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

was tested at Amcs' mandatory in
Cabotville, Mass, called
THE JAMES RIFLED CANNON.
This new invention was patented by
General James of Rhode Island in 1858,
and is brass field piece for light batter
les, riAcd, an eliptical bore, with n COMIC
al shot of curious construction. The
great advantages claimed by General
James are, that owing to the peculiar
construction Of the ball; its passage thro'
the grooved chamber Of the piece, saves
the windage, giving to the shot greater
rotation, greater force and greater pre-
cision. Its range is q to miles, and
in the experiments tried by board of
officers convened for that purpose in
1859, one shot was made with u lbs.
of powder which projected q slug ball
neary miles. The pressure, however,
is tremendous, and it is to be doubted
whether it would answer the purpose of
firing shell without danger. 1t has not
been adopted by our Government we be.
lieve, and we learn that the inventor is
applying the principle to brecch-load-
ing gun of six pounds calibre. The ball
useG is in conical shape like the Minnie
ball, followed out at the base with an air
cham Der. in which are grooves which
presses the air by the force of the pow
der on to a lead and canvas covering,
forcing the sheet lead into the rifled
grooves of the chamber and slugging
the ball, thus saving the windage and
producing the effects above described
Whether it will be brought into use by
our Government remains to be seen, but
it seems to be practical gun, and we
hope to learn of its success as an arm oi
the service.
MoRTARs.
Mortars are as ancient as cannon, and
were employed to throw red hot iron and
stones before the inventian of Shells
The first shells were used in 1435 wher
Naples was besieged by Charles VIII, a
which they were said to have made terri
bic havoc among the enemy. They aiC
manufactured of iron and brass. The
Iron are 8, 10 and 13 inch calibre ant
the brass 81 and 4 2-5 inch in BORE
The 13 inch iron require 9 pounds tt
the charge; the 10 inch A pounds, and
the inch pounds. The largest mortar
in the world was cast by NJ. Mallet, fol
the British Government, to carry shell
weighing over 16 ton, but it proved ,
failure. 1t was 36 inch bore. Mortars
are very little used at the present time
having given place to howitzers and thu
new riaed guns.
HowITzERs.
Howitzers are pieces of ordnance O.
medium length between the cannon and
mortars, used for throwing shells or large
balls at point blank range, or at a smal
eevation.t They are usually made Of
brass. The first howitzer was said tc
have been invented by Belidor, in Ger.
many, and was used at the seige of Ath
in 1907. Howitzers range as 32, "a, Il
and 6 Founders, the latter size being useC
for light batteries in field service. There
are also l and Il Founders, light pieces
which are very effective in m mountainou
or hilly country, and are called mountain
howitzers. They can be transported by
drag ropes or packed on the backs o
mules, so light is their construction -
Grape and small shot are used in then
to defend mountain passes. They were
very effective in the last war with Mexico
and Lieut.. Renoro, of the Ordnance de
partment, used them with great success
80 pound howitzer requires 81 pound.
of powder for charge; "a pound how
itzer q pounds; II pound howitzer /.
pounds, and FOUNDER or 10 ounces
to charge. Howitzers are used NOR
for firing shell than the mortar, and th
United States army are provided with
large number Of seige howitzers, a yer.
heavy gun.
CARRoNADEs.
Carronades are short howitzers, frs
cast at the Carron works from which the,
first derived their names. Workmel
were first employed on these guns abou
the year 1779. They are mostly used oil
ship board and are now abandoned fo
guns of more recent construction
The carronades used in the British Navy
are from 4 to feet in length and of thu
calbre Of from to 10 inches. Most 0
our service vessels are armed with carron
AIDES which are daily being displaced b,
the terrible Columbiads and the form
idable Dahlgreen guns. Having thu
spoken of heavy ordnance we will nov
notice
PRoJECTILEs OF WAR.
Proiectiles of war are round shot, sphe
rical case shot, shells, schrapnell, grape
canister and chain shot. Il shell is
hollow sphere of iron filled wit gunpowd
or, iron, balls, DC, fired from howitzer
mortar or Columbiad The charge il
introduced into a hole about an inch il
diameter, and fired by means Of fuse
the fuse is tube of wood or composition
filled with mealed powder, sulphur an'
satpeter and is cut at just the length tn
shell is calculated to explode. Great pre-
, cision and accuracy have been attained il
, the measuring and calculation of dist
ances by scientific artillerists, and sucl
is the precision by which they are fire.
that a skillful gunner can place his sho
or shell within an inch or two of the oh
ject he wishes his shell to strike. .Schrap
r nell shells are shells filled with quaint
, ity of musket balls, which when the shel
axnl lo1au ora ,roiaotoI obnnt | 6O ward