Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-05-26
SaiIs, Shells and Bombs-Hoxv Ta.
are Made.

lo0rre'pondenceof of the Springfield Republican
Tho w..,. Troy, N. T., May 8.
me Watervleit Arsenal, situated at Weat
s, Us you doubtless know, the largest ar
ai "s;,:. ior 1ne construction aud fabrication of
cannon, in the country; and visit 10 ia so,L.
snops at the present time powerfully imnres.e.
one with the strength and resources of our cov.
ernment. Everything is at present on a va,
iooung' and from three to four hundred hands
orectiy' and as many more indirectly, in the
neisnootiDg ioundres, are kept busy night and
Gay large number of hands are engsoe5 H.
the preparation Of ammunition. SxHv tbor-
SAND ball cartridges are made daily Most .,
lnese are Intended for the MIME rife, bus la,sa
numbers OF the old-fashioned round ball css~
Iriuges are also manufactured. TIE rapiditv
Win which cartridge is made is wonderful
N Doy sits on counter with cylindrical stick.
pig ol creased balls and one of prepared pa.
PC. oeiore MIN; jerk and twist at one end. n
ans. oi string, and the cartridge is ready for
description. They are then taken into ano,ho,
room, placed open end up in shallow boIes
anu anu = man, by means of simple instrument
LUIS .nem with an equal aud specific amount Of
Powoer' az the rate OF thirty minute. twist
az a.. 'nesopen end, and the cartridge is complete
me manufacture goes on so fast tina, it REQUIRES
nearly dozen men and boys to pack. hoy and
remove the finished cartridges. In anotber
apartment number of men aud girls are en-
pioyed IN the manufacture of cannon cart,;Soso
Oh al sizes, from the mightest eolumbiad down
70 SIX ponnder. The material of which tbev
are made Is kind Of wooden goods (moreeni
imported from England especially for the pur-
pose' thousands OF yards OF this material
were IN the process OF being Gu. up and manu-
no'uleu. cannon cartridges are not filled here.
but at the place where they are intended 20 =.
used. In still another apartment. ersno 20
canister and strapped ammunition are in conrso
oL preparation, while huge cart loads of bomb
sneNs and spherical shot are hourly arriving
from the neighboring foundries. The erane
snos are larger than supposed, and miobt
more properly be called peach shot than orsne
snot' some six or more of these are paeked in
a sort OF wire corkscrew arrangement. and f;t-
TED into tin case. and when thus fpisbed. bavo
mucn tne appearance Of jars of preserved meats
Inc manufacture Of bomb shells il al,o n
matter OF much interest. The preparation of
tnose Witnessed is briefly as follows: The sbeII
- u mls. nliea with old fashioned round loaded
oonets; melted sulphur is then poured in to flI
1 W .se in1erstices and bind the bullets iu one
soLu nass; tne shell is then put into kind of
latne' ana cylindrical hole Of the exact size
OF the orihce of the shell, is bored tbroupb tbe
bullets and sulphur; this cavity is filled with
powder even with the interior edge of the o,;-
nee, elk inch shell Of the kind here deec,;hsd
holding about half pound; the fuse fitted ;n.o
tne orince Is a recent Belgian inyentiou, made
Oh pewter, and resembles the screw can used far
tne patent fruit cans. An examination of tbia
pewter cap shows, however, that il Ia made of
swo s nollow discs OF metal screwed together, and
nnea WIN meal powder; number Of fine holes
are drilled In the lower disc, while the outer
disc Is entire, and marked with fopres In a
circle, l, =, ., a. In this state the sbeII Ia W.
ter and weather proof. When taken for nae. the
gunner oy means OF small steel instrument.
scoops out portion of the outer soft metal snr.
face, and lays bare the charge of Composition
powder below It.. If the shell is desired h eT.
plode In one second after leaving the gun. tho
scooping Is made on the figure one; If ia two
seconds, on the figure two, and 90 on-the idea
being that the shells of this description shall
first strike the object aimed at and do executjon
as ball, and then explode, sending the buIlets
forward, as II from another cannon located ne
the point where the flight of the she'll il arres..
ed. Large shells, of eight or ten inches. are
hiled with powder only, aud, bursting. do eye.
cution BY means Of their fragments. Tbese
large shells are generally fred BY means of a
l1se OF meal powder, extending through brass
pug screwed into the mouth of the shell; In
ooth cases the fuse Is fred by ignition of the
charge in the gun.