122 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
1. Gun factories. — Any attempt to mention the machinery required, to 
give an account of the process of manufacture for this or that system, 
would extend this essay to a large volume. Only an officer practically 
acquainted with gun manufacture should be placed at the head of this 
establishment, or could hope to organise it properly. In this, as in every 
other branch, the great point to be attended to is the employment of 
good men and good machinery, arranging the buildings so that the 
work in the rough may be gradually elaborated, and passed on in natural 
order from stage to stage through all its processes. 
Opinions concerning the relative merits of one system of gun con¬ 
struction or another can form no part of the present essay, nor would it 
be practicable to introduce details of manufacture. 
The proof of ordnance and of powder seems to be a natural duty of 
this department, and the Superintendent, therefore, and his subordinates, 
should be qualified to use the various scientific electro-magnetic appara¬ 
tus used therein. Projectiles for guns would be made in this depart¬ 
ment, which would also be required to furnish to the trade drawings 
and specifications, in order that Government factories might be supple¬ 
mented by private enterprise in time of emergency. 
2. Carnage Department .—Under this head it would be necessary to 
provide for the construction of travelling carriages for field and siege 
artillery, engineer and army service carriages, gun-carriages for garrison 
service, travelling platforms, the numerous artillery machines, mortar 
beds, naval carriages, miscellaneous stores connected with artillery 
service, woodwork of saddles, and pack-saddle equipment. 
3. Laboratory .—This department must be prepared to manufacture 
every kind of ammunition (except projectiles for ordnance)—such as 
cartridges, fuzes, lubricators, wads, tubes, primers, portfires, mining 
materiel , rockets, &c., &c.^ 
4. SmalLArms Factory. —In addition to working the extensive plant 
required, this department would be charged with survey of all arms 
received from the trade, and with the repair of all small-arms. 
5. Harness Factory , 8fc. —This should include workshops for the 
making of accoutrements and tents. The knowledge required for the 
preparation of leather, &c., is peculiar, and the Superintendents would 
generally be drawn from civil life. 
In a second-class arsenal these large factories would be replaced by 
workshops, for the performance of minor processes analogous to the 
larger operations. We should require— 
(1) A workshop containing lathes, and. all machines for turning, 
boring, and fitting. 
(2) Smiths' shop and forges. 
* One of the great necessities for this department is obviously the reduction of risk to a minimum. 
An account of the late trials under Capt. Majendie, It. A., with regard to maximum quantity of 
powder in cartridge filling sheds, distance of sheds, &c.,may be found at p. 204, Vol. IX. “ Proceedings 
of Department of Director of Artillery.” 
