Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-19

material. A few days since, a Journa
representative paid visit to the post
for the purpose of writing up it's his
tory, and thanks to the courtesy o
Major Butler, he was allowed to ex
anime the place to his hearts content
| 1t is place that is full OF interes
to the visitor, even before he has en-
tered the enclosure, for the view ont
gets from the gate, of the neatly KEEP
lawns, the wide gravelled avenues thai
wind through the grounds, the granite
buildings of style that is at once
| quaint and substantial, and the beau.
tiful Kennebec that forms the western
boundary. makes a picture of more
than ordinary beauty, and creates
within him desire to more fully
examine.
The gate itself with it's massive
stone pillars surmounted by solid shot
is a fitting sample of the solidity and
strength of the whole plant. Just in
side the gate on the left is a single
story stone building Containing the
guard house and offices, Major Butler
occupying the south end OF the build
ing.
Passing along the main avenue for
about 400 feet and turning to the right
brings the visitor to the front of row
of five stone buildings. On the north
end of the row is a two-story building
with piazzas which is used as the Off
GERS quarters. Next on the south is
the main arsenal building, three-sto-
ries high and built in 1928.
In this building, during the war,weTe:
stored millions of dollars worth OF ma
terial, both in arms and ammunition,
and now, though the arsenal may be
said to be conducted on a peace basis,
there is much valuable property in
this building. In the basement, for
one item, there are 1874, 500 pounds of
saltpetre, with a value of $90,315 On
tHC III 81 llOoi lHcie 10 Il NdIItu dSSOTl-
ment of army equipments including
among other things those of the list
Maine Regiment, U. S. ", which were
turned in as the regiment was mus
tered out of service. These are to be
sorted out and the worthless ones con-
demned. The rifles will be returned to
the Rock Island arsenal where those
worth repairing will be put in first
class condition and the others con-
demned. 1t is a hard looking lot of
guns, and while, of course, in some
cases there was an excuse for their
condition, one cannot but think that
the useless condition of many is the
result of carelessness that might have
been avoided.
On the second floor the space is oc-
cupied by cavalry and artillery ac-
coutrements, and a large number OF
boxes containing cavalry carbines, all
new, but of obsolete designs that went
out of use after the Rebellion. There
are specimens of the first attempts at
breech loading rifles, including the
Spencer, Maynard, Smith and other
patterns, which We're in their day con-
gunmakers art, but they are entirely
outclassed by the rifle of today. One
object of interest on this floor is a
ten-barrel Calling field piece. 1t cost
$1,000 and is really fine arm, and in
'first-class condition, though of the orig
inal pattern, made before the barrels
were enclosed in a water jacket. The
third floor contains a miscellaneous
assortment, but of no special interest.
On the south of the arsenal building
is another building like the officers
quarters, which is used for like pur-
pose by the men. Then comes the car
penter shop and the machine shop and
storehouse.
This latter building is veritable
''old curiosity shop" The front end is
used as wood shed but the rear con-
tains an assortment that would drive
relic hunter of war material Wild
There are gun carriages and parts of
gun carriages, from those used in the
Mexican War to those of the modern
gun, the latter available in case they
should be wanted, while the former
are in various stages of decay. There |
is an old battery wagon, a sort of
combined blacksmith shop and ma
chine shop on wheels. that looks as if |
it might have seen service as far back |
as 1912, but really was in use at much |
later period. Over near the wall are
three or four old 10-inch mortars, amid |
a profusion of fragments of siege gun |
carriages that once did duty at Fort |
Popham. On the floor are four brass |
12-pounders that We're dismounted |
when their carriages were wanted last |
spring, to be sent to Texas. Outside |
on the terrace near the river are more |
parts of gun carriages and tiers of |
shot and SHE'LL while down on the |