y. It had a projecting tower in the front centre, twenty-five
feet square at the lower stories, which together were forty-five feet in
elevation. From this the upper portion fifteen feet square ascended to
the height of thirty feet, making seventy-five feet in all. The upper
part of this constituted the clock tower with its four large circular
openings for dials. These could be seen for a long distance.

This building which was very striking in its appearance, was never
completed in its interior, as the different work to be here performed
was being done at the Arsenal sufficiently well, in temporary
structures. Awaiting the completion of the clock, the time was struck by
hand, every half hour on the large bell suspended temporarily, in the
open building in rear of the Refinery.

The continual testing of the powder, as it was being manufactured to
insure its equality in strength, and to ascertain its exact propelling
force, was done for the fine graded powders, by excellent musket and
ballistic pendulums constructed at the Confederate Machine Works in
Augusta under my direction. For the cannon or large grain powders, by
the initial velocities given to the proper projectiles in an eight inch
Columbiad. To determine these velocities an accurately made
electro-ballistic machine, such as was employed at the West Point
Military Academy, was constructed at the same works. Also Rodman's
apparatus for determining the absolute pressure on each square inch of
the bore of the gun, exerted by the charge. In addition to these
instruments, complete arrangements for determining the gravimetric
densities and hygrometric properties of different samples of gunpowder
were made.

The foregoing appliances enabled accurate comparisons to be made at all
points between different gunpowders, and to determine the various
matters required in the manufacture of the first quality for the various
arms of service. That this was successfully done was certified to by
Boards of Artillery and Infantry Officers; after the war the captured
powder of these works was used in the School of Artillery practice at
Fort Monroe, on account of its superiority.

Mr. Davis, whilst President of the Confederacy, visited the works, then
in active operation, and in his recent valuable book, speaks in more
than one place in flattering terms of their products. Articles published
in the London Times were highly commendatory of the Works and their
results, which were copi