Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-12-13

of The gun.
Corning, WinSow and Co. of Troy, N,
Y, have recently constructed several rifled
steel cannon, on new plan, the invention
of a civil engineer, named Juan Patterson,
an intelligent and scientific man, who has
spent much time in The study of gunnery.
Corning, Winslow K Co manufacture their
own steel from the best pig iron, which, by
process known only to the workmen in
this establishment, is converted into a SUI
perior article OF s,eel when the iron is be-
ing molten in the furnace. So remarkable
is this process in its operations, that the
best workman, unacquainted with the fact,
would be unable TO determine whather the
heated mass he saw before him was really
undergoing this delicate operation of being
another, as there is nothing by which he
could detect the change. After the steel is
Withdrawn from the furnace, it is placed
under an immense trip-hammer, weighing
three tons, and there formed into solid
pieces called "blooms," weighing from 900
to 200 pounