Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-24
UNCLE SAM'S GUNS.
Plans for Coast Defence to Be Com.
pleted This Year.
ONE HUNDRED IMKENiE PIELD.pIECES.
No Easy Matter to Turn Out the Monsters
VIII BE 81 Busy Year in the Govern
ment's Mammoth Repair shops.
Chicago Times.)

Chicago Times.)
The year 1895 will probably. among
other things. see the Government OF the
United States In possession OF more thah
one hundred first-class guns for the de-
fence OF our great seaports-a number
which, while far from adequate for our
needs and requirements. is still most
encouraging and comparatively respect
able. 1t will be remembered, says the
Toledo Commercial, that the first steps
toward making some provision for the
proper protection OF our extensive ana
seriously exposed coast line were taken
only a little more than ten years ago.
when Congress, on the Sd OF March, 1885,
passed an act directing that board OF
officers representing the ordnance DEPART
ment should be appointed to investigate
and report as TO the necessities of the
country in that direction. A report, In
accordance with this act. was submitted
TO Congress three years later. and after
reviewing in detail the condition OF the
Notifications that were supposed 10
guard our coast cities and harbors, re-
commended that modern guns and ord
nance be mounted at no fewer than
twerty-seven different points, In place or
the old and antiquated types then IN use
The most important or these points were
declared to be New York, Boston, PORT
land. Me-, Providence and Newport
Philadelphia. Baltimore. Washington
Hampton Roads, Charleston. New Or
leans. and San Francisco, besides certain
OF the lake ports. Nearly 1905 guns were
advocated as necessary. divided into
classes as follows: Sixty-seven guns or
s-inch calibre: III guns Of 10-inch calibre.
ia guns OF Pinch calibre, AZ guns OF
16-inch calibre, "a mortars OF 10-inch call
bre. and 52S mortars of Pinch calibre
To build these great pieces of artillery
all of which were provided for by Con-
gress. with the exception OF the l6-incn
guns-a suitable place was necessary.
and that was exactly what the govern
ment started out TO find. Ihere were no
shops anywhere in the country possess
ing facilities for turning out such work.
And. as IL was desirable that the con-
struction should be done In govern
mont plant and under governmental SUI
pery,sion, attention was directed 10 tne
various arsenals and repair-snops SCAT
tered over the country.
WORK TO BE DONE AT WAiEH-
vLIET.
The village. or, more properly. the post
Of Watervliet In Albany county, Ne"
York State. was established In the year
1907. and formed reservation, compris-
| ing about forty acres of land, ADJOINING
what Is now the village of west Troy
II was once known as GibbonsviHe.
During the war of 1872, and, IN 1act'
throughout the first quarter OF century,
the post was OF considerable importance
ctr
| within easy marching distance of the
| frontier and commanding, In way, the
| upper valley of the Hudson. With the
passing OF time, however, gradual
| change took place in its character. IL be-
| came the great repair-shop Tor every
branch of the army. and more particu'
larry. perhaps, for the ordnance service
| F'ield-peces. gun-carriages, caissons, sad
dlery. small arms, everything was srn'
| to II. until, at the outbreak ana the
period of the civil war, 1t was one of the
most famous and valuable arsenais IN the
| country.
| 1t was 10 this post, iso'ated and quiet
as Il had become since those busy and
| exciting days. that the government turn
| ed With its collection OF brick and other
buildings. some of which had fallen into
| disuse, and It's supply Of machinery
| divided about half and half as TO use1ui-
| ness and uselessness. II appeared 10 oHei
certain facilities for the production oil
the great guns needed that were to be
| found nowhere else. To be sure. the most
advanced work that had been done on
the old reservation for several years had
been the converting Of the Obsolete
| smooth bores into what was designated
| as riAsd guns. But the decision was
made, and the preparations for beginning
active operations were entered upon with
| rather more than its customary expedi'
| ton by the government.
| The first modern gun. the construction
| Of which was attempted In the factory
| and the establishment hardly deserved
| the name Of factory at that time-was an
S-inch breech-loading rifle In 1887, COM
posed Of steel manufactured In the mills
| of Pennsylvania A number OF S.2-inch
| breech-loadng guns were begun soor
also commenced the same year, but the
| work WAS hampered with the utmost
difficulty. Not only were the means AT
hand insufficient, but the actual material
| In some instances was lacking. 1t seems
remarkable In these days to hear that II
was found necessary for the latter gun to
send to England for Its tube. jacket. and
trunion-hoop. But there was not con-
Germ In the United States that was able
to turn out those parts.
MANY NEW BUILDINGS ADDED.
Since that time everything has changed
The foundries and mills all over the coun-
try have enlarged their capacities and IA
ciiities and put In new and improved ma
chinery, 80 that the United States IL now
able to obtain whatever II requires wholly
independent Of any foreign country. The
buildings at Wate-vlet have been added
to and new ones have been erected. The
most approved methods have been
adopted. and from capacity OF n few
field pieces IN S-inch gun, and a l0-inch
gun--consdered extraordinary seven OF
eight years ago under the circumstances
the capacity OF the arsenal has now
reached twenty l2-inch. fourteen 1o-inch
and twelve s-inch guns q year. besides a
large number OF Siege and field pieces.
The officers In charge Of the works arr
now more than Impatient to begin some OF
the magnificent lG-inch guns-the size OF
the grent krupp gun exhibited at the
Chicago Worlds Fair-for which every
thing is ready. And we incidentally pos
sess the largest and finest gun-factory In
the world. for such foreign establishments
as the Krupps' and others are not de-
voted exclusively to the manufacture Of
guns.
A visit to the post Of watervliet IL well
worth the trip. and II one that should moi
be neglected by any tourist who nnds him.
self within the confines Of Albany county
The delightful calm that pervadss the
place, the easy, peaceful ways Of the VII.
iaxs folk. the slu&gish current OF the old
Erie canal that bisecta the government