Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-09-10
Gypsy.
LFrom the rhiladelphia BullotIn..


How Hi1ed Cannon are MRde-Manufac-
ture Of RiHed Ordnance at PhWnixvIlIe,
PepH1ylvaBia.
Notwithstanding the request OF the Gov
ernment to the press, and the disposition of
all true patriots to "keep quiet" in order
that the operations 70 put down rebellion
may be successfully carried through, still
the great Yankee nation would often Just
like TO know what is going on. We are
quite sure that it will not interfere with the
plans of the Government, while IL will afford
satisfaction to many of our readers, to say
that large number OF splendid rifled cannon
are being made at Ph9nixville, in this State,
and that three hundred Of them will be
ready for service in seventy days. The
first ipstalment, of FIVE a day, of the above
number will be ready for delivery in about
ten days, and at the expiration of the time
mentioned the contract will be entirely
filed. A hasty visit yesterday to the works
gave Us slight insight to the intricate
operation of making rihed cS2uon.
Mr.. Griffin, who has been for a long
period connected with the Phoenix Works,
is the inventor of the gun now making at
this establishment. About seven hundred
men are employed, and, with few exceptions,
the entire force is at work in the various
branches necessary to make rifled cannon.
The material is of the very best quality OF
Pennsylvania wrought-iron; its toughness
and tenacity are such that shred of 1t will
bear hammering iuto complete circle, in a
cold state, before it will break all the brit
tie composition has been removed by the
severe fiery ordeal it has been repeatedly
subjected to. The proper material being Sc
cured, the first process in the formation of
the gun, is rolling out che iron into strips
seven feet long, three-fourth5 of an inch
thick and two inches wide for the bore.
These stripes are concsve on the external
surface, and the convex on the internal
side, so that they will fit closely together on
an iron cylinder three inches in diameter.
The cylinder being placed in the sockets
of two large wheels, the strips are placed in
position longitudinally with it. This forms
the bore of the gun. A fifty feet long piece
of fiat iron, two inches wide, is then drawn
out of the furnace, the iron at white heat
and it is coiled around the cylinder in this
condition, running obliquely off at the end.
This process is repeated till six layers are
rolled on, when the piece resembles IN ap.
pearance large roll of oil cloth more than
1t does cannon, even In the lncipieht state
of the latter. This roll, which is now about
twelve inches in diameter, is barrelled up
with number of the narrow strips longitu-
dinally till the outer surface hides the coil,
reminding one of the accounts we have read
of the first guns made of wooden slaves and
hooped with iron, and used at Oressy by the
English. The wooden guns, we are told, ex-
ploded after a few rounds had been fred, and
they proved more fatal to the English than
to those against whom they were employed.
Our barrelled gun is next conveyed on a
truck to one of the furnaces, and heated to
au almost fluid state.
A host of workmen then put it between
| ponderous cylindrical rollers, where it is
manipulated, until all it's parts become
welded together without the mluutest apert-
ure, or flaw being discernable; it is then
! compressed between two hammers to shorten
| ii a little; then cutting machine is called
into requistion to mold the breech, and
/ taper off the superhous iron at the muzzle,
and not until this fourth operation is en-
| ployed can we discover any resemblance In
| the welded mass to a cannon. The gun is
| then removed to an oven to receive the
| trunions, or arms. The trunions are welded
| in at white heat of the metal, this being the
| fifth and last of the fiery ordeal it is sub
| jected to. The piece is next placed on an in
| clined plane and taken into the boring room
and placed on a lathe. Here a permanent
drill of the requisite size is fixed and the
| gun is made to revolve steadily until the
Hbore" is completed, and the piece becomes
a hollow cylinder for the first time. In the
same shop the turning or finishing of the ex
| In the boring room we saw curled shaving
! produced by the "bit" seventeen feet long
showing the iron is pure.
The last of the processes, and one ir
which we take much interest," is the rifltng
which is performed in a shop specially ap
propriated for that purpose. A lathe of thu
same general description as in the last-de
! scribed room is used; the gun is moved
backward, and in its retrogade movement {
highly tempered plane brings out delicat'
shaving as easily as if it was soft substance
This is repeated till the sufficient number o
| grooves (fve) are made. A delicate coat o
Varnish, to prevent rust is administered, anC
we have rifled cannon complete. The slight
est touch on finished gun will cause
clear ringing sound, and when it is dis
charged, the sound resembles bell, de
scription of music the "Seceshers" will no
| admire.