The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-11-30
Balls and Shells.

The Watervliet Arsenal situated ut Yves.
Troy, New York, is (says recent visitor) the
largest arsenal Tor the construction and iabrica-
ton OF military implements, other than small
arms and cannon in the country and power
fully inn rcsses one with the strength and re-
sources OF our government. Every thing is at
present on n war footing, and from three to four
hundred hands directly and as many more in.
directly, in the neighboring ioundries, are kent
busy night and day. 4 large number of hands
are engaged in the preparation of ammunition
sixty thousand bali cartridges are made daily
most Of these are intended for the Mimic rG,,
bat large numbers of old fashioned round bail
cartridges are also manufactured. The rapid
ity with which a cartridge is nadels wonderful.
A boy sits at u counter with cylindrical stick
- pile of creased balls and one of prepared
paper before hin-a simple roll of the paper
and stlck-a jerk and twist at one end-.a
twist OF string, and the car-ridge is ready for
hil,ng IN less time than it takes TO read this
description. They are then taken into another
room, placed open end up in shallow boxes, and
u nan by means Of a simple instrument fills
hem with an 'Qasl and specific amount of pow
der. at The rate OF thirty minute. A twist at
the open end. and the cartridge is completed
The manufacture goes Oh 50 inst that it requires
nearly /" dozen men and boys to pack, box, and
remove :he finished cartridges. In another n.y.
partmenta number Of men and girls are en-
ploJed III the Manufacture of cannon cartridges
ot all sizes, from the mightest colnmbiad
down to a six FOUNDER. The material of which
they are made Is kind OF wooden goods (mo.
reeD) imported from England especially for tho
purpose thousands Of yards of this material
were IN the process of being cut up and man
UfanftirtN (nnnnn IL
here, but at the place they are intended to be
used. In still another department, grape, can
lister, and strapped ammunition were in course
OF preparation, while huge cart loads OF bomb
shells and spherical shot are hourly arriving
from the nelghboring fonndries The grape
shot are larger than | supposed. and might
more properly be called peach-shot thAn grape
shot. Some SIX or more of tn Sc are packed in
O sort OF wire corkscrew arrangement, and fitted
INTO u tin case, and when thus finished, Lave
much the appearance of jars OF preserved meats
or fruit.
The manufacture of bomb shells IS also n
matter OF much interest. rhe preparation of
those | witnessed is briefly as follows - The
shell is first filled full with old fashioned round
leadcn bullets; melted sui pher is then poured
IN to hll up the interstices and bind the bullets
Ia one Solid mass; the she'll is then put into
klnd Of lathe, and u cylindrical hole of the exact
sizs OF tn" oriiice Of the she'll 10 bored through
the bullets and sul pher; tins cavity i. filled
with po"de even with the interior edge of the
orr! co; six.in she'll Of the kind here d. scrib-
ca holds aboAt half a pound the fuse fitted
into the orlice IS recent Belgian invention,
made OF pewter, and res mtles tho screw cap
used Tor the patent fruit cans. An examination
OF this pewter cap shows, however, that 1t is
made vi two hollow disks of metal screwed to-
gether aud filled with meal powder; u number
OF line holes are drilled Ia the lower disk, while
the outer disk sentire, aud marked with figures
In circle L. =, 3, 4. In this state the shell IS
water aud weather proof. When taken for use.
the gunner, by means of small steel instru.
lnent. scoops out . portion Of the outer soft
meta! surface and lays bare the charge of CON-
position powder below it, 1.-THE shell is desired
10 explode in one second after leaving the gun
the scoopin- is made on the figure one Il in