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VOL. IV. No. 201]
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Three dollars per annum. J PUBLISHED BY GEO: F. RANDOLPH, U CO. NORTH BROAD*STRJKE r Jk (Half in cuhance-
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r—TTX'i.wT-.f k ~* tu
I —i ri —l I—ir1 —irn — ITT n in ■ ■n« i . - .
Antt„r«? rtrfnni
From the Richmond Enquirer.
A nation that would avoid war, should be
prepared for it.
Y. Manufactory of Arms. —This
splendid establishment, the ornament
and pride of Virginia, deserves to be
particularly known to our countrymen.
. The annual reports of its enlightened
superintendant have already informed
. them of the kind and quantity ol arms
annually manufactured there ; but no
account has yet been published, of the
admirable maclnnary by which it works
these effects. Under an impression,
therefore, that some such information
would be both amusing and instructive,
we have determined, amidst the pre
sent drought of other "matters, so Jav
the following description of it before
The Virginia manufactory of arms
is situated on the Janies river naviga
tion canal, at its entrance into the city
of Richmond ; which canal is capable
at all seasons of furnishing an abun
dant supply of w-ater for operating the
machinery for saving manual labor, in
the various branches of the work. As
the manufactory affords a fall of 51 feet
(pe+pejulicular) from the canal to the
river, Which are about two hundred
and twenty yards asunder; this site
possesses the advantages of a naviga
tion by batteaux of about two hundred
iniies above ; and by sea-vessels into
the ocean, about two hundred miles
below.
By means of this navigation, all the
raw materials. proper for the fabrication
ot arms of every description (which arc
afforded in the most profuse abundance
on (his river) I» *- t-jr iL • Jojl A I
of the works at an easy and cheap rate.
This manufactory was designed for the
fabrication of every species of small
arms, as well as all kinds of ordnance,
proper for the field, fortifications, and
the equipment of navies; and being
played on the declivity ol' a hill, in a
healthy situation, possesses the benefits
of a fret circulation of fresh air to all
its parts, while it is secure from attacks
by a il&val force, and never impeded
in its operations by the inundations of
the river. The fall is so extensive,
that the same water is used three sev
eral times in its descent from the canal
to the river; the first and second ope
rations are applied to the machinery for
making small arms ; and the third to
the boring and turning of ordnance.
The buildifigs are constructed to suit
the three operation® of water
mentioned ; the walls are substantially
made of stone and brick; and the
whole so connected as to make one
uniform building, which surrounds an
extensive area or open court. The
north front is three hundred and ten feet
in length, and twenty-four in breadth,
with the principal gate-way and balfry
in its centre; it borders on the canal
so as to receive raw materials with the
greatest convenience from the boats
which navigate it. The apartments of
the lower story are to the
storing of materials, and to work shops;
and those of the upper story, to stock
ing and finishing muskets, rifles, swords
and pistols.
To each extreme of this front, a
wing consisting of three buildings is
attached at right angles thereto; the
bases of which are of different eleva
tions, and suited to the three operations
of water as above. To southern ex
s tremities of these wings (each, to which
is an hundred and seventy-two feet
long) polygonal buildings are attached.
' These being built on a circle, enclose
5 the yard, and form the south front, in
’ the centre of which, is placed the Foun
j. 3 ary for cannon, and adjacent thereto,
the mill or machine for the boring and
turning thereof. The lower apart
ments of this front are designed for
. cooking, washing, Sec. and tiie apart
ments in tiie upper story for habitations
for the artificers.
The Water for operating the maohin
ery is taken from die canal in two clis
, tinct streams, which are carried by
5 subterraneous passages into each rcs
: p.vctive wing; where all the operations
\
SATURDAY, :OAY 30, 1307.
| of the machinery,' working by water for
I saving manual labor are carried bn.
• The water is first applied to four over
shot water-wheels, two of Which are
. placed in each wing; and the machin
ery attached to them is precisely sinfi
, lar in each wing; being designed for
similar operations. Those four water
wheels, to which every simple thachin
> cry is attached for the purpose, operate
28 bellows; 12 grind stones; the Works
for rough and smooth boring musket,
rifle and pistol barrels; the works for
polishing, drilling, milling of screws
, and sjuruiry other operations ; also, two
sinlple engines on the chain pinup prin
ciple, for elevating water into reservoirs,
standing in the roofs of the buildings ;
from which it may lie conveyed thro’*
out tiie interior of the works, with a
view to secure them against accidental
fii-e's.
After performing these several ope
rations, the two streams of water are
conveyed from under those wheels, by
subterraneous culverts, to tvfro tilt ham
mer forges ; one of which is placed at
the southern extremity of each wing;
where the second operation of the wa
ter is performed on two breast water
wheels, which work the hammers for
beating out the bar-iron into proper
form for all the purposes of making
small arms, and of rendering the iron
more rough and malleable; and also a
machine for cutting with great ease,
the largest bar-iron, into such pieces as
are required for the various parts of
arms: and it is intended, that a ma
chine to be operated by this second fall
of water, shall be erected for cutting
with great facility and exactness, many
of the lMjrtscjf small arms; bvwhich
means, an ‘sfttrn parts itTjTtx*. rorntetr
precisely alike.
