PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 463 



The bayonet blade is first forged under a trip liammer, and then rolled to 

 the proper shape, by an operation similar to the barrel rolling. The socket 

 is forged separately', and afterwards welded to the blade under a trip ham- 

 mer. It is then passed twice under the drop, then milled and polished, 

 when it is ready for use. Tlie ramrod is cut from steel rods about the size 

 required. It is then ground in the same maniier as the barrel, and the 

 hammer is swaged on by two operations under the drop. The screw cut- 

 ting and polishing are very simple, and executed with great rapidity. 



The cone-seating, like every other part of the work done upon the mus- 

 ket, is very ini cresting. The barrel, after it comes from the rolling mill, 

 is placed in a forge and heated to a white heat. A small square block of 

 iron, cut under a trip hammer to the proper size, is also heated to a white 

 heat, and then welded to the barrel by half a dozen strokes under the trip 

 hammer, the whole operation occupying less time than is required to des- 

 cribe it. An iron rod is meanwhile inserted within the barrel to maintain 

 the continuity of the bore. 



The sights are struck in dies, and placed upon the barrel in slots cut for 

 the purpose. They are then brazed upon the barrel, pieces of brass wire, 

 half an inch long, being used for this purpose. Three men are employed ia 

 brazing on the sights for the establishment. 



The rolling, forging, and swaging rooms are all connected, and form, as 

 it were, one extended apartment. In this are placed hundreds of forges, 

 furnaces, trip hammers, rolling mills, dropping machines and trimming 

 machines, besides scores of sledge hammers, wielded by stalwart arms. 

 The noise here is so great that no effort of the voice avails to make itself 

 heard, and I doubt if even the loudest thunder would make any appi-eciable 

 addition to the general clangor. Small iron carts, filled with hot iron, are 

 incessantly whirling around you; red hot sparks, or melting drops of iron, 

 are flying about the room in all directions; the air is hot to suffocation, and 

 sulphurous from the burning of bituminous coal; while hundreds of swarthy 

 faces, begrimmed with grease and dirt, are dripping with sweat, so that 

 you can scarce avoid the suspicion that you have at last stumbled into the 

 infernal regions, and are constantly wondering why eome of Pluto's imps 

 do not seize you and plunge you into some horrible furnace, or chop you up 

 nnder a trip hammer. 



Having survived the examination of this department, you follow your 

 gnide from the forging room down a winding flight of iron steps to the 

 water-wheels, which are situated forty feet under ground. These wheels 

 are so arranged that they can be run together or separately; they are gen- 

 erally run together, and in connection with the immense low pressure 

 engine. 



After the barrels are bcred, turned, milled and straightened, they are 

 next to be polished. For this purpose they are placed in upright frames, 

 each frame containing five barrels. The polishing is done by means of 

 hard, wooden rubbers, provided with a plentiful supply of lard oil and 

 emery. The rubbers are placed horizontally, with their grooved ends press- 

 ing by means of springs against the barrels, which are drawn between 

 them by a very regular and rapid vertical motion The barrels are also 

 turned around slowly and continuously by a lateral movement, which in- 



