The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-09
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL.
What the Secretary of War Says
About it.

Gen. Belknap, secretary of war; in his
report to the president makes a COM
Elementary allusion to Rock Island
Arsenal, which will be found in the
following extract from his report:
| Congress, at its last session, in IAN act
making appropriations for sundry civil ex
penses of the government for the fiscal
year ending j June 80. 1876, and for other
purposes provided for an examination
into the condition of the United States
Arsenals east of the Mississippi River,
with view of ascertaining how many
could be sold without interfering with the
necessities OF the military service, to-
gether with an estimate of the amount
that could be realized from their sale
shonld it be directed by congress.
The board appointed under this law re
coGmeDdS the immediate also ofPlkesville
Arsenal, Maryland, as being badly located
aud of insufficient capacity for storage to
Justify the expenditure necessary to keep
it in repair. The Detroit Arsenal having
been turned over to the Interior Depart
ment for sale, and the Columbus Arsenal
transferred to the General Recruiting
Service for depot purposes, the ret entlon
of all the remaining Arsenals east of the
Mississippi River is recommended as
essential for the necessities and proper
service of the. Ordnance Department. un-
less the plan of concentration proposed by
the Board on Arsenals in 1874 is carried
out. That plan consists in the establish.
ment of grand Arsenal of construction in
the vicinity of New York City. retaining
the Springfield Armory and Fraukford
Arsenal as adjuncts for manufacturing pur.
poses: retaining also the indianapolis
Arsenal, Ind Kennebec Arsenal, Maine;
Fort Monroe Arsenal. Va, and Augusta
Arsenal Ga. as places for storage anC
repair, and selling the Allegheny
Watervliet, Watertown, and Washington
Arsenals as rapidly as circumstances viii
permit, the proceeds Of such sales to bt
devoted to the purchase OF site and the
erection of shops. stcre- houses, and Other
works for the grand Arsenal. The amour
that can probably be realized from thu
sales will he over $3,00O,GOO.
, The wisdom and economy OF a create
concentration of ordnance manufacture
{ seems to call for no extended argument
The military powers of the world bring TO
gether in one grand whole all their re
sOurses, that there may result economy
, and perfect work. The experience OF al
private enterprises points to concentration
, as a vital element OF success. Proximity 4
!, raw material, skilled labor, and CHEAP
, transportat can be attaiced by the pla
proposed and it appeals strongly TO
6 legislative consideration and action, becaus
it can be carried out without taking
!, dollar from the public Treasury. Thi
o policy OF concentration has been carrie,
; out for the Pacific coast at the Benici
Arsenal. aud for the Mississippi Valley a
the Rock Island Arsenal, and cannot b
too highly commended nor too closely TO
lowed. With our railroad system of inter
: communication, reaching every portion G
our broad domain, the distance to any poiI
of our long shore-line or of our vast inlan
Il frontier is becoming of less paramount
importance in the distribution of wa
e material, and few well-selected an
4 amply provided centers of supply ca
more quickly and economically fulfill a
), demands than did the many arsena
II without rail facilities half century ago
is The Rock Island Arsenal, in
h present uncompleted state, now supplit
;. all the militia Of most of the states al
1t territories drained by the great river al
IS its tributaries, many of the fortresses tn;
e guard the coAst-iine OF the Gulf Of Mexic
, and more than one half Of our army, no
scattered from the Mississippi river to ii
. Rocky Mountains and beyond. Wht
&c comp c;cd and fully equipped as a man
J. featuring arsenal, its capacity will equ
= the supplying Of all the armies that may
4 organized in the Mississippi valley in al
IL war Oi the greatest magnitude. A visit
Il this arsenal in October last gave me
OPP rtunity, to some extent, to Salty III
re self as t. the manner in which the appr
- pria'i1ns therefor had been expended, al
~ as t. he progress of the various buildln
r connected with the establishment. II
re local. ii a tie arsenal is admirable, and
re rapid progress as possible has been MAJ
. towards rho compieti n of large numb
. Of the most necessary buildings. L W
es very much impressed with the satisfacto
Il manner with which the Improvements h
s. been conducted, and am certain that, wi
10 the intelligence and ability given to t
~ work which has been shown by the form
" and present commanding officers Of til
arsenal, the result will be of great bene
I'll to the country, and that the magnitude
the undertaking will be fully equaled
the Importance of the results to be acco
lE plished.