New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-01-06
Neu OrIfars 1allp Crescent,
FhiiIAl 1AJn&s&AsWs Ja1sGAis4 o, tssfJsas
The Greatest ssnn ~ ft1e ygorf1.

The Greatest Gun ~ ft1e Eorf1.
The Pittsbarg Dispatch gives Che following ae-s
coant Of the process Of casting an enormous cam
NON recently at the Fort Pitt works.
! We have noticed at various times the prepara-
tions making at the Fega Pitt Works. 10 this ezy
for casting an enormous cannon ON the q beIIeHs
principle designed BY Mssjhr Roaman Of the United
states service me preliminary operations we're
brought to close and oss Friday morning The ern
was cast is the presence n number Of scienfifse
gentlemen, nanafaetHrersf and few outsfdera
including seyefal members ~ the press, who had
suiclent influence I'd secure the privilege III at~
tendance. The Inconvenience attending fae crowd
ing of the woFhsncn BY the miscellaneous assem-
blage who worllS have been attracted hy CURIOSITY
sa a rg95ous ~ , exclusion W. gaye falI ds
stated ct the time its capacity for turning ont
| heavy works statement fully confirmed b The
casting Yesterday. That the description may be
bette understood we will aere nertIssi briefly iii
/ interior arrangements.
TsfE PIr
~ when me gun Vas cast. b one on the extreme
4 rortnefn ena Of range extending the entire
ieDgth o. the fenndry which stretches fsna Efs,a
street 70 the bank of the Azetheny H j,ass ssark
ing depth cf thirty feet, and was used with flat
depth in casting The corrans Of the new susps1io
bridge For the present job it was filled AZ so;;Ilv
as possible some ten feet leaving III seufw fs III
depth AZ the mouth Il y ten feet III dgarrsfsr.
and is constructed with Lodges or shelves :lX inter-.
yas, from top to be tom. Two Of lie tIree hs]9e
cranes are ranged TO swing their extreme lif3 81;
rectly over this pit. Twe afr holes about e;-Et
inches square, pass down outside the pit an open
into i near the bottom: these are used for q prx-
pose which will be hereafter mentioned. Near he
top another opening leads BY d fue, below lie
| fioor, into one Of the Immense stacks of
THE FUKSAgEH. "
There three of these, extending like tie sits
on line from end Of the foundry to the ofher
Two are Of unusually large capacity and the third
abont thg regular capacity Of furnaces n this s
cinity. That on the northern end win bring
down fifteen tuns Of metal; the adjoining one s
still larger having capacity Of sixteen tuas. The
third and smallest near the southern part of the
naces as tested on Friday IS from thirsr-nins Is
fortyitans.
| THE PREPARATIONS
for casting guH Of such unusual size Iavc been
much more extensive than would BIZ; supposed
After the construction Of the pattern it was eces
sary TO prepare flask of sufficient size and
strength for the mould. This was cast IN several
pieces and put together in four semi cylindrical
sections. The metal of these pieces ID about ait
1 inch and one-eighth in thickness. supported bv
RIBS OF three inches in thickness and FIVE or SIX III
1 necessary to the casting it weighs about fifteesr
1 tnns- II has an extreme length af twenty faet.
and IN diameter reduces from fye and half feet
=. one END 70 ionr sI the other The work of mould
requiring to be subjected to an intense heat III "a
\ oven for forty-eight hours, ia order to drv g5or
roughly Sc the nine inches Of sand which Inea the
! forming two cylinders OF half length which were
lowered INTO the pit in that condition, and there
/ were hoted firmly together. The core barrel. br
which the chilled surface of the formed re-
qures great care in preparation, as any AaH or
defect might destroy the labor of weeks. and pcr-
haps lead 20 severe injury or loss of Life to iose
| engaged y the casting lhe barrel y gf twelve
inches OUTSIDE diameter, with corrugated surface
On this is closely wrapped layer of hard three
| eighth or hah.inch rope, and then coating Of
mud anphed t0 she outside, the whole forming
| layer of an inch ~ thickness.
| After being baked until the rnnd becornes A.
hard as brick the barrel is lifted into the mould
ana supported IN its proper position by sfronx
pracess Whie any chance q forcing II up 4
vented by strong ron clamps ciasping tho head To
tge upper I'D o. the nasK. Nhen lifted into the
PIT, me mask, barrel and sand together weighed
apont twenty -nine tuIs. Through ono of The air
hoies before menf.onea water pipe rises, and this
was connected wllh the head OF the core barrel
the water descending by pipe to within few
lhches OF tne Doltom oi 2 barrel, and rising again
ontside OF the pipe, passed off into drain, where
Ile chanse ol temperature was closely watched.
| Everything naVing peen arranged about the mould,
me furnaces We're charged with thou
sana poonds OF meIai, and flre applied between
ranses q netai cohduiIs wen lined with flre clay,
We're slfelchen aiang thn 1oundry 70 convey The
~ iro .ne luInaces 70 Ihe mould unit
ing near tne PIT N a large eandron aud AGAIN sep
asatlng m and pouring INTO the monld II two streams.
lne Tes were hepl hp nIlakiy ln fits furnaces FOR
seNetai soats, sanu ~ the hour of casfing Ap-
proaehed ine spectators oegan to assemble in the
i
menl. among ihe workmen there was an unusual
EXPRESSION q interest," $40 everything which -
perlenee or ioreslgnt suggested to insure the saf
CESS cess o. tne cast, was provided. Shimnlers we're
iad aiong the me OF tne eonduits. bars and poles
1 proyllasu, aha lne Mesal u me furnaces having
Eeacneu ll proper eondilon tle water as turned
into 1ne core oafrei ana az nne minutes OF eleven
tlle lhiaaie ana larger Iufhaee was tapped, and
/ =, THE Z, CASTING
coh4lisnceu ~ tne 5hhdihg stTeam 81 fiuld ron
tIaehea slowly aoMh .ne eenuuiE, leh into tpeFan-
@ eIph, anu taslse. iorkng INTO two merry streams,
Ieh "a, WIN auil lhnd saosFn the gates OF the
moula me gathered around
tne pas, tnougn @ eHorts were mace ~ Keep them At
such 9 a,stahee rs Wouia insure their safety at
4 least, ~ , 1ne event OF an ascaent; for moment
one OF tne streams II Tunmng INTO me mould tagged
~ Passlllg ,hfoash me eohdn' winch was neeessa-
r,ly naaily eYei. ahd insIahlly a was activlsy A.
lne Ieugn ~ aaatsa 1p, however tne stream reeevs
erea us ana passed along IN p steady quiet
stream 81, ami dozen , ANXIOUS eyes were peerng INTO
M .e louiu ~ W ely mas s,oWlI Neilea up rom
Us M nosao aaa n engla eDlaeea le lower snd IT
81 Wy core pafreatne mosl critica1 moment the
eas anu one lss. thoronghiy me care bestowed
on - aee II,
sAs ny ssaa easeiopsa tne core the
M,tsr Misn WI passg = at tne fate q
~ NY 7 a sanic lees peI nesan Slowly
W fist ~ 1i1H Inc lofty degrees at