National Republican., 1884-10-11

senate when tho ordnance augmentation
for the new cruisers was under discus.
sion, The statement was mado by dis.
tinguishcd democratic senator. 1t was
to the effect that in view of tho fact that
the steel for these guns had to be bought
abroad, that the machinery to make them
had to bo imported, aud that the skilled
labor required to put them together
could be found only In Europe, 1t would
be best to buy tho guns from Krupp or
Armstrong ready made, to which end the
senator offered on appropriate amend
ment.
Referring to this affair The REPUBLI-
CAN emissary asked the veteran foreman
If tho senator's declarations were based
on fact.
Mr.. Davis replied that It was no part
of his duty to criticise the uttersnces OF
senators. The real facts were that some
portion Of the material, namely, the tubes
and jackets of tho S.inch and 10-inch
guns, had been purchased abroad. All
the tubes, jackets, hoops, &C., for tho 8
and 6-nch guns, with the wire for wind.
ing tho wire-wound guns. were of domes-
tic manufacture. He had also heard that
tho Midvale works were preparing TO
furnish S-inch tubes and jackets, and
would probably be ready TO do so by
spring, IL not sooner. As to the larger
calibers, 10.inch and upward, the capacity
to furnish them would soon bo developed
iu this country whenever the policy OF
the government should give assurance
Of sufficient demand.
As to machinery, mono had been i'm.
ported thus far. In fnct but little had
been added to the plan. of works, aud all
Of that was made in this country; indeed,
nearly oil of il had been made there in
the yard by his own mon.
In regard to the men employed they
wero all simply American machinists.
Most of them wore old employees of the
yard, and some of the best hands ho had
were men who had learned their trade
right in that shop and had never worked
elsewhere. He said that modern gun
making was merely refinement of tho
regular machinists trade. Tho only diff
ference was that in preparing tho parts;
for example, in adjusting the relations OF
tube and jacket for shrinkage, they had
to work TO thousandths of nh inch,
whereas In ordinary machine work hun
dredths of an inch was usually the
standard fraction. He thought If he
were required to put 1000 mon at work
in ten days he could get them in less
than that time and that the bulk of them
might DO found without going out of tho
District. AS to importing skilled work.
men, Mr.. Davis said he had men working
in the yard who had learned their
trade there and who could not be ex-
celled by any men Of their class ut Wool
wich, Elswick, or Essen, no matter how
long experience the latter might have
had. In short Mr.. Davis insisted that the
American machinist was bound to excel
all other workmen in gun making just as
he had done in all other branches of his
trade, the only requisite being opportunity
to show his skill.
1t seems but fair to add in this connoc-
tion that the officers on inspection duty
at the yard, most of whom have enjoyed
opportunities of exhaustive observation
abroad, fully corroborate Mr.. Davis's esti-
mate OF the capacity and skill of his men.
They also say that a more competent or
intelligent ordnance foreman than he is
not to be found anywhere.
Tho inspector of ordnance, Lieut Comdr.
Casper +. Goodrich, who is an authority
on the development Of ordnance abroad,
praises with enthusiasm tho average skill,
intelligence, and aptitude of the men
employed at the yard. He said that his
faith in the American mechanic was un-
limited. There were men at work in the
yard who had never seen built-up steel
gun until they went to work on these,
and now they were not only as compe-
tent as any workmen in tho world but
he thought that, allowing for tho differ
ence in the scale of wages and the diff
culties incident to the adaptation of the
old plant to new work, the labor bills
on these guns would prove to be rela-
lively less than on guns of similar weight
aud caliber at Woolwich, Elswick, or
Essen.
Lieut.. Wadhams. assistant inspector,
informed The REPUBLICAN representa-
tive that number of seamen gunners
were employed about the wopks with a
view to familiarize them with the make
up and character of the ordnance they
were expected to handle. The lieuten.
ant, having occasion to pilot THE
REPUBLICAN reporter through the
foundry where the Jackets are
heated for tho insertion of the tubes,
came across one of the gunners and en-
Joined him particularly to see to IL that
all his comrades were present to witness
tho process Of removing Jacket that
had been found defective. He said that
1t was desired that the gupners should
| acquire o clear idea of the structure ol
the gun, and become familiar with all
tho mechanical processes of its construc-
tion. This so far as we are advised, is q
peculiarly American notion; no other
naval power deeming II necessary to add
that particular feature to the training Of
its seamen gunners.
Among the other officers specially en-.
ployed at the yard on the ordnance stat
are Lieut.. Gait, who has just been ordered
to Midvale to inspect forgings; Lieut.
Nazro. who has been charged with O
special inspection of the wire used in the
Woodbridge gun, and Lieut.. Harber, Of
Siberian fame, who has recently been or.
dered to duty there. To all Of these ac'
complished officers the representative Of
THE REPUBLICAN, tenders his thanks fol
patient courtesy in facilitating his search
for information iu this, which to the av'
erage American journalist is new and
untrodden field Of research.
1t only remains to be added that the
development Of the Washington yard intc
q modern gun factory is the result almost
entirely Of the energy of Commodore
Sicard and the enterprise of tho secretary
of the navy. Congress has as yet voted
no money for the erection of gun-mskinl
plant beyond tho regular item fol
tools, &C., in the annual naval bill
for the ordnance bureau. Whom
funds were appropriated to provide
armament for tho new cruisers II
was found that no private establishment
in the country was willing to undertak
the manufacture of the guns unlesl
tho government would guarantee suf
fciont amount Of work to warrant thom
in providing what they deemed the
necessary additional plant; 30 that the
secretary and Commodore Sicard found
themselves confronted with the alterna'
tive of buying the guns abroad or build
ing them themselves with what appli