Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1896 — MUNITIONS OF WAR. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MUNITIONS OF WAR.

MADE AT THE ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL. Gigantic Shop* for the Manufacture of War’a Enginery—Picturesque Surroundings of the Depository of Munitions. Equipment for an Army. If ever again it is decided by the United States Government to unleash the dog? of" war Rock Island will at once become a pivotal point of perhaps greater international importance than any other spot of land of equal size in this country. Not the city of that name, 15l$t the island itself, the

Bite of the largest arsenal belonging to this government. Rock Island is in the Mississippi River, about 3<X) miles above St. Louis and ten miles below Galena. It is nearly three miles in length and varies in width from onefourth to three-fourths of a mile, and contains, above low-water mark, !)70 acres. Lengthwise the island lies nearly east and west, such being the course of the river at this point. The civil war early showed the need of a great armory and arsenal in the Mississippi Valley where the legions of the Western States could be rapidly armed and equipped for war. Rising well out of the bosom of the broad father of waters, among the high surrounding hills on which the cities of Davenport, Moline and Rock Island are built, with an immense water power right at hand, situated so far Inland as to be secure from an enemy’s attack, affording that seclusion so necessary for the prosecution of work of a warlike character and possessing line rail and water communication, the Island of Rock Island would seem marked out by nature as the ideal spot for the greatest United States armory and arsenal. The United States acquired Its title to the island through a treaty which .was made with William Henry Harrison, Governor and superintendent of Indian affairs for the Indian secretary and district of Louisiana, with certain chiefs of the Sac and Fox tribes of

Indians in November, 1804. Black Hawk, the famous Indian hero •f the Black 'Hawk war, was the principal chief of the Sacs, and did not Sign the treaty, but always held that it was not binding. Congress in 1862 made the first appropriation for the construction of the arsenal, which has been followed since by some 512,000,000 for government Improvements, besides annual appropriations for running expenses. The noted artillery engineer and ordnance scientist, General Thomas A.. Bodman, ordnance department, TJ. 8. A., was assigned to the duty of commencing the construction of the orsenal, which, after long and brilliant .work, was carried to successful completion by Colonel D. W. Flagler, now brigadier general and chief of ordnance. General Rodman died at his quarters at the arsenal June 7,1871.

Great Military Plant. This great military plant consists of ten immense fireproof stone shops of U-shape, with a system of dams giving over 3,000 horse power, and the necessary storehouses, magazines, laboratories, barracks and quarters, situated near the center of the island. Five of these great shops, placed in a row, each of which cost nearly $500,000, are intended as an armory for the manufacture of small arms, such as rifles and '’afblnes and cartridges, and the remaining five shops, in another row on the opposite side of the handsome, treeembowered avenue, facing the first row, are intended as an arsenal for the construction of ordnance and ord-

nance, stores. When in full operation during tirpe of war, and provided and equipped with all the necessary machinery, the arsenal shops would employ some 20,000 workmen, with twenty line officers and 200 ordnance soldiers as guard. Under these circumstances the capacity of the arsenal and the armory would be the full armament and equipment for a regiment of cavalry or of infantry, some 1,200 strong, each working day. The departments fully equipped and running at present comprise the machine, carpenter, leather, paint, gunca!*sage and forge shops, the foundry and rolling mill employing'about 400 ■ten, with a monthly pay roll of nearly *30,000. The administration of the government shops at all the arsenals is

excellent, and the relations between employer and employed would form an excellent model for many of the large manufacturing establishments of the present day. It is steady work, with short but busy hours every day, good wages and certain pay, just treatment, clean and roomy shops. The Present Output. The arsenal to-day is engaged in the manufacture and supply of ordnance stores for the regular army, the national guard, the military colleges, and partly for the marine corps, United States navy, and the naval reserves, a total force of over 150,000 men. The main part of the work consists In the construction of siege gun carriages, siege howitzer carriages, fixed gun carriages, with limbers, caissons and battery wagons complete, the complete accouterments for Infantry and cavalry soldiers, horse equipments and harness for light artillery. No rifles, swerds or revolvers are manufactured here in time of peace, but large quantities of these small arms are sent from the national armory at Springfield, Mass., to be distributed to the army forts, national guard and military colleges of the Mississippi valley and the Western States. All iron, wood, cloth and paper targets are also made here, besides the regular elliptical targets, iron frames to be covered with cotton cloth and representing soldiers In the act of firing, kneeling and lying down on the skirmish line, and cavalry soldiers on horseback. Small arm cartridges of all kinds are received in car lots from the government cartridge factory at Philadelphia, to be distributed also as above. In the several laboratories al) kinds of cartridges for fixed guns are made up. The fixed guns and their projectiles are made at Watervliet arsenal, West Troy, N. Y. Contracts for material used in construction at arsenals are made yearly. In the gun yard of the Rock Island arsenal may be seen grim trophies of several wars. One gun speaks of revolutionary struggles and patriotisin and bears this inscription: “Surrendered by the convention of Saratoga, Oct. 17, 1777.” This trophy of the surrender of Burgoyne has for many years been an honored guest at the arsenal.

CAVALRY SOLDIER EQUIPMENT.

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL.

INFANTRY SOLDIER EQUIPMENT.