Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-04-18

tcularly in siege batteries, and are the
most common of war projecties. There
are also hand grenades used, being shells
filled with small shots and scraps Of iron
and glass, which are very destructive in
close conflict. In conclusion of the war
pra ajectiles we shall notice
ROCKETS.
Rockets are composed Of hollow paper,
wood or iron cases, flied with q compo-
sition Of explosive material, used as sig
nails, and in some cases are an implement
of warfare, being filled with balls. The
iron rocket was the invention Of Sir VIM.
Congreve of England, and was hollow
iron case, filled with explosive material
and ball, and was first used with success
at the bombarement of Copenhagen.-
The Hale rocket is an invention OF later
date, and is adapted into the United
States army. Experiments have been
made with them for siege purposes, but
up to the present time with but little sue
cess, as they cannot be depended on to
do much execution. For signals they are
invaluable, and they have attsined for
this purpose great state of perfection.
There have also been many improve
or 30 years. Look at the comparison be-
tween the old flint lock musket, first man
ufactured in New Haven, Conn, by Eli
Whitney, in 1903, and the splendid
Minnie arm turned out at the present
day by our Government manufacturers.
! The old musket scarce attained a range
of 500 yards, while the Minnie musket
ranges truly at over 900 yards. and has
been known to propel ball one and a
quarter miles. We have breech loading
and revolving rifles of every iescri ption
and pattern. Pistols, among which we
may enumerate the celebrated Colts re-
volver, which has such a world wide rep
utation, and last, though not least, the
Minnie breech loading rifle, with sword
bayonet, terrible weapon for skirmsh-
ing. New models of light and heavy
ordnance are being turned out daily
at the different manufactures Of fabrica-
ton, in the Union. In point of heavy
ordnance, the United States is far ahead
of all nations of the world, and her board
of ordnance officers have a reputation
which cannot be excelled. Improvements
are being made in carriages, and a
number of gun carriages have been man
ufactured of wrought iron for the heavy
sea. coast howitzers and Columbiads, it
having been proven in the English SER
vice, that they were more durable, less
likely to recoil, and cheaper in construc-
tion according to service. There has,
however, been one cause of complaint,
which has been the want of
A NATIONAL ARMoRY.
The heavy ordnance used by the United
States has been obtained at private con-
tract from private armories, and the great
need of national asnory located at some
central point has attracted the attention
of the Government. Most of our arms
of defense has been manufactured at the
Cold Spring IN. W foundry, Algers'
Iron Works, South Boston, the Ale
!. ghany foundry, and at the Works of the
Ames' Manufacturing Company at Ca
botvile, Mass. The cost of manufacture
: by contract has been double to the Gov
ernment compared with the manufacture
at permanent armory. Add to this the
travel and expense of inspection and in
spective officers, the large prices paid for
material and labor, and the comparative
y careless manner in which all work has
been completed, and those interested will
at once see the great expense which is
actually thrown away in the fabrication
of ordnance and ordnance stores. Our
, Government needs both a national foun-
dry and national armory, so that it
will not be obliged to depend upon pri-
vate manufactures for a supply of this
material. Government should take such
means as to establish foundry so that
our ordnance should be thoroughly man
ufactured, thoroughly inspected, that it
be thoroughly fit for service. BY adopt
ing this plan proper retrenchment can
be made, and articles fabricated under
the public eye will be worthy of the pub
lie good. Amid all these internal COM
motions we should not forget our great
Washington's maxim, "In time of peace
prepare for warp Gin. Gazette.
: *At this explosion the Secretary of the Navy
Secretary ofWar, Commodore Kennon, and many
Others were killed and wounded, and President
Tyler narrowly escaped with his life. This was
in the summer of lS42, on board of the United
States steamer Princeton, on the Potomac, below
Washington city.
+The charge of the 10 inch was formerly Is lbs
but it has been reduced to 2 lbs and in the SAINT
manner has the S inch been reduced. The ex
treme range of the 10 inch is from to y lbs al
an angle of 35 deg. above the horizon. See
Ordnance Manual]
tPoint blank range is the distance to which q
shot fired is carrie ed in horizontal direction.
A short Memory.
A good deacon returning from churcl