Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-06-05

One other idea and am done When
l went to Montgomery, only six States were
Represented there. Now there are nine.-
And the good old North State has also
unanimously seeded and every gale that
watts from Tennessee brings the evidence
that her gallant sons will unite heart and
soul with US
Heaven has smiled on us from the first.
Go and look at your crops; you nay call 1t
a good season, or whatever else you may,
but [ tell you that it is the blessing of God
upon us at this time.
My friends, I know you will excuse me
from making any further remarks at this
time have been travelling, am fatigued,
and have been speaking at many of the
stations along the route.
He retired amidst the widest applause,
and "three cheers for Cobb," which were
given vociferously.
Balls, Shells and Bombs--How Made.
The Watervliet Arsenal, situated at West
Troy, N. Y, is the largest arsenal for the
construction and fabrication of military i'm
plenents, other than small arms and can
non, in the country, and visit to its work.
shops at the present time, powerfully i'm
presses one with the power and resources of
our government. Everything at present is
on war footing, and from three to five
hundred hands directly, and as many more
indirectly, in the neighboring foundries, are
kept busy night and day. Through the
thieving of Floyd, and the recent requisi-
tions of Government, the arsenal has been
nearly stripped Of muskets, pistols and can
non, but of other munitions there is yet an
ample store. A large number Of hands are
engaged in the preparation of ammunition !;
ak thousand ball cartridges are made dai-
ly; most of these are intended for the MIME
rifle, but large numbers of the old fashioned
round ball cartrid ges are also manufactured
The rapidity with which cartridge is
ruade is wonderful. A boys sits at a couu.
ter with a cylindrical stick-a pile Of
creased balls and one of prepared paper be.
fore bim-a simple roll of paper and stick
a jerk and twist at one end-a twist of
string, and the cartridge is ready for ill.
ing in less time than it takes to read this
description. They are then taken in anoth-
erroom, placed open, end up, in shallow box.
es, and man, by means of 8 simple iustru.
ment, fills them with an equal and specific
amount of powder, at the rate of thirty a
minute. A twist at the open end, and the
cartridge is complete. The manufacture
goes on so fast, that it requires nearly a
dozen men and boys to pack, box and re-
move the finished cartridges. In another
apartment, a number of mon and girls are
employed in the manufacture of cannon
cartridges of all sizes, from the mightiest
columbiad down to the six-pounder. The
material of which they are made, is kind
of woolen goods (moreen) imported from
England especially for the purpose. Thou.
sands of yards of this material we're in the
process of being cut up and manufactured.
Cannon cartridges are not filled here, but
at the place where they are intended to be
used. In still another department, grape,
canister and strapped ammunition are in
course of preparation, while huge cart loads
of bomb shells and spherical shot are hour
y arriving from the neighboring founde-
ries. The grape shot are larger than sup,
posed, and might more properly be called
peach shot than grape shot. Some six or
more of these are packed in a sort of a wire
c-rkscrew arrangement, and fitted into a
tin case, and when thus finished, have much
the appearance of jars of preserved meats
or fruits.
The manufacture of bomb shells is also a
matter of much interest. The preparation
of those l witnessed was briefly as follows
The shell is first filled up with old-fashion-
ed, round leaden bullets; melted sulphur
is then poured in to fill up the interstices and
bind the bullets in one solid mass the
shell is then put into kind of lathe, and
a cylindrical hole of the exact size of the
orifce of the she'll is bored through the bull
lets and the sulphur; this cavity is filled
with powder, even with the interior edge Of
the ori6ce, six inch shell of the kind here
described holding about half pound
The fuse fitted Into the oriGce is a recent
Belgian invention, made of pewter, and re-
sembles the screw-cap used for the patent
fruit cans. An examination of this pewter
cap shows, however, that it is made Of two
hollow dies Of metal screwed together, and
filed with meal powder; number of small
holes are drilled in the lower disc, while
the other disc is entire, and marked with
figures in circle, l, 2, 8, 4. In this state
the shell is water and weather proof. When
taken for use, the gunner, by means of a
small steel instrument, scoops out portion
of the outer soft metal surface, and lays
bare the charge of composition powder be-
low it. If the she'll is desired to explode
in one second after leaving the gun, the
scoopiug is made on the figure one; if in
two seconds, on the figure two, and so on !;
the idea being that the shells of this des-
cription shall first strike the object aimed
at and do execution as ball, and then ex.
plode, sending the bullets forward as If
from another cannon located at the point
where the flight of the she'll is arrested
Large shell Of eight or ten inches are filed
with power only, and bursting do execution
by means of their fragments. These large
shells are generally fred by means of fuse
of meal powder, extending through brass
plug, screwed into the mouth Of the shell ;
In hoth oasaa the fnaa is fred hQ the ipni-