The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-05-11

!
Belidor, in Germany, and was used at thu
seise of Ath in 1907. Howi,zers range as
| 80, "a. II and 6 Founders, the latter size
being used for light batteries in field Service
There are also and | ! pounds, light pieces
which are very effective in mountainous OF
hIlly country, and are called mountain howit.
zcrs. They can be transported by drag ropes
| or packed on the pack of mules. so light is
their construction. Grape and small shot are
used in them to defend mountain passes They
were very effective in the last war with
Mexico, and Lieut.. Reno. of the Ordnance
Department. used them with great success.
A 80. pound howitzrr requires 81 pounds of
powder for charge; "a pound howitzer
y pounds: a IL pound howitzer II pound,
and 6 FOUNDER OF 10 ounces to a charge.
liowltzers are used more for firing shell than
the mortar. aud the United States army are
provided with large number Of seige howt.
zeIs, very heavy gun.
PRoJECrlLEs OF WAR.
Projectiles of war are round shot, spherical
case shot, shells, schrapnell, grape. canister,
and chain shot. A shell is hollow sphere
of iron filled with gunpowder, iron, balls,
NC. fired from howitzcr, mortar, or column
bad. The charge is introduced into a hole
about an inch in diameter, by the means of
fuse there Is a tube Of wood or composition
ieI with mea!ed powder. sulphur, and salt
petre, and is cut at Just the lenght the shell
IS calculated to explode. Great precision
and accuracy have been attained in the
measuring and calculation of distances by
scientific artillerists. Schrapnell Shell are
shell, filled with quantity of musket balls.
which when the shell eXp lndes are projected
about one hui,daed and fifty yards furl her,
They are fired from guns, nortars, and how
itzcrs, and are terribly effective.
six-pounder spherical case shot contains
twenty-seven mnSket balls. Grape shot is
quantity of small shot put into canvass
bag and corded together in a cylindrical
lion when il is fired. Canister shot is
number of metallic shot enclosed in metal
lie case, adapted to the calibre of the gun,
which, when 1t bursts, scatterS the shot in
every direction. Chain shot consists of
number of balls connected together by small
chain. hich, When fired from cannon, is
eJrcted frsm it in rotary manner, and strik.
ing INTO close column PRODUCES terrible
destruction. Chain shot are, however, bu,
little used at the present day. Round the
conical shot ale used more particularly in
siege batteries, and are the most common of
al piJJSCbi1SS. mere arc also mana UrCO-
AIDES used, being shell filled with small Shots
and scrans o. iron and glass. which ,ro yerr
destructive in close conflict. In conclusion
of The war projectiles we shall notice.
ROCKETS
Rockets are composed of hollow paper,
wood, or iron cases, filled with a COMPOST
ton of explosive material. used as signals
and in some cases as implements of warfare,
being filled with balls. The iron rocket was
the invention of Sir William Corgrevc. of
England, and was hollow iron case, filled
with explosive material and hall. and was
lirst used with success at tile bombardnent
OF Copenhagen. The Hale rocket is an
Invention OF later date, and is adopted in the
United States army, Experiments have been
made with them tor seige purposes but up
TO the present time with bn t liulsl success
as they cannot be depended on to do much
execution: For signals they are invaluable.
and they have attained for this purpose
great state oil perfection.
There have also been many improvements
IN small arms within the last fifteen or
twenty years. Look at the comparison