The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-06-08
vALUABL INEORMArl0x-wAk
TERMS MADE UNDERSrANDABlE

Terms MADE CNDE6SIANDABLE.
As war and war materials are nov en-
crossing public attention, to the exclusio,
Of both politics and business, some infor
nation relative to new terms occurrins a
frequently in connection with these subjects
viii be Interesting to those Who pee then
used without fully understanding them
Ali the ordnance for the United States ser
vice is made q; private foundries, and after
wards inspected and proved BY officers oi
tho ordnance department detailed for thai
purpose. The foundries where most Of ou,
cannons are made. are the following: The
West Point Foundry, near Cold Spring, n
Y. Fort Pitt., near Pitisburg: Tredegar,
near Richmond, Va: Ayers, near Boston,
and the Ames Foundry, near Chicopee,
Mass. The last two furnish the bronze
and the others the iron. BY the term ars.,,
iery, is meant all fre-arms Of large c.,,bre
together with the machines and ir,riement,
used with them. ln the United STATE. ser.
vice the artillery corps !, intrus,ed with ths
use OF the aTms ar.a munitions, and the
ordnance corps With their construction aud
presersas The term ordndnes is ap-
r. ed to the guns themselves, aud in ou,
service the ordnance is divided into guns,
howitzers, and IN or;ars.
A mortar is n short cannon. bell-shaped,
and is used principally for throwing shells,
filed with explosive materials for crushing
destroying buildings in sieges. They were
used III Europe four centuries ngo, but their
destructive powers have acquired such ter
rife energy from modern improvements that
the bombardment of 4 city. or shelling, il
is perhaps the most horrible fate to which i,
can be subjected. The bursting Of q single
shell spreads havoc and death among oil
near whom it may explode. 1t was these
terrible missives which wrought the complete
destruction Of the quarters in Fort Sumpter.
Col. Anderson's extreme care of his men on
that occasion alone saved them from death,
by keeping look kou,s to give warning OF the
approach Of shot or shell, and requiring his
brave men to take shelter within the bomb
proof portions of the fort. Shells were
rained down upon Sebasto pol in such aw-
full showers that the Russian commander
wrote to the Emperor that it was the s.fire
of hell itself" The shell is supplied with
fuse, which takes FIRE when the mortar is
exploded, and reaches the powder within
the shell very often at the moment Of its
striking. Long praetics has enabled gun
ners TO know exactly the length Of fuse
necessary to the distance which the she'll
is to traverse. Many martars in our ser.
vice will throw a she'll l3 inches in diameter.
Shells were formerly called bombs, and
hence the word bombardment.
A hswirzer il a gun with a chamber in IL,
and is used generally to throw shells and
other hollow proiectiles, which act as well
by their explosions as hy their force Of per.
eussions, setting fire to towns, ships and
other quarters Of an enemy. The field
howitser is Of course n much lighter gun
than the siege or garrison howi'zer, and is
used in light batteries. The mountain how
itzer is very light IL FOUNDER, and 10 used
for service in countries so rough ns not to
admit the passage Of wheeled vehicles. The
howitzer and its carriage, when taken to
pieces, are carried on the backs OF mules,
which when the roads are favorable, may
be used to draw the common two wheeled
carringe with the mounted piece. The how
i,zcr is lighter and shorter, in proportion to
its projeetIle, than the ordinary cannon !;
the charges used are smaller, and the accu-
racy of FIRE much less. But this is compen-
sa,ed for by the greater execution of the
shell when it bursts. The system of she'll
guns was first brought into practical use by
the French General Paxhan, in 1922. soon
after which it was adopted by the United
States. What is known among Us as to a
colunbiad is in reality modification OF
the paixhan gun. There are two sizes,
carrying balls eight and ten inches in diam.
eter, either hollow or solid. This gun,
therefore, combines the essential qualities
Of the ordinasv cannon, the howitzer and
the mortar. Il scbarges shot or shell with
much greater precisiens than mortar, ana
is terribly destructive. In casting coiumb.
lads, i. has been found aim ost impossinie 20
make them strong enough to Withstand the
nroper number of discharges. - Is re-
mar. able fact that the length OF tins that
piece has been cast has much influences on
its mower of endurance. On trial OF three
S inch colum biads, cast IN the same mould
and at the same time, one OF tnem, rev
DAYS after casting, burst a. the ga rouno.
Of the other two, nfter laying , years Oh e
burst after 500 rounds, the other su.''aineu
., $50 Gres without yielding. il is cons,
cred that all iron guns, after 200 ROUNDS,
are no longer safe.
Th. Armstrong gun isa rifed cannon OF
English invention, aad is loaded at the
breech. All accounts agree in representing
it No throwing balls farther AMI more accu-
rately than anv.otber gun. II throws an
explosive ball filled with percussion powder,
which explodes when the ball strikes, tear
ing to pieces everything near il. The
British have introduced il extensively into
the army. In their recent campaign in
China it proved to be terrible engine OF
death. At GOO yards target no larger
than mans hat has been struck at almost
eyery discharge, and at 1000 yards an OBJ.
iect nine feet square, which can barely be
seen at that distance. can be struck by every
other shot. The largest Armstrong guns
We, made, carry balls weighing l20 pounds.
The number Of guns made las. year Vas $50,
a, an average eos, Of $2,750. 1t vas said
the Charleston rebels had imported several
Armstrong guns to make sure OF capturing
20 men. 10 Fort Sumpter, their nineteen bat.
tsries no. being enough without them
There are very few such guns 10 this coan-
trv, psrhars none.
The s,sam frigats Niagara 10 armed With
60 Dahigren guns, weighing nesriy nve
,uns each. Sir Of them carry 10 inch
ball or shell. the remainder 9 inch, and ~iil
throw them from two 10 three miles. This
run va. contrived By Capt. Dahlgren OF
our navy, after . multitude Of trials 20 de
tsrmine the best form TO avoid buYstiu1. -
A. all guns burst as or very near the breech,
,hn is made of extraordinary thickness al
,ha, part, and for some three feet OF il Ia
p.rs down sharply 90 the muzzle. One oil
,hcs. guns has been made which weigo.
is, 600 poands, and vii! throw ll-ireh
shel, four miles.
An .mbra.ure Is The srall opening 10 The
wall of fort through which the guns pro-
;.et-,he same .. the port hole Of ship
Loopholes ar. small openings through vhies
mu.keiry is hred.
A cassmase is the ssoae roof under whief
..and. the gun, the roof being proof azan.
,ho. and shell. The 60, 30 protected u
called casemase gua. Bus barheste gsn'
a., tho.s which are placed on the top OF
fort. ui,hout .nr root or other protection
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