Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-06
ONE OF THE MODERN MONSTERS.

MODERN guns and ordnance be mounted at
no fewer than twenty-seven different points,
In place OF the old and antlquted types then
Muse. The most Important OF these points
were declared to be New York, Boston, Port
land, Me-, Providence and Newport. Phila-
delphla, Baltimore. Washington, Hampton
Roads. Charleston. New Orleans and san
francisco, besides certain Of the lake ports.
Nearly one thousand guns were advocated
as necessary. divided into classes as fol-
lows: Sixty-seven guns OF S-lnoh caliber III
guns OF 1O-inch caliber. 1854 guns OF l2-lnch
caiber. AZ guns of 16-lnch callber, "a NOR
tars OF 10-inch caliber, and b2S mortars OF
l2-nch caliber.
Il build these great pieces OF artillery
all OF which were provided .or by Congress,
with the exception of the l6-lnch guns
a sultable place was necessary, and that was
exactly what the Government started out
70 lind. There were no shops anywhere in
tho country possessing facilities for turning
out such work. And, as It was desirable that
the construction should be done in Gov
Eminent plant. and under governmental SUI
perylslon, attention was directed to the
Various arsenal5 and repair shops scattered
over the country.
Tho village. or more properly, the post
OF Watervllet, in Albany County, New York
state, was established in the year 1897.
and formed a reservation comprising about
forty acres OF land. adjoining what is now
the Village Of West Troy 1t was once known
<s Gibboasyllle. During the war OF 1872.
and. in fact. throughout the first quarter Of
the century, the post was Of considerable
irnportance in a military and strategic sense.
being within easy marching distance of the
frontier, and commanding in a way. tho
upper valley Of the Hudson. With the
paaslng of time. however. gradual change
took place in its character. 1t became the
great repair shop for every branch OF tho
army-and more particularly, perhaps. for
the ordnance service. Field pieces. gun
carriages, caissons saddlery. small arms.
sserythlng was sent to It. until. at the out
break and the period Of the Civil War. It
WAS one Of the most famous and valuable
arsenals In the country.
Il was to this post, Isolated and quiet as
Il bad become since those busy and ex-
citing days. that the Government turned.
with Its collection OF brick and other build
inGs. some Of which had fallen Into disuse.
and It's supply Of machinery, divided about
half and half as to usefulness and useless
npsa It appeared to offer certain facilities
1Qi|tle production OF tne BTeal guns neelel
that were 10 be found nowhere else. To be
sure the most advanced work that had been
dune on the old reservation for several years
|h1d been the converting OF the obsolete
sln1e th-hores into what was designated as
fifiel guns; but the decision was made and
Tho preparations for beginning active ope-
.ations were entered upon with rather more
tnxn Its customary expedition by the Gov
e<ument.
rhe irst modern gun the construction of
vlioh was attempted In the factory-and
The Establishment hardly deserved the name
Ok ftctory at that time-was an elght-inoh
hroech-loadlns ride, in 1851, composed Of
steel manufactured In the mills Of Penn
| ayl<afia, A number OF S.2-inoh breech-
loa4ing guns were begun soon after, and
1 a tcn-lnco brooch-loader was also COM
menced the same year. but the work was
| ham2ered with the utmost difficulties. Not
onlyNere the means at hand insufficient, but
the actual material, in some Instances, was
lacking. Il seems remarkable In these days
|oto near that It wan found necessary for the
later gun TO send to England for its tube,
jacket and trunlon hoop. But there was
quot q concern In the United States that was
|. able TO turn out those PARIS.
r. slnca that time everything has changed.
/ .Ihal Countries and mills all over the country
ihAfe enlarged their capacities and facilities
and put In new and improved machinery, SO
|t,lhat the United States Is now able to obtain
9hnAteyer It requires wholly independent OF
|-luy foreign country. The buildings ct
|. sNAlesvliet have been added to and new ones
Liat< been erected. The most approved
L ,ralhods have been adopted. and from a
/ .iepacity OF few Held pleces, an elght-inch
'<ln and a ten-inch gun-consldered extra
| <9trAry seven or eight years ago. under the