Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-21
CITY AND DISTRICT.
4 BIG ORDNANCE SHOP.
The Change to be Made at the Wash
fnEton Navy Yard.

Tne Change to be Made at the Wash
fnEton Navy Yasd.
An Army OF MEN TO BE EMPLoYED IN FAB
kICArING HUGE GCNS-THE BUILDINGS To
BE TRANSFORMED INTO GUN sHoPs-How
AND WHEN THE TRANSFER WILL BE MADE.
The consolidation OF all the bureaus OF the
Washington navy yard into the ordnance bu-
reau gives that department. lot OF loose mate
rial out Of which to construct great ordnance
establishment. 1t will be a long time before
they can tell Just what they have got to do
with. Consequently no plans matured
Thirty years ago efforts were made to have
this yard the great naval arsenal. Its great
natural advantages for ordnance work mark ed
II for this. From that day to the present
" has been looked upon destined ulti.
mately TO be the great ordnance work shop
al the country. Conflicting interests and
various things prevented this consumma-
ton AT one time the yard was almost
taken possession of by the steam engineering
department. Probably because they have been
trained directly under the watchful eye of the
department. the workmen in all branches at
this yard are said 10 be equal in skill to any in
the world. The making OF engines and boilers
has been largely done at the Norfolk ana New
done here because there was an idea that it was
better done, and, Ii is said, at a less expense
zines w.Se made hsse anG Tbs small launch nn EN-
famous for its castings. 1t was
IN THE DAYS OF WOODEN VESSELS
aplace for construction and repairs, but has
been unit for this sort Of work Tor some time
Being near the department the yard has been
very useful rs an experimental yard. 1t was
easy for the officers OF the bureaus to keep an
eye To the work as 1t progresses, and make
ity for that sort of work has marked it ior the
ordinances shops. When the work of making
IN, nns steel rifle guns was taken up, 1t was a dsr-
Ing experiment. Congress did not feel justified
In providing q very expensive plant, the
work might not be q success. SO 1t was begun
under adverse circumstances. There was
plant With the tools they could borrow from
the engineers department., and the temporary
plant they could rake together, they began
making steel guns. Their work was perfect
saccesA They have demonstrated that
THE VERY FINEST GUNS
known to the art can be made here and can be
made cheaply. Secretary Chandler first began
the development of this branch of work, subor-
dinating other work 10 it. He cut off some of
the work In the engineering department, as
10 give room for the guns. and from small
commencement the ordnance establishment
has grown gradually until 1t has finally crowd
ed out all the other bureaus. The order issued
by Secretary Whitney on Monday, directing
that "al the shops, machinery, tools and appli-
ances assigned for the use of the bureau of con-
struction and repair, steam engineering. yards
and docks and equipment and recruiting will
be turned over 10 the control OF the bureau OF
ordnance on the first day OF October, 1856" and
mat the quarters occupied by the representa-
uves OF these bureaus be surrendered, gives the
whole yard up to this work.
THE ORDNANCE DEPA RTNENT
Ii given the right to take possession of all the
buildings and such tools will be useful in the
construction of guns, and the rest will be TAX en-
away from the yard. This is the first step to a
work Of great national importance. They will
not-CommodOre Sicard, the chief of ordnance,
said 70 STAR repOrter-attempt to establish u
great plant all at once. They will go gradually
At work, building up and adding 10 as they go
on and as necessity demands. There are, by
this order, turned over to them buildings and
machinery never intended for ordnance work,
and NAT -Hx,Gs to1
mass that which will be useful must be selected.
Many tools that were not fashioned for this
properly designed may be altered and RENTED.
All must be gone over. The money that
the whole is worth would establish a perfect
ordnance plant, but much valuable property is
practically useless.
THE BUILDINGS.
The officers quarters, which will be vacated
by the officers now occupying them and given
to the ordnance officers, are estimated to be
worth about 81 ,OUO. The other buildings in
the yard are valued at about 81, 705, 861. For
present purposes, of course, they do not repre-
sent plant such as could be established tor
that amount of money. The most valuable ac-
QUESTIONS are the iron ioundries, the machine
snops, the boiler shops, the chain makers shops
and the erecting shops, which heretofore be-
longed to the steam engineering department
These are brick buildings with heavy walls and
large dimensions. Part OF them are used for
ordnance work now. The iron foundries occupy
aspace OF 265x3O for one and 265x65 for the
other. The machine shops, &C., occupy an i'm
mense quadranguIar building in about the cen
Ter OF the yard PIG feet long and containing a
large amount Oh space. They fitted, too,
be useful for ordnance work. These will be
lifted up for the working out OF great guns. The
buildings were erected many years ago, but
their walls are thick and strong enough DO
Withstand all the pressure it wilt De necessary
70 put upon them. The machine shops proper
OF which there are two, are valued at about
$4,000 and S62. 900, respectively. The irun
foundry at S114.416. The erecting shops and
boiler shops, which form part of the group, are
valued At SsO,S.O and 500, 544, respectively.
These are In juXtapOsition and are well suited
for the work, and can be converted into a very
convenient establishment There are num-
Der of other buildings, such as the copper mills,
the furniture and lumber sheds, timber Sheds
Saw-niu and Joining shops, shiphouses, store
houses, stables, &C., some of which will be use
full, while Others will not. Besides these the
ordnance bureau has had ali along in its own
right the laboratory, the magazine, the ord
nance foundry, the ordnance machine shops
the ordnance boiler-hOuse, scrap storehouse
gun carriage shops, new ordnance foundry and
minor appendages- Then there are the COM
mandants Office, the civil engineers office, the
dispensary, the museum, the ice house, the
naval stOrehouse, and what not. .s 49, iF
THE OFFICERS QUARTERS
consist Of the commandments house. the CAD
tains quarters, the naval constructors quarters,
the civil engineers quarters the commander.
9naa'srs, the quarters OF the surgeon, OF the
this property will be sifIed down until, out
OF the whole, a permanent and thorough
EQUIPPED ordnance plant Is established. 1t
Will take several years TO accom- piish this. The
nrst thing TO be done will be arrange to do the
work now on hand As rapidly and conveniently
as possible, and at the same time to steadily
Improve the plant. The first thing will be To
rearrange the shops. The large building occu-
pied by Inc SHOPS OF the engineers department.
Will probably be fitted out with an overhead
railway, and the machinery will be arranged in
progressive order, SO as To facilitate work. The
Necessary improvements will be added from
time 10 time, and the establishment developed
In AccOr dance with the needs of the service and
the means at hand.
GUNS TO BE MADE
There are now in sight ffty-six six-inch four
eightinch and twenty-five ten-inch guns To be
made. Ii Is possible that Some OF these NAV
De put out at contract but this Is not probable
amount OF work and develop the ordnance e.
taoIishment rapidly. As new war vessels are
constructed they Will have to be armed and
according ~ the present outlook, Lie guns
VIII De made at the Washington works
There are many years OF work in prospect
THE EMPLOYEES.
In the transfer some workmen may be thrown
out OF employment. but probably a much larger
number, IL not the same ones, will be employ
eo- In the engineers department at present
In the docks and yards department. there are
W men. These, OF course, lose their places by
the closing OF those departments, but they will
probably nnd employ ment in the Increased
force the ordnance department must have. The
work done under the bureau of docks aud wards
- OF u Character that will have To be done
whether there is such bureau maintained or
not, and the men may be retained al their
present occupation. The work consists in the
wu-A.