The sun., 1894-01-17
1RMoRfEs hNp ARsEY1LA
WATERFOWL, watsrvnst, srrinaneis, Fr.aN
ford, Rock leland, nnd nentcin.

torus H0ck lslnnut nud Hentctns
wAsnINaroN. Jan. 10 The important work
now going on. with more under contem plation.
at the various Government factories Of army
guns carriages. and ammunition. makes IL
desirable that Congress should be liberal In
it's appropriations for these Institutions.
At Watortown in Massachusetts. on the
Charles River near Boston, work upon the in
stal!ation OF plant for making modern gun
carriages was continued through the past
year New shops have been built old ones inn
proved and much OF the machinery set up. An
auxiliary machine shop has been fitted up
with certain large planers. boring mills. slot
ters &C. and potion travelling crano.
The foundry may now be considered
as completed the additions made to It
having more than doubled its capacity.
Congress has thus far given S2S4.050 to
this plant. which includes not only the highly
important manufacture Of gun carriages. but
the making OF all the cast iron projectiles for
sea coast guns together with testings for til Q
acceptance OF ordnance material furnished un-
der contract II also tests material for private
parties. For example. II has made an extern
sive series OF automatic cAr-couping tests
upon material submitted by an association
representing all the principal railways OF the
country. acting in accordance with the views
OF the Interstate Commerce Commission, to
select car coupling which will meet the re-
quirements Of tho law. other experiments
stresses, and are ot Importance to the indus-
trial interests of the country. A smaller aux
Hilary machine and drop-testlng apparatus
At Watervliet work has been going on. under
n liberal authorization. 20 equip the south
wing OF the gun factory, although the actual
needed. The lathes and rilling machines for
the l2-inch guns are complete. as are some of
the smaller machines for 1G-inch guns. The
inch guns and the south wing the II and l0
inch A tjO-tor and n 3O.ton crane will lie
and a portable scale weighing up to 100000
pounds will be. supplied.
The SANDY Hook proving ground has been
variety OF It's irlngS having been greater than
during any I, Previous year in ITS history In
transporting guns and carriages. have aided
in producing this result. The liock Island Ar
At the Springfield Arniory the great change
alions from the 40 cali6re rifle TO tho 80 maya
zine arm The former has ~ parts and the
story OF the details In making the change as
In the manufacture nt the old rod d-bayonet rife
nrrs ere SHgS. mere ~ ~ Ytqrss e%PiS0yed Ard
being needed to verify the correctness OF the
work and secure intcrchangeability OF parts.
the familiar old .45 rifles stopred. y. Isl hnV:
ing been made during that year. The comple.
filing shops and the placing ot tthe new steam
power rlant in the central building were fur
ther Incidents OF tho year.
Frankford Arsenal is interesting as the seat
OF the manufacture OF ammunition. and It has
lately grown in importance through the n eed
OF cartridges for the new magazine gun and
OF testing smokeless and other powders In the
chemical laboratory and elsewhere. This
latter work hns been very extensive OF late.
There is urgent need Of appropriations under
which the plant may be SO rearranged as to
increase its present maximum OF $4,000 car
tridges per day to 2JOuUO. Sights Qundrants.
primers fuses. and star gauges are among
the other products OF the shops at this point.
At the Benicia Arsenal. on tho Pacific coast.
the chief additions have been those which arc
needed for testing the smokeless and other
powders manufactured in California. The
same policy that has dictated the building Of
war ships on that coast applies. to n certain
extent, TO creating . local production Of war
material for the land deiences. 1t Is GER
tainly n noteworthy fact that both for the army
and the navy California has lately furnished
valuable powder supplies.