What is a comet ? It, is :i visible noth
ing.’’
New Arms.—The armory at Harpers’
Ferry is extensive and well funiished, ca
pable of turningout from fourteen to eigh
teen thousand stands of arms—muskets
and rilles, per annum. About three hun
dred artizans are now employed in the
manufacture of what is styled the rifle-mus
ket and the rifle. These are both newly
improved arms, and in all respects far su
perior to those recently in our service.—
The rifle-musket possesses all the, attributes
of the lock musket, with the addition of
being a rifled gun, and having a self prim
ing lock. The ball or projectile for this
arm is elongated with a conical point, and
will make better shooting at a distance of
one thousand yards thin the former
smooth bored musket will at three hun
dred yards.
The new rifle is also greatly improved
over the old by having the self-priming
lock, the improved rifling, and the addi
tion of a sword-baVonet. The latter is to
protect our riflemen from a charge of ear
elrv, as well as to use aside-arm.
