The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-14
JERSEYS OLD ARSENAL
Originally a State Prison
1t Reverts Now to Its
First Purpose.
special to The Jersey city Ye,o,.

viding for the building Of a new arsenal,
as the ground occupied by the present
edi1ce, it is stated, is needed for extern
sions TO the State Prison, which will in
clude a new wing for cells and a prison
hospital, the existing accomlnod atoms at
the prison being greatly crowded. Under
these circumstances, some interest natur-
ally attaches to the ancient struct ure
that adjoins the prison with it's heavily
grated windows and time stained, but
massive masonry. The property is
bounded by Second, Third and Cass
streets and h present prison. h orig
inal building was erected in 1907, and
over the entrance on Second street. o.
a stone tablet, appears the following in
scription:-
Labor, Silence, Penitence.
The Penitentiary House,
Erected by Legislative Authority,
Richard Howell, Governor,
in the XXI year of American Independence,
MDCCXCVII.
That those who are feared for their crimes
May learn to fear the laws and be useful.
Hic Labor, Hoe Opus.
AS the inscription indicates, i5 was
originally built for a State Prison. and
the impregnable walls, TWO feet thick,
the heavily grated windows, and the
massive iron WORK about the doors in
dictate that it was not the intention for
persons confined within its precincts to
escape easily. The mortar is as hard as
The stone, and when one of the wings
was torn down a few years ago, huge
portions of the wall came down i'll a
solid mass, and 1t was next to impossible
to tear them apart. A new wing was
built in 1920 of brown stone, which was
designed for the solitary confinement of
prisoners, and an iron plate shows where
one of the prisoners had dug through the
walls of his cell; he succeeded in getting
out in the yard when he Yves shot by one
of the guards on the outer wall. The
present State Prison wa completed in
1886, and the old prison was used as a j Ill
for a time, until the completion of the
present county Jail, when it was vacated.
OLD BURYING GROUND.
Along the Wall on the Cass street side
is the old prison burying ground, some of
the old headstones being yet visible.
When the foundation for the present wall
on that sid was being dug. a number of
bones were exhnmed, and one of the
workmen Immediately left the trench
and could not be induced to return.
The arms and military property OF the
State had been kept in the old State Bank
Building, on the corner of Warren n
Bank streets, and shortly after the
prisoners were removed from the old
prison, it was decided to remove the ar
OOhoA ~ H4so ROAhSf NAA HND
remained ever since. Some new
buildings have been erected for storage
purposes, repair shops, etc., but with the
exception of the wing referred to above,
the old fortress like structure remains al
most intact, and in places where the plas-
tering has fallen off can be seen the old
ceiling lath that were split out, instead OF
being sawed, as is now the custom.
A walk through the arsenal is full of
interest. On the ground floor of the
main store house, erected in 1868. are a
large number of six pound aud twelve
pound Napoleon guns, with caissons, am
muniJion wagons, ETC., complete. The
quite clumsy beside the natty pro-
auctions of later years. They were in
tended to fit out a number OF batteries
tha were recruited just as the war
closed, and were not needed. Among the
artillery here to be seen are a nulnbe of
memorable pieces. One bronze gun of
handsome design bears date 1868; lying
In one corner is u cast-iron gun captured
from the British at the battle of Trenton,
and by its side repoSes a small piece that
was captured in an Algerian frigate by
Commodore Decatur during the War with
IripOli.
MODERN ORDINANCE.
On the second floor are "a number of
pieces Of modern design. A three-inch
breech-loadlng ri1ed howitzer is a hand
some affair, and throws a baD with fear
full force. The ball is of elongated conical
shape and heavy enough to penetrate sew
eral inches OF solid oak. In close prox-
imi.y to the howitzers are a number
OF Calling guns that throw bull
lets us rapidly as an Italian organ grinder
can throw his tuneful notes on the spring
time air. Further on is seen what Is
called a Requa battery. This is a piece of
mechanism, by which twenty-five gun
barrels placed side by side eau be fired
simultaneously, and being so arranged
that the fire can be diverged, they would
NOW an immense sWath in an opposing
force. They are especially designed for
stree warfare, as tney would sweep a
street from side to side, and they ear be
operated with surprising rapidity. In
this room are large numbers OF boxes OF
small arms, designed for the use of the
National Guard. In this building also
are the repair shops, where the arms and
accoutrements used at the annual en-
campment of the National Guard are
cieaneda and repaired and put In shape for
future use.
Over the mantel in the storekeeper's
office, hangs an old flint lock musket,
which Is in striking contrast with the
pattern of the present style Of arms. The
plan pursued for the past few years has
been to reduce the calibre; the new arm
being introduced by the United States
Government has a calibre of 30, the ball
being about one and a quarter inches
long and nearly the size OF an ordinary
| lead pencil. They are made of lead with
| sufficiently rigid. A couple OF artil-
lery swords are also here that We're
in use in the service until quite recently.
| They are of the same shape and size as
| those portrayed in the pictures of Roman
| gladjatorial combets. A rebel cavalry
| guidon is also shown that belonged to q
| Georgia regiment during the war.
The present storekeeper, Charles /.
| Snowden, has been in charge since before
| the war, and is thoroughly conversant
| with all the ms and outs of his depart
ment, and eau make a half hour pass
| pleasantly In describing the changes that
have been made in the means for carry
| ing on offensive aud defensive warfare.
THAT HUDSON TUNNEL.