The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-08-27
OUR ARSENAL.
An Eastern Papers Views of the I'm
pertant Military Point.


Although the arsenal on the island of
Rock Island is government institution,
people of the three cities who point Wis
itors and strangers to 1t with pride, have
aud always will look upon it as one of the
attractions of the three cities, and the
pronoun ''our," when prefixed to it, is
never considered out of place. A repre>
sentative of Frank Leslie's Popular
Monthly has been out here sketehing the
principal points on the island and ada
cent thereto, and he furnishes the follow
ing article, which will be read with inter-
ested:
Rock Island proper is one of the gems
of the Mississippi river. 1t is narrow,
green island, nearly three miles long
with a basis of limestone rock, and is the
property of the United States governs
ment. If the natural environment of this
insular gem is beautiful, its artificial set
ting is equally fortunate. Within cir
Gle having radius of four miles, are
clustered four flourishing cities or towns,
as follows: On the Iowa bank of the
river, Davenport, with population of
$4,000; on the Illinois bank, Rock Island
City, 10000: Moline, 1900; and Mi
Ian, 1000. The commercial, social and
industrial centre formed by this group is,
by rail, 1S1 miles west of Chicago, and
|316 miles east of Council Bluffs. BY
river. it is 1872 miles north of St. Louis,
and 397 miles south of st. Paul. Five
lines of railroad, and the steamboats, on
the river, furnish abundant tranSporta-
ton facilities in every direction.
The Island of Rock Island, with which
we are at present chiefly concerned, be-
came United States property in 1904,
through treaty made with its Indian oc-
cupants. who hunted and fished there
unmolested until the war with the Brit
ish in 1912, and the Black Hawk war.
The first United States fort was built
there by the Eighth infantry, sent from
St. Louis, in 1916, and named Fort Arm
strong, in honor of the secretary of war.
A garrison was maintained until 1886
General Street, Indian agent. had charge
of the Island until 1888, when Colonel
George Davenport succeeded him, re
naming in charge two years. In 1910
an ordnance depot was established at the
fort, of which Captain Shoemaker had
charge until 1915, when the stores were
removed to st. Louis arsenal. From
1915 Till the act for establishing the
Rock Island arsenal was passed, in 1862,
the Island was in charge of civil agent
or custodian employed by the war depart.
meut, out of control of which it never
passed Ground for the first arsenal
building was broken in 1863. and Gen,
eral Thomas J. Rodman, the inventor OF
the famous gun bearing his uane, was
assigned to the command of the ar.
senal in June, 1865, succeeding Major
kingsbury. who was the first ordnance
officer 10 command. General Rod.
man assumed his duties August 3, 1865,
and his command continued until his
death. June :, 1871. The present able
commander of the arsenal, Colonel ID. W.
Elagler, succeeded him. in the same
month. The great work accomplished
by Colonel Flagler during the past fifteen
years is seen by a mere glance over the
noble field at Rock Island, which now
shows the following structures and i'm
provements. completed under his super.
vision, eight workshops; the command
ing officers quarters; buildings for of
ticers' quarters, the soldiers barracks
post buildings; a complete system OF sew
ers, the Moline bridge, roads, streets and
avenues about the Island; the powders
magazines; pump mouse; the water
power improvement; transmission OF
power; the grading and ornamentaiiou
of grounds; the work of care and pres,
ervation of property; operation of the
drswbridge; excavations for an artificial
lake; elevated water tank and system Of
| water.maius; the manufacture of shoT
| fixtures and machinery.
The five shops south of the main aveu'
ue are for the arsenal. and the five north
of the same avenue are for the armory
The centre shop in the south low is tb,
forgingshop and foundry of the arsenal
and the other four are designed for finish
ing, wood, leather, and Woodworking
shops of all kinds, for the manufacture Of
all the material of war. The centre shop
of the north row is the rolling mill an6
forging shop for the armory, and the two
on either side of it are finishing ant
wood. working. or stocking" shops. foi
the manufacture of all kinds of small
arms.
1t is proposed to make this the aIseua
for the whole Mississippi valley. Wher
completed, if crowded TO its full capacity
in time Of war, it will be sufficient to arm
equip and supply an army of 750,00t
men. The capacity of this arsenal vii
be, finallY-so it is estimated two au(
one half to three times that of all the ar
senals the United States had during th,
late war. and fully equal to all the neces
sites for the northwest and the Mississippi
valley, from the Alleghanies TO the Rock
les.
Our artists sketches snow numerous
| points of interest on the1slaDd. including
general view from Rock Island city
An elaborate history of the armory and
arsenal, written by Colonial Flagler, was
| published by the War Department in 1877
| At the Cify's Expense.