Rock Island Argus., 1897-06-04
SMALL ARM FACTORY
New Industry at Rock Island
Arsenal.
FORMER REPORTS verified.
Buster Days and More Men
Promised.
Unapproached Advantages OF
This Locality.
FORMER REPORTS VERIFIED.

Island arsenal" says the Chicago
Record in an extended article in to-
days issue, fully verifying the re-
ports hitherto published in The
ARGUS of the prospect of the estab-
lishment of q small arms factory
there. ''For several years." says the
Record, "there has been no marked
activity there; the big shops. capa-
BILE of containing an absolute army
of operatives, have been tenanted by
workmen only in occasional corners;
the demands OF the army for NUM-
tions have been barely supplied and
the work incident to the mainte-
nance and Improvement of the arse
nal has been done. But this is all
usual. ordinary and not worthy of
remark. Now the forces in the big
shops are growing; the output is
growing greater and the pay roll;
the lines of workmen walking or
riding to and from the post are
iengthening; the output Is growing
greater, and soon will be heard the
hustle of more than one military in
dustry that is new in the west. For
unless all sign. fail the Rock Island
arsenal will soon be manufacturing
the arms and ammunition as well as
the commoner and less essential
supplies Of the United States regular
army"
The same source of information
thereupon presents the army sup
plies provided by Rock Island arsenal
in time of peace for its soldiers. foot.
horse or artillery, and so it comes
that harness saddles, saddle blankets,
knapsacks, haversacke, csnteens,
targets. target frames, belts, hal
sters, buckles, tin cups-everyt thing
that the American soldier uses-is
demanded in continued fresh supply
and are furnished here at Rock ISL
and arsenal for the whole army of
the United States.
Busier Days 1t the Arsenal.
"But," says the authority re-
ferred to. ga change has come over
the spirit of the scene at Rock Island
arsenal, and more change is coming
in the near future or the plans Of
Gen. Daniel W. Flagler. chief of ord
nance, will come to failure. Gen.
Flagler came to Rock Island arsenal
right after the war, captain. but he
soon became commandant. He early
fell in loye with the command, and
he thoroughly imbibed the ideas and
the spirit that animated Gen. Rod
man, the designer and founder OF the
post. As years went on he saw
more clearly its great strategic pos.
sibilities, and became convinced that
here In the heart of the continent,
and in the heart of the grandest nat
ural waterway should lie the great
central source of supply for the
American armies. No invading foe
can hope to reach it; it has unsur-
passed facilities for transportation;
it provides the best of labor at the
lowest rates, and its geographical To-
cation is unsurpassed. Added to
this are beauty of situation and a
water power uneqaaled in this part
Of the country. For years past the
location Of the principal small arms
and ammunition factory at this post
has been the ultimate aim of the de-
partment. Steps are now under
way. and their completion may not
long be delayed to carry out this
cherished plan. As preliminary to
this movement the ordnance depart
ment recently transferred hither, as
a commandant, Capt. Stanhope f.
Blunt. formerly of the staff of Mai.
Gen. p. H. Sheridan. The captain is
the acknowledged authority of the
army and Of the United States on
small-arms practice, and the author
of the hand book on the use of small
arms, which has been adopted by the
war department. Prior to Can't.
Blunt's arrival matters had not been
on the boom at the arsenal. Since
he came the pace has visibly quick.
ened-Rock Island arsenal has awak-
ened to swifter life than it has
known for years, but it is going at
snail's pace still in comparison with
the gait Gen. Flagler will set for it il
he can arouse congress.
Steel Carriages lGanufacture.
Then it is stated that the manu-
facture Of built up steel carriages
for field guns, siege guns and NOR
tars is to be largely increased. the
plan for this being outlined in Gen.
flagler's late visit TO the arsenal,
and this is in the carving out Of the
design in the transfer Of the manu-
iacture Of these guns hither from
Watervliet. N. Y four years ego.
The government wants $50 of these
guns turned out here . yesr. as
well as the production Of the car
riages. Siege gun carriages. 5000 in
number, also are to be made here in
larger quantities. as are cassions or
ammunition wagons to the number
Oh 900. As many asa. 500 field guns.
with cassions to match all these
are necessary to have a
supply available such as the govern
ment desires to'have. and ~ the arti-
Gle In question says: There is
work enough on this single order,
and on the several hundred siege gun