Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-03
ROCK ISLAND ARISEN Al.
Importance of Our Arm0ry to the
Nation.
A Beautiful and Interesting Place in
Peace, A.Scene or Unusn-al In
dustTy n Time of War

displayed this sllusion is made: IAN is
peace there; the great arsenal on beau
tlful Rock Island. Anvils would ring
out and the wheels would turn 10 Uncl e
| Sans big interior workshop in the event
OF hostilities. Nothing but orders and
an appropriation needed to break the
quiet that now prevails"
The Tribune says: The possibility
that the strained relation between this
country aud Chill might lead to active
hostilities served TO direct attention to
the only important interior depot for the
manufacture of the munitions of war
that at Rock Island The location and
commanding position of the armory is
dWelt upon as set between three -four
ishing cities and its position spoken of as
strategical in the facilities for the rapid
distribution of supplies. Then the Trib-
says;
For quarter of century the arsenal
has been in a state of absolute peace.
The meager government appropriations
have been chiefly expended 10 beautify>
Ing the domain, in carrying schemes for
utilizing the water power, or in erecting
great rows of massive stone buildings.
which have never been put to their desig-
mated uses In the manufacture of the i'm
plements of war. But the island has
been perpetual delight in its free uses
as pleasure park The Sunday school
picnickers of two generations have made
1t rendezvous, and the people of the adj
Jscent towns have come to feel a propri.
etary right in its possession.
The island rests upon a bed of gray
magnetism lime lone as solid as the foun-
dation of the world. Eight feet of sandy
loan on top of this table of rock makes
fertile bed for the groves and avenues
OF trees. the shrubhery and flowers which
adorn it in summer The island is about
three miles long sad varies from quar-
ter to three quarters of a mile in width.
Its surface comprises about l 600 acres
The great shops which occupy the high
est ground on the island stand 20 Feet
above high water. The course of the
river here is for nearly six miles in line
with tie sun. The great volume of water
flows over the upper rapids with food
like sweep and seems TO hold the island
in its embrace.
HON THE ISLAND WAS SECURED,
When William Henry Harrison was
governor and superintendent of Indian
affairs for the Indian territory and dis.
trict of Louisiana he made a treaty with
certain chiefs of the Sac and Fox tribes
of Indisns during an historic council
held in ST, Louis in 1901 By this treaty
the government came into possession
of Rock Island. Black Hawk, the ia
nous chief of the Sacs, refused to bar
ter away the heritage of the people and
would neither sign this nor any treaty
of similar kind. He held to the last
that is was imperative and not
binding and refused to be governed by it,
The Indians retained uudisputed posses
sion until September, 1915, when the
Eighth United States il fsntry was or>
dered up from ST. Louis to establish
fort upon the island. Owing to the diff
fcultles of travel it was not until May l6
OF the following year that the troops
reached the scene of operations. The
great valley OF the Mississippi was then a
wilderness. The white wings of the
prairie schooners had not been spread TO
their conquest of the west.
At the extreme northwest corner of the
island the new fort was built. 1t was the
farthest western picket port FOR many a
year, and few statesmen had the proph-
etc vision te see the century make it the
center of civilization. 1t was 400 fe ct
square, built of wood AID stone, and in
honor of the secretary of war it was
laj q
mildly as center of operations during
the Indian war of 1881. the fort was in
little active use until 1862, when The act
establishing the Rock Island arsenal was
passed by congress.
WORK DELAYED BY RED TAPE.
The progress of work was slow. the
dilatory effects of red tape being contin-
ually felt, while political jealousies served
to abreviate the usefulness OF the COM
mandauts. Gen. Thomas J. Rodman,
the inventor Of the famous gun which
bears his name, was in charge from 1865
to 1871, when he died and was buried on
the island, where his monument serves to
perpetuate his memory. Soon after his
induction into the responsible charge of
the arsenal Gen. Rodman submitted
plans TO the chief of ordnance compre-
bending the construction of 20 great
sheps-fve on each side of the wide
avenue which bisects the island. The
i've on the north side were designed for
the armJrY; the five on the south side for
the arsenal. The plans were approved,
and Gen. Rodman, under the inspiration
of S500,0O0 appropriation made in
1869, began his great work. He did not
live to complete it, but Col D. W. Flsgler,
who succeeded him. and was in charge
for Is years. did, A system of sewerage,
bridge. officers and mems quarters were
built, the water power plant was completed
and much other necessary work was done
The central shop in the arsenal row is the
forging shop and foundry, the other four
are designed for finishing. wood. leather,
and metal working shops. The center
shop in the north row is the rolling mill
and forging shop for the srmory, the
Others are for the manufacture of all
kinds of small arms. All the buildings