The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1861-05-25
DESIRABLE INFORMATION.

n In these warlike times the following
from the Seieafife dmpioaa win be read
with interest: KS /, .= ...,,, : T.
The Columbiad or Paishau( pronounced
payzan1 is q large gun, designed priGct
pally for firing shells-it being fat more
accurate than the ordinary short mortar:
A mortar is a very short cannon, with
n large bore, some Of them thirteen inches
in diameter, for firing shells. Those in.
use in our army are set at ali angle Of 70
degrees, aud the range Of shell is varied
by altering the charge IL powder. The
shell is caused to explode at just about
the time ttiatit strikes, by means OF a fuse,
the length Of which is,.adipsted 20 the
time of flight to be occupied BY the ball,
which, Of course, corresponds with the
range. ID. ... IL.
The accuracy with which the time Of
the burning oil a fuse can be adjusted by
varying It's hngth, Is surprising, good ar
tilleriSts generally succeeding in having
their shells explode almost at the exact
Instant Of striking g.. -. -.
In loading a hiortarl he strll is care
fully placed with the sslse directly Tor.
ward, and whea the piece: Is discharged,
the shell is SO completely enFeloped with
saspas tlsrt che ss,sfs II 4 : 4, - t:rss.l
. The fuse Is made hyf filing a wooden
cylinder wirh fuse powder, the cylInde'
being Of sufficient length for the long
= est range, TO be cot Own Shorter for
.ShOrter ranges, as reqHlred, .......: liz.
$50 Dahlgren gun is an ordinary can,
non, except that it is made very thick at
the breech for some three or four feet,
when it tapers down sharply to less than
the usual size This form was adopted in
consequence Of the experiments Of Cap
] tain Bahlgren, Of the T.. S. Navy, hay'
ing shown TINT when gun bursts il
usually gives way at tie brtech. The
( Niagara. Is armed with these guns, and
at the Brooklyn Navy Yard there arr
:. sixty, weighing about 5000 pounds each
and six of IL, 900 pounds weight each
the former of which are capable Of carrying
nine iuch, aud the latter ten inch shell {
distance Of two or three miles; and there
is one gun Of this pattern which weigh
Is, 9lG pounds, and Is warranted TO SEM
an eleven inch shell four miles.
T.. A cascmate is n stone roof to Tort
made sufficiently thick to resist the fore
, of cannon balls; and a cascmate gun !
Que which is placed under a casemate,
, \ barbette is one which is placed Of
the top Of the fertilization,
Ar embraSure Is. the hole or opening
through which guns are fired from FORTH
cations,
, Loop-holcs are openings in walls to fir
musketry through.
The cost Of Dahlgren's great niue inc
Iron guns is u cents per pound. As the
> weigh 5000 pounds each, the cost of
) gun is $645, -,
The eight inch columbiads weigh 8 so
!, pounds; the ten inch, 5000 pounds each
I both are sold at 81 cents d pound,
Forty-two Founders weigh 500
pounds; thirty-two Founders, $500
, = The twelye.pOuTdtssrrsS dtsnss cent,
; the others at six cents a pound. -. ~
S5eaGoast howitZers Of eight and te
: inch bore weigh from $500 to $50
: pounds each, and are seld at "a cents
:. pound. .-' x. <. /. .
: Siege howitzers ofeight inch bore al
. much lighter, weighing $500 TO 500
: pounds, and are sold at the same rate 1
y those above mentioned = -.,,>.s
y Brass guns are. much lighter, the arm
y pattern twelve Founders weighing on
= 300 pounds; they are, however, sold ,
. 4G cents a Poand. ~
The Dahlgren brass guns are still pr
|. tportionately higher priced; the patsI
= mountain twelve pound howitzers, weig
ing go lbs, are sold at 75cents pouu,
q Sheli sell according to weight, at iro
:, to 6 cents poundj shot at 81 TO