Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-03-12

floor space provided in the 10 great
arsenal shops.
Demands of Spanish War.
upon an establishment conducted
in this peaceful, quiet manner, when
| all connected with it had an amount of
leisure which now, unfortunately, we
enjoy to but limited degree, came
the sudden demands incident to the
war with Spain. 1t found us not only
with very limited supplies of reserve
| stores, but. in consequence of the
economy which perforce had to be ex-
ercised in the establishment of the
plant, with also very limited means
for producing them in greater guam
tity.
| Il have told you on several occa-
sions, and the public press of the
three cities kept it promin' ntly before
! you at the time as an item of consid-
cradle interest. how the arsenal ex-
banded and developed during the
| Spanish war. 1 shall not enter into
these partiulars again. Suffice it to
saw that our employees increased in
mum bers to over two thousand nine
hundred. our monthly pay roll to over
$l75. 900, and of course much more of
the arsenal floor space was utilized
When the great urgency of the Span
ish war had passed, a complete re-
arrangement of all the machinery at
the arsenal was begun, and the great
ly enlarged plant disposed in the
various shops in the manner sug-
gested by the experience at that time
acquired.
"Since then additional machinery of
modern design, and specially adapted
to our fabrications. has been added as
far as the funds, which have been lib
orally allotted, would permit, until
today the arsenal is provided with
plant capable of turning out daily
several thousand sets of the soldiers
equipment, aud susceptible of further
rapid expansion in time of war"
Must Meet Competition.
Referring to the wage question,
Mai. Blunt said: "Omitting the
phase of the question that the officials
conducting the plant are sworn Off
GERS of the army. and as such under
obligations to take all proper
measures to enhance the interests of
the government, it may he answered
that this arsenal is not without rivals
in it's manufactures. On the contrary
they exist in every branch of its out
put, and if the arsenal cannot. by the
excellence and cheapness of its pro-
duct, justify its operation, it would
soon revert to a mass of empty build
ings and silent machinery"
An exhaustive description of the
power arrangement followed. Maj.
Blunt said: "a detailed de-
scription of this new electric plant
would be beyond the scope of this
paper. 1t must, therefore, suffice to
say that two 500-Kilowat 3-phase,
alternating current generators have
been placed, with their exciters, di
rectly on the main shaft on the dam,
and so arranged that either generator
can be connected with either EXETER
and operated by either of the two
groups of seven turbines as separate
units, or the whole p ant can be con-
nected and operated as a single unit.
While it would undoubtedly have
been cheaper to carry the transmits
sion wires on poles from the dam to
the shops, it seemed much wiser to
avoid all possible danger of an injury
which might interrupt the power at
some very critical period, and to place
the wires underground. For this
purpose tunnel, of sufficient size to
permit the ready passage of linemen,
and of the power and lighting wires,
has been built of concrete, from the
dam to the eastern shops, and then
continued under the cross streets be-
tween the buildings to the western
shops of each row"
The Small Arms Plant.
Referring to the proposed small
arms factory, Maj Blunt said: The
complete project for the plant con-
templated that 429 machines of
various kinds, including drop forging
furnaces. gas FORCES. etc would be
required; which, it was estimated,
would cost about $4S1 900. For them
very full and complete specifications
were prepared; proposals invited; and
the bids opened last October, which,
it is satisfactory to know, fell slightly
below this estimate. A contract for
the furnaces, FORCES and gas fuel plant
complete, has been let, and under its
terms should be executed, and this
plant installed, by June 80.
For the machinery great variety
of bids were secured, and under the
law, when the lowest bidder offered a
machine conforming to the specifica-
tions and capable of performing the
work for which it was desired, recon-
mendation for it's acceptance was
made. Such recommendations were
approved last month, orders were
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