, 1861-08-23
INTERESTING TRIAL OF ARTIE.
E4ERY.

E4ERF.
The Power OF Ntne-Inch Co1umblaAs.
The Pittsburgh Dispatch gives an interesting
account Of the satisfactory testing Of nine.
inch Colurnbiad gun near that city, on Frfday
last. The gun, which Tas sample of many
more, Was cast Of Bloomfield, metal and weighs
6,578 pounds. For the purpose OF firing, 1t
was swung up By iroa straps in q triangle, thus
avoiding the necessity Of correcting the recoil
At each charge which would follow the use OF
4 carriage mounting:
The triangle is formed Of four uprights Of
heavy timber about thirty feet In length Each
psiF Of uP.ights Is framed at the foot into
heavy ttInhers and Joined ct the top in the shape
Of . Letter A, the base spreading nearly thirty
feet. The pairs ere sst up on each side OF the
gun, about ten teet apart at the base and in
clining together at the top, where they are
separated about four feet a log is fitted to
roll at the top, and frcm 1t depend four iron
rods, III which the gun is swung on heavy
iron bands. To check the vibration Of the
gun, which wou1d continue for some minutes
after eseh discharge, heavy cable was hitched
to the eTeech, passing around anubbing post
shout cae hundred feet distant. Four Or five
men we're required to attend the cable, and BIZ
active movements gen nafHly caught the piece
on the second vibration, bringing it to rest.
a boue-p1 shelter had been Constructed at
shout ore hundred feet distant from tie tri-
angle, to protect the men from accident in
case Of the bursting Of the gun, but the shell
ter was never usGd. Three men were en-
ployed in loading and firing the gun, who re-
treated to the snubbingpos5, where the end
Of the lanyard for firing the friction tubes was
carried. 4 stout pen had been built to receive
the bals, and preserve them as far as possible,
I'm la fha r.,
pieees and opened up clear range to the foot
OF the hill beyond.
The frirg was carried On with extraordinary
rap!dity, the only fall days work, on FRIDAY,
giving two hundred and tTa rounds. The
Labor OF firing is very severe On the gunnerr,
requiring them to retreat nearly one hundred
teet at eaeh discharge. 4 supply of cartridges
| IN bags Of glazed mus1sn was Kept In the bomb
| proof. Before loading, the gun Was carefully
sTabbed ont, and at every twentieth round
Taehed out s1d measured Twenty shells
! we're strapped and placed in readiness, In the
intervals Ct measuring, aud no delay wa
Necessary in firing, exesp: when shell, buried
| In the bill at some Garlic. discharge, vas IN,
es1thed By succeeding shots, when it was Ell
| oEce secured. The Measurements at every
twentieth round were made with extrame care
tie star gauge used, reading TO thousaudths O
al inch. and showing the slightest enlarge
msnt Of the bore. An impression Of the IN
nsr extremity Of the vent Was taken ct tht
| some time, ard after the eix hundreth rou1i
the t=st hole Vas filed and the second drilled
The fifty Impressions thus taken Of the vent!
| area curiositF in Themselves, as showing ths
| gfao1al enlargement Of the opening in csr
| tain directions from first to last
In finishing the bore Of the gun, the finish
| Ing tsol accidentally split, enlafRinv the bors
behind the seat OF the ball OPS III and gcorins
up the surface considerably. At the close o
the proof, one thousand balls having bee1
fred, the freatesr enlargement OF the bors
| wsa found to be but .052 In. or .026 by firing
| bat little more than one, fftieth Of an inch
The result proves that the material used il
the casting Of the CUR has never yet besl
equalled.
4 large "guly" was cut in the face of th
hill by the repeated shots, the dirt bein
dispersed in 8 rad1us Of over hundred yard
over the surface Of the hill Occasionally
bail would strike cne previously buried an
shatter It to pieces, OF perhaps send It spfnnio
through the air 70 the height Of several hur
dred feel
The proof charge OF powder Is ten pounds
and il the test therefore, ten thousand pound
OF i've tons Of powder were expended Man
of The balls were recovered and fred repeate<
| II and but about five hundred were expende
! il the proof. The shells weigh seventy-tw
pounds, making an aggregate Of thirtyBi
! thcusaGd pounds, or eighteen tons OF fro
hred 4 large portion ct it will be recoyere
| Tie Government has ordered the 60,
sttuctipu Of q number of these gucs co,
t.itional On the success Of the experiment.
| piece.