The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-06-15
nkr AlissiIcs.
Balls, Shells and Bombs.
HOW THEY ARE MADE,

A correspondent OF the Springfield Rppu6
hc0n. writing from Troy, N. Y, in a letter
dated May 18th says:
The Watervlcit Arsenal. stu,ted at Yves,
Troy, is, as you doubtless know, the largest
arsenal Tor the construction and fabrication
OF military implements, other than small
aims aud cannon, in the country; and a
visit to its workshops at the present time
powerfully impresscS one with the strength
and resources Of our Government. Every.
thing IS. at present, on a war footing, and
from three to four hundred hands directly.
and as many more indirectly. in the neigh
boring boundaries. are kept busy night and
day. large number Of hands are engaged
m the preparation Of ammunition; most of
these are intended for the minnie rife, but
large numbers Of the old-fashioncd round
ball cartridges nre also manufactured. The
rapldity with which cartridge is made is
wonderful. boy sits at a counter with a
cylindrical stick "a pile Of CREASED balls and
one OF prepared paper before him--a simple
roll OF the paper and stick "a jerk and twist
at one end twist of a string. and the car.
fridge is ready for filling III less time than it
takes to read this description. They are
then takeu into another room, placed open
end up in shallow boxes and q man by
means of simple instrument fills them with
an equal and specific amount of powder, at
the late OF thirty minute. a twist at the
open end. and the cartridge is complete
The manufacture goes on so fast that j;
requires nearly dozen men and boys to
PACK, box and remove the finished cartridges.
In another apartment number of men and
girls are employed in the manufacture of
cannon cartridges of all sizes from the
mishii>st columbiadS down to the SIX.
FOUNDER. The material of which they are
made is a kind Of wooden goods (moreen) i'm
ported from England especially for the pur.
pose Thousands Of yards of this material
were in the process of being cut up and man.
ufactured. Cannon cartridges are no. filled
here, but at the place where intended to be
used.
In still another department, grape, canis-
ter and strapped ammunition are in course of
preparation, while huge cart loads of bomb
shells and spherical shot ale hourly arriving
from the ntighbo,ng foundrics. The grape
are larger than supposed. and might more
properly be called peach shot than grape
shot. Some SIX or more of these are packed
in sort OF wire corkscrew arrangement, and
Tilted into tin case, and when thus finished
have much the appearance of Jars Of pre-.
served meats or fruits.
The manufacture of bomb shells is also a
matter of much interest. The preparation
of those witnessed is briefly as follows:-
The Shell is first filled full with old fash .oncd
round leaden bullets: melted sulphur is then
poured in to till up tie in:ers,iccs and bind
the bullets ir one solid mass: the shell is
then put INTO kind of lathe, and cyindri-
Cal hole of the exact size Of the oritice of the
shell is bored through the bullets and sal
phur; this cavity is filed with powder even
with the interior edge of the orifcc. a six.
inch Shell of the kind here described npiding
aboLt half "A pound; the fuse fitted into the
orltire, is recent belgian invention. made of
pewter. and resembling the scrcw-cap used
for the patient fruit cans. An examination
OF this pewter cap shows. however. that it is
made of two hollow discs of metal screwed
together, and filled with meal powder mum.
Der OF fine holes ale drilled in the lower disc,
while the outer disc is en'ire. and marked
with figures in a circle, |. g 3. 4. In this
state the Shell is water and weather proof -
w hen taken for use, the gunner, by IN, ans
OF small steel instrument scoops out a por-
ton Of the outer soft metal surface and laws
bare the charge Of composition powder below
1t. II the shell is desired to explode in one
second after leaving the gun, the scoopiny is
made on the figure one 4; if in two seconds on
the figure two, and SO on: the idea being
that the shells OF this description shall first
strike the object alned at and do execution
as ball. and then explode sending the bull.
lets forward as if from another cannon loca ed
at the point where the flight of the shell is
arrested. Large shells Of eight or ten inches,
are filled with powder only, and bursting. do
execution by means Of the fragments. These
large shells are generally ignied thro' brass
plug screwed into rhe mouth of tho shell :;
IN both eases the fuse is fired by ignition of
the charge IN the gun