Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1861-05-25
WHOLE NUMBER 596.

by General James in this Invention ara
that owing to the peculiar construction of
the ball, its passage through the grooved
chamber Of the piece saves the windage,
glv'g to the shot greater rotation, q great,
er percision. It's range is p to 3 miles.
ana 10 the experiments tried by board Of
Officers convened for that purpose In 1850
one shot was made with II lbs. Of powder
which projected slug ball nearly 3 miles!
! The pressure, however is tremendous. and
II Is to be,doubted whether it would answer
the purpose OF firing she'll without danger.
IL has not been adopted by our Government
we believe, aud we learn that the inventor
Is applying the principle to breach loading
gun OF six pounds calber. The ball used
Is coh'cal in shape like the Minnie ball.
no"owed at the base, with an air chamber.
III "hlch are grooves which press the air by
'"e Io'ce OF the powder on to lead and
canvas covering, forcing the sheet lead into
'ne rIhed grooves OF the chamber and slug
g'"g 'he ball. thus saving the windage. aud
! pFuuuelhg the effects as above described.
| HoWITzERs -Howitzers are pieces Of
ordnanHe OF medium length between the can.
non and mortarS, used for throwing shells
or large balls at point blank range, or at a
small elevation. They are US ualy made of
brass. The FIRST howitzers were said to have
been invented at Belidor, in Germany. and
were used at the seige of Ath, in 1897.
Howltzers range ass32, "a, I2and 6 pound.
ers' the latter size Icing used for light
batteries IN Held service There are also
and u Founders, light pieces, which are
very elective in mountainous or billy coun.
Try, and called mountain howitzers. They
can be transported by drag ropes or pack.
ed on the back of mules, so light is their
construction. Grape and small shot are
used ln them to defend mountain passes.
Ihey were very effective in the last war
with Mexico, and Lieutenenl Renoro, Of the
Ordnance Department, used them With
great success. A 80 pound howitzer re,
CURES 81 pounds of powder for charge a
"a pound howitzer p pounds l2 pound
howltzer II pounds, and ponAder or
10 ounces TO charge Howitzers are used
more for firing shell then the mortar, and
the U. s. army are provided with a large
numbeT OF seige howitzers, very heavy
gun.
CARRoSADEs, are short howi,zers, frsty
cast at the Carron works, from which they
derived their names. Workmen we're first
employed on these guns about the year
1Il9. They arc mostly used on ship board
aud are now abandoned for guns OF more
recent construction. The carronades used
10 the British Navy are from 4 to s feet in
length and of the caliber from 8 to 10.
inches. Most of our service vessels are.
armed with carronades, which are daily be-
ing misplaced by the terrible Columbiads
and the formidable Dahlgren guns.
MoRTARs, are as ancieut cannon and were
employed TO throw hot iron and stones before
lhe invention of shells. The first shells used
we're in l435, when Naples was besieged By
Charles 9th, at which siege they are said to
have made terrible havoc They are manufao-~
ured OF both iron and brass, d to IL inch bore
! ne 10 men requires . pounds to charge the
men two pounds, The largest mortar, cast
or the British Government, would carry she'll
II over l6 tons. 1t was 36 inch bore. Ithow.
'yer proved q failure. Mortars are very littG
ised at the present time having given place to
lowltzers and the new riaed guns
PRoJEcTILEs OF WAR-Proieetiles Of
war are round shot, spherical case shot.
smells, SchrapueIl, grape, canister, and chain
shot. A she'll is n hollow sphere of iron
llled with gnnpowdeF, iron, balls, de-. fred
from howitzer, mortar or Conmbiad.G
The charge is introduced into q hole about
IN inch IN diameter, and ired by means OF
tuse-the fuse is a tube of wood or com.
position filled with mealed powder, sulphur.
lnd Saitpeter, and is cut at lust the length
he shell is calculated to explode. Great
precision and accuracy have been attained
II the measuring and calculation of distaus
'eS by scientific artillerists, and snch is the
precision by which they are fred, that a.
killFul gunner can place his shot or shell
Tithin an iuch or two Of the object he wish.
IS his shell to strike. SehrapneH shells ara
HE'D with quantity of masket balls. which
when the shell explodes are projected about
so yards further. They are fred froma
5unS mortars and howiIzers, and are terri
'ly effective. A six pounder spherical shot
ontains twenty seven muSket balls Gr6pe
hat is a quantity of small shot put into
anvasS bag and corded together in cylin-
lrca form. adapted to the calher of the
,iece from which it is fred. Canister slot
S a number OF metallic shot enclosed in q
metallic case, adapted to the ealber of the
gun, which, when it burns, scatteIs the shob
II every direction. Chain shot consists Of
! number Of balls, connected together by
4 small chain, which, when fred from q
cannon, is elected from it in rotary man
ner, and striking into q close column, pro-
duces terrible destruction. Chain shot are.
however, but little used. ROSHd and e9ni-
cal shot are used more particularly in seigs
batteries. aud are the most common war
projeetiles. There are also hand grenades
used, being shells filed with small shot and
scraps of iron and glass, which are very des
in close conflict. sst
THE EFFECT OF SHOT ON VESSELS.
hot does not make hole of its own size
light through the wood but indents it, the
ibres spripgng back after the shock,J
Generally, the course of shot can only be
raced by wire, sometimes hole as large
S a mans finger. The damage most often
appens in the inside of a vessel 10 splinter,
lg and breaking the wood after the main
orce of the shot was spent. Forts Ham.
ton and Richmond, which are about a.
lils apart, with vessel lying betw cen ths1n.a
ould not with their guns send shot thfoli
wo feet of its timhers. There Is
arely an instance where ship was sunk
y solid shot. Hot shot and shells do,
A e I I'll a.