Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-26
"Our Island Arsenal Seen Through the Eyes Stranger

inal plan of General Rodman. There
are five on one side of the main ave-
nue. for arsenal use and the same
number on the other for an armory.
The ground plans of all the shops
are alike, each building consisting
of two parallel wings 60 by 800
feet; 80 feet broad. The total
area of each shop is 44,2S4 feet.
little more than one acre. The
walls of the building are entirely OF
stone. They are very thick, built
as if to withstand the attacks OF the
ages, the average of the first story
being 8 feet 4 inches.
In addition to the shops there are
power houses, magazines and quar-
tiers for officers and enlisted men.
The dams which have been con-
structed make practically 1000
horse power ready for use. When
General Rodman died in 1871,
while still in command of the ar
senal, he had seen two of the shops
and the quarters of the commanding
officer constructed.
His success, Captain D. w. Flag
Ter, served for 5 years as the COM
manding officer of Rock island, dur
ing all of which time the work or
construction went on.
He was followed by Colonies Bay
lor and Whittemore. each of whom
had about two years of command.
lin 1892 Colonel Burlington took
charge, to remain until 1897.
Installation Under Blunt.
Major Stanhope E. Blunt followed
! Colonel Burlington and the actual
| installation of the great manutac-
| turing plant which Rock Island now
has took place very largely under
his hands. Colonel Blunt remained
| in command of Rock island from
March, 1897, until August, 1907.
The period of the Spanish-American
war came within Colonel BIunt's com
mand. and under the excessive de-
mands made upon that institution IN
prepared. as was all the rest of the
country, there was no faltering or Wa
vering.
The number of workmen on March
81, 1898. employed at Rock island was
sos: April 80, 1917; the cid of March,
1884; at the last of June 2,312, and
July, 2,902. No difficulty was expert
enced in securing men. The country
surrounding Rock island appears to be
able to furnish all the employees even
an emergency use might require.
After 1898, Rock island still cOntin-
Iued 10 manufacture large quantities OF
material under the direction of Col
lonel Blunt. until he was transferred
to Springfield armory and his place
taken by LieutenantColonelF Frank +.
Hobbs.
Colonel Hobbs administration OF
Rock island has been on par with
the service rendered by his predeces-
sors. The arsenal has continued to
produce good ordnance material and q
great deal OF 1t. Colonel Hobbs seems
to have at his finger ends all Of the
details of the immense establishment
over which he presides. He, as we'll
as other officers of the ordnance de
partment, especially those who have
served at Rock island, which includes
many of the most distinguished Off
GERS in the service, such as Lieutenant
Colonies John T. Thompson and Will
liam S. Pierce, are immensely proud
of the arsenal and its work.
The new infantry equipment, for In
stance, that is to say those portions of
it which have been manufactured and
issued, have been turned out from
Rock island Experimental work for
the board inquiring into the subject of
infantry equipment was done at Rock
island. Incidentally it might be said
that the equipment would have been
ready to issue to a battalion of infan-
try at each of the instruction camps at
Fort Riley, Fort Benjamin Harrison,
and Atascadero, had it not been for the
failure of the contractors to deliver in
time, as had been promised. the alumni
mum canteen and cup. and the desire
of the war department to issue the
equipment complete only.
All those parts Of the equipment
which are manufactured at Rock is
land were prepared in ample time to
reach the destination when desired.
The canteen and the cup were missing.
These were promised for delivery on
Aug. l, but were not actually delivered
until the last of September too late
even to be put in use at the Atascadero
camp except uuueI ItSOII 10 NAbCtlSiNC
express shipment 1t is fair that this
statement should be made in view of
the fact that the writer has observed
one or two queries as to why the
equipment was not issued as was orig
inally intended by the ordnance depart
ment.
Was "JOhnny ON the Spot"
Rock Island arsenal was a true
Johnny on the spot" and the failure
fthe troops to see the new equip
ment and have it demonstrated to
them at maneuver camps of this year
should not be blamed to the Illinois
arsenal
l have spoken Of the great variety of
ordnance manufacture at Rock island.
It is indeed a wide field which is COW
cred by the Rock island products.
Carriages for field guns; leather goods