Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-04-16
war nssesiai.
CoDUNBh0 OrN.


tail qusli(es q ME ordinary sea COZ p
gun, howitSer and mortar. They are Or
eight and ten inch calib'e, and are CO.
psble Of projecting . solid shot o. shell
with large charge OF powder 1t IN an
gle Of from s deg. below to 80 deg.
above the horizon. In outer appearance,
the Columbiad 10 similar to the ordinar,
sea coast cannon, but its internal shape
more like the howitzer. Its full range is
about Two miles, with an extra rsDge Of
three miles. The eight inch Weighs
about 1900 lbs, aud the charge Of pow.
der used is 10 lbs. The weight Of the
solid shot is 46 lbs., the shell 38 lbs
The ten-inch gun weighs $4,000 lbs.,
and the charge used is is lbs. OF powder
the solid shot weighing 1873 lbs, and
the shell 100 lbs. I 10 1859, there were
2,5l9 eight and ten inch Columbads
aud sea coast howitzers in use IN our
notifications, of which over 600 we're
columbiads, and we are informed by an
officer Of the ordnance that, up to the
present time, there we're over 1000 ~
use, aud new ones being mar utactured
daily. Most OF our heavy Notifications,
from Maine to Florida, have in use these
terrible guns.
THS DAHLGREEN GUN
IL used for ship service and naval
batteries. and is the most perfect naval
Jun ever constructed. 1t was invented
by Commander John A. Dahgreen Of
the United States Navy, to be used
either for shell or solid shot. It's merit
consists Of reduction Of the proportion
OF metal between the muzzle and the
trunnlonr, which is found in guns of the
common pattern largely in excess. The
greater part Of metal at the breech Of a
gun. instead Of the muzzle, not obly
gives greater strength at the part where
the danger of bursting is the greatest,
but also tends to diminish the force OF
the recol. The Dahlgreen guns are
s and 10 inch in calbre in the ship guns
and the boat guns are "a and IL lbs.
calbre, and are used for firing shells,
schrapncll and canister shot So salts
fed have been the Board Of Ordnance
With the Dahgreen and 10 inch guns,
that all cur new steam loop aud gun
boats have been armed with them. They
are similar to the Columbiads, and their
weight Of shot are nearly similar. They
have stood severe tests of trial aud
proof, and are undoubtedly the best ma
val guns used in the world. kifed
cannon for field service are now attract
ing much attention among military
men. About three years since new
model gun was tested at Ames' manu-
factory in Cabotville, Mass, called
MORTARs.
MOrtars are as ancient as cannon, and
were employed to throw red hot iron and
stones before the invention Of shells. The
first shells used were in 1885 when Ma
pies was besieged by Charles VIII, at
which seige they were said to have
made terrible havoc among the enemy.
They are manufactured Of iron and
brass. The iron are 8, 10 and Is inch
IN calibre, and the brass l and 2-5
inch in bore. The Is inch iron require
lbs. to the charge the 10 inch lbs.,
and the Inch lbs. The largest NOR
tar IN the world was cast by NJ. MaIlet,
tor the Br!.:h 9o.yernmtsssg,t, to s"FrTco
ed failure. 1t was SO inch bore. Nor
tars are very little used at the present
time, having given place to howitxers
aud the new rifed guns.
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Howixers are pieces Of ordnance Of
medium length between the cannon and
the mortars, used for hrowing shells or
large balls at point blank range, or at
mail elevation. They are usually
made Of brass. The first howilzer was
said to have been invented by Belidor,
in Germany. and was used at the seige
Of Ath, in 1897. Howitzers range as
80, "a, IL and 6 Founders, the latter
size eing used for light batteries in field
service.
A 80 pound howitzer requires 3 l-2
lbs. of powder for charge "a "a pound
howitzer 2 IL pounds; IL pound how
'tzer IA lbs, and a six FOUNDER 8 or
10 ounces to charge. Howitzers are
used more for firing shell than the NOR
tar, and the United States army are pro
vided with large number of seiQe how
ltzers, very heavy gun.
CARRONADEs.
Carronades are short howitzers. first
cast at the Carron works, from which
thew first derived their names. Work
men we're first employed on the guns
about the year 1870. They are mostly
used on ship board, and are now aban.
doned TOR guns Of more recent construc
tlon. The carronades used in the Brit
sh Navy are from four to five feet in
ength, and Of the calibre of from to
10 inches. Most Of our service vessels
are armed with carronades which are
ia'ly being displaced by the terrible
Columbiads and the formidable Dahl
green guns.
What Little saving will DO.
Figures, says an exchange, sometimes
produce almost incredible results. Thus.
or instance, if young man, on his
twentieth birty-day will invest 600 in
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