New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-29
THE NATIONS NAVAL GUN FACTORY.
WHERE VAR WEAPONS ARE MADE At WASHINGTON
SOME INTERESTING RELICS PRESCRIBED THERE.

The naval gun factory. formerly the navy yard.
81 Washington. is place Of never ending wonder
There are made many Of the big pieces Of ordnance
for hghting ships-guns OF sGch marvellous power
and using projeces OF such terrible desJructveness
thst -heir very existence Is an indUceent 70 peace
= one thinks OF plant consisting OF more than a
dozen foundres. machine shops. repair shops model
lofts and storehouses. covering an area ot nearly
fifty acres. and the whole surrounded by A hieh
and massive wall with battlenented entrance gaze
which is posted a guard Of United States ma
rines one has a general idea OF the nation
naval gun factory. Imagine dozen travelling
cranes. each capable Of lifting a locomotive. twice
as many triphanlrners Of many tons weight hun
dreds OF lathes. clanking chains next 70 unbreak-
able roaring blast furnaces glowing with the white
heat OF their contents OF tons OF molten metal half
q dozen locomotives pumng among, into and
through the immense buildings, and $500 grlIny men
working many in the glare OF the intense heat
and one may have a partial conception o. the
babel Of sounds which accompany the sight This
phase. however. most concerns the engineer and
the scientist. There Is another. in which the
strangers who visit the national capital feel an
Interest great
Tee old e.n factory has made history. and is
ve-f;ahle srorehouse OF relics OF the In
these the public appears 10 be more interested than
10 the making Of engines OF destruction 10 be used
IL the wars 70 come There are guns used at the
siege q Yorktown. scarcely as large the shells
AIRED from the great guns Of to-day. There IA
nous pieces used by the Qrivateers Of the early Gays
OF the Republic. ordnance that made history in
the War q Is2 il the against pirates in the
Mediterranean sea. IN the Civil War, and il the
war f0r the liberation Of Cuba The guides who
conduct visitors about the yard and show them
these objects are intelligent colored men, who have
y onderfuI stories TO tell. They not without
sense Of hu-oor which manifests itself at times in
Dbl WAYS which are interesting. Instance this
Here madam is a wonderful cannon that will
shoot ten miles With two Of them a shell could
d. thrown twenty .liles-'
TIE first interesting relics at the yard are TO BE
found Ranking the main avenue through IT, Just
trslde -Ee gate. Each is about twelve feet long
v.rr "a bore arp-cxiuating six inches. That the
---.a the inscription On August 3, lse4.
captain Stephen Decatur. in command OF
American --r5oa- o. TripOl captured after board
.r- .r succession, two Tripolitan gunboats armed
fr.e and the adjacent gun" The guns, which
Brass. were cast al Barcelona, Spain. in
-. Long Tom" ~ the General Armstrong Is
-ef rerr the Office Of the captain OF the yard,
..e main ta1ro-Ehfare about halfway between
r.-. and r-e Administration Building. On a
.-. attached -7 the SIDE Of the carriage is the
r.er- r-tf history Cf the gun;
.4-Pdr Of I7sl
... .. main BATTERY % the French 74-gun ship
.. ..-re-ed ty the British and the battery sold
.. ... ..r.r. States Served on Haytian pr1vateer.
t.r tr.r- ro New-To-k. whore II lay n south-st-
s..r. r.a-s. Do vas then mounted on the priva-
..- General Arus-rCug and. by its aid boat at
-sr-rr.Her So. -sls on Faval IN the Azores.
rrH Joss to the British q 20 killed and
a-rf.l and nearly al the boats destroyed.
krrrrr l.ee ruo ksled and eight wounded. The
H.--H-r .fe- was sunk % prevent capture. The
oil. r.. -..se1 many years later and presented 10
r. I-. states tE rhe Portuguese government
..-r .f Long Ton" is about six inches and
H.rr. .r r leer dent I'm the Vnuzzle made by an
rrrt
rr.@- side ~ rhe entrance % the Adninistra-
guns from the Viscaya and other
st.-F sunk tv TIRE United States feet Of
"-rEr .laa. ard in the rear are trophies from
fgre rcr-i-i-~le ar The rear o. the Admins
rr"-- Bonding are arranged many trophies OF the
Var one re- the most interesting OF these
used ir rhe famous engagement between
aerate irc-clad Merrimac and the United
.... r-.zrteF Cumberland and Congress on the
sr FORTRESS Monroe. on March s 1862
--r rr. % fte uuzze was sho. Of The
severely marked tv the efforts OF the United
s --HoTs to sG-- IRE piece before IL fell into
90 --fH rs rfe Goa Adefates. Its bore is bout
and rf1ed
Cf the big Eals q the Confed crate
Tennessee. captured by Fa-ragut in Mobile
t. e. they are the largest and mo- wicked