It the foot Of ths hill, seated in ! CON-
ortable lodge q one armed porter seemed sur
harged with responsibility. On asking him what
lis duties were. found him evidently unpre-
'asod for the question but, after removing his
~, s,d vigorously irritating hls acalp. he dis
o.e-ed that ho waa there ''to p.ayint payple
aEying ali the Gov'meat propnrty, sure !" AZ
here was no property exposed 70 public depre-
alton, except the great, sleepy 1ield-pecca
sandins cobwebbed in Ehe sl,ade, I WAS still
uzzlcd AZ to his occupation; but forebo.e to
uestiou him farther. lest should awaken aus-
lcion in his mind tha: he useless. So left
LII sitting on his stool, with : grim aspect Of