The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-06
A NATIONAL ARMoRY.

n NUM-.
THE GOVERNMENT WORKS AT SPRINGFIELD,
Observation-Disclosures FIRED % TIMES A
MINUTE=rHE LATEST IMPROVEMENTS IN
ARMS AND ACCOUTREMENTs.
A correspondent of the Chicago Tribune,
writing from Springfield, Mass, gives
the following account of the United
States armory in that city: The word
farmory," in the United States, designates
an establishment for the manufacture and
storage of arms and ammunition. It there
fore includes an arsenal" which denotes
place for storage and repair only. In Euro
pesn usage these words exchange their
meaning. and the word ''arsenal" has the
more extended application. Thus we speak
of the national armory of Springfield. and
the national arsenals at Woolwich, BreSt,
and London, referring to the same class of
establishments. Having few spare hours
in Springfield, the other day, visited the
government shops, and gathered some
items of information. The armory COM
prises thirty-five buildings, situated on high
land, overlooking the city, and commanding
a fine view of the beautiful valley of the
Connecticut far to the south and west. The
grounds contain So acres, well shaded by
New England trees, and covered with
heavy sward. intersected by neat walks
and driveways, but with no evidence of care
beyond that required by ordinary neatness.
There Is also an outlot of Is acres across the
street, with solitary building on it, used
for the trial OF arms. In these "piping times
OF peace" only 200 men are employed-oc-
cupying but portion of the extensive shops
built for the accommodation of a much
larger force. All hands are engaged in the
manufacture of the Springfield musket and
carbine of the model of 1873 = a
neat arm, loading at the breech, and differ
I L. x1.1Fe
the diameter OF the bore, which is reduced
to Is 100 of an inch. No repsaters are made.
and surely none are required if as is
@aimed an expert can load and fire one of
these, at rest,
TWENTY EIGHT TIMES PER MINUTE.
With such arms in their hands. no wonder
the Prussians were "too many" for the
French. Being curious TO know the weight
of the ball with which / am to be killed in
the next great rebellion, inquired of the
gentIemanly clerk. He ''allowed" he was
not posted, but referred me to the master
armorer. Across the nall, behind high iron
screens, L found him, and obtained ''quanti-
ties" of statistics; but the weight OF the ball
was not in his department, and he confessed
to innocence on that subject, but thought
| the keeper Ofthe arsenal would know. Down
ers, standing like sleeping bulldogs on
the great plets of green turf, went to the
huge, cool, three-story arsenal, with its
| balts so silent and contents so Ominous.
Among vast tiers and rows of coffin-like
gun boxes, L discovered the polite keeper
Overhauling some musket stocks. He was
very accessible on many items of infor-
nation; but, as to ''the weight of the ball, y
s'any of the men in the shops could tell
me. So / mounted the second aud third
stones, where, in countless rows,
From floor to ceiling, rsqrIr
Like huge organ rise the FURNISHED arms
some 100000 Springfield and 81, 900 Enfield
rifles all muzzle loading. and there
fore out of date. The late Franco
} Prussian war settled it that a muZzle
loading arm is as inferior to th,
; needle-gun as the old fiintlock is to the per
J can not compete with the more modern in
vention. Therefore the government at
tempted to remodel them into breech-load
ing arms; but, after trying few thousand
J the barrel was abandoned and the ether por
tons employed. But this course proved t.
be poor economy. So there they stand now
unmolested-st regularly oiled and busted
] and FURNISHED, but with no more prospect c
, future usefulness than the democratic party
A little side-chamber gave me sight q
"maDy curious carbine," and rusty oil
blunderbuss, and sabre bayOnet-instruC
progress by which mankind have attaine
the present degree of art in the manutactur
3 of
WEAPONS OF WARFARE.
"Down and out" from the lonesome, echo
? ing halls and the sombre silence OF the al
senal, L took my way to the noisy, clatterin
shops, with all their ingenious machinery
Here the ready foreman "posted" me in hi
department; but, as to 'sthe weight of tn
: ball." he was "sure the dispenser of am
manition would know, as he weighed on
, the powder, etc." So across the street wen
. to the one building on the IL acres wher
they test the arms, hut that officer wa
G. not in; and my next and last resort was tn
q commandment of the post, Col. James G.. Ben
: ton, q bluff-looking officer of curt, direct ad
: dress, and definite information. He wa
: deep in the mysteries of contracts. an
patents, but politely accorded me the long
g sought information. The weight of the ba
for both carbine and musket is 405 grain
1900 grains to the pound). The carbin
cartridge contains So grains of powder, an
J, the musket cartridge 20 grains of powder, c
; feet per second. The ammunition for Tn
y army is made chiefly at the government
s works, at FRANKFORT, near Philadelphia
q and most of the heavy guns are cast a
y Pittsburg by CONTRACT. AT Springfield ar
g made nearly all of Uncle Sans musket
anu OlbCcs anu nc las nOW OA AdnO bhCA
It some 10000 of the Remington and $4,000 {
' the Springfield pattern-all breech-loadin
p arms, and ready for use. Here also is MAI
4 ufactured the trowel bayonet, IL
lr Gently adopted. The fact, long sine
D, discovered by the army, has at lengt
,e dawped upon the authorities, viz: that, i
IL our moderu battles, the bayoDet had becom
Il a nearly useless weapon. The form hf
J. therefore been widened to that of lon,
al large trowel; and with shank fitted to II
IS hand, il may be used. either with or withol
g the musket, a. a convenient tool for il
re trenching. 1t is said that trained soldit
" can, with one of these, cover himself
20 three minutes; and thus n regiment hay
ID always at hand the means of throwing up
" breastwork.
~ Herr Theodore Wachtel, son of the famoI
tenor, and himself tenor singer az Il