The water from under each of these
wheels, is then conveyed by brick tun
nels, a short distance ; where the two
streams at the south front
overshet water-wheel for boring and
turning of ordnance. This is tiie third
and last oi eration of the water, which
is here discharged into the river near
ly on a level with the surface thereof;
so that the two streams which operate
the works, are not seen in any part ol
their passage from the canal to the
river.
The establishment was designed fo l '
the annual manufacture of about eight
thousand stands of arms for Infantry,
with a proportionate number for caval
ry, by about an hundred and fifty aiti
ficers, but not half that number are yet
employed therein ; also a proportionate
number of field cannons, and guns for
fortifications. The works are so con
structed and arranged, that those who
superintend their operations, may in
twenty minutes pass round and visit all
the artists in their varioite employ
ments, and the machinery is supposed
to have been constructed upon a plan
as simple as such a variety ot opera
tions would admit; a striking instance
of which appears in blowing the bel
lows by water. Here the working of
28 bellows requires but two small cog
wheels more than those which are in
dispensably necessary for other opera
tions, and excepting those two cog
wheels, the apparatus for working the
bellows by water, will witli very little
preparing, last fifty years in constant
use. The cheapness, simplicity and
durability of the apparatus used in this
mode of operation, is greatly import
ant to the institution. The motion of
the bellows is first given by a crank in
each of the wings, attached to the ax
is of each ol the two cog-wheeH above
mentioned ; these cranks operate two
horizontal shafts, each of which is be
tween an hundred and forty and an
hundred and fifty feet long, and extend
through all the forging shops in the
said wings, working a crank or lever
over each bellows, and also the large
bellows in the tilt-hammer forges. The
grindstones (all of which are operated
by water) execute a great part of the
. work usually done by rasping and fil
ing, which saves considerable expence
■ in the article of files ; and to prevent
: | an unnecessary consumption of fuel, a
i to 1 1 ii«i! mmunnrr nr >ji fmw—,>
valve is placed in the pipe of each of
the hc llo’.Vn, so that at the moment thu
iron becomes sufficiently heated, and is
taken from the fire to the anvil, the
bellows ceatfes to operate upon the* fire.
i he manner in which musket barrel's
were formerly bored, is, that the au
gers or boring-rods were pressed or
pushed forward through the barrel.—
liut the shanks cv stems of such au
gers being of considerable length, and
confined in their size by the diameter
of the caliber, cannot be made suffi
ciently stiff to prevent their bending
while pushed through the barrel in the
act ol boring ; which rendered the bor
ing With exactness extremely tedious
and difficult. To prevent this incon
venience, the boving rods or augers in
the manufactory, are drawn through
the barrel in place of being pushed
through for the set of pulling the au
-3 r through, v.dii keep it straight,
when pushing it through inclines it to
crook* By this >y w method, the bar
rel is bored with n ucli more ease, fa
cility, and truth, than on the former
plan. The bit, or cutting parts of the
augers, are from H to 3 inches long,
as occasion may require, and are form
ed like a common screw-auger revers
ed, with two sharp angles for cutting*
like that instrument. The rod or stem
of the auger which is of smaller diam
eter than the cutting part, is first put
through the rough caliber of the bar
rel, in the state in which it is received
from the hand of the larger. It is
then confined in the carriage which is
a.strong shallow box, moving horizon
tally upon four wheels, on ribits made
in two strong timbers, which conduct
the straight and steady, while
Tip* the stem, ijfrthen attached
tfo a smalTVhedf, wnich revolves about
four hundred times per minute, and
the bo£ or carriage (which is kept fill
ed with water to prevent the temper
of tile boring-bit from being, destroyed
by the beat produced by friction in bor
mg.) is propelled by a large iron screw,
the moiion of which is six revolutions
to each inch of the barrel, while the
motion of the borer is considerably
above'’an hundred revolutions to the
inch.
This method cannot be applied tc*
the boring of ordnance; the breach be
ing cast with the barrel; great improve
ments, however, have been made., both
in the mode of casting, and of boring
'> « f - * » , 4
cannon. The foundary and boring
works of this manufactory are' not yet’
ready for operation, but it is designed
fbr casting and boring according to.4he
newest and most approved method, in
the solid mass. The cascabel at the
breach of the cafioffo is t<*be attached
to the axis of the water-wheel, so as to
revolve with it, while the borel’ (which
dots r.ut revolve) is impelled (in a hor
izontal direction, and in a fine with the
centre of the cannon) by a heavy weight
suspended at the end of die lever; $o
that by the addition or diminution of
lli; weight, the friction of boring is in
creased or diminished at pleasure.—
When the boring has been compleated,
the cannon is attached to the axis of
another wheel of considerable greater
velocity, where its external surface is
turned and polished similar to a Column
of wood in the lathe of a vurnt f, after
which the touch-hole is drilled ; the
gun is proven and put in order for being
mounted on its carriage.
It would be tedious and perhaps un
intelligible without the aid of drawings,
to give a complete description m detail
of all the various operations required
in the fabrication of arms. The ope
ration of boring small arms and 'can- v
non has been more particularly noticed
in above sketch, not merely because
the boring of their calibre’s with accu
racy, is an important point in the ma
nufacture, but because considerable
improvements have lately been made
in the manner of performing that ope
ration.
BLANKS
of c-verv dcscripti n executed at
this cilice, with neatness and
dispatch.
I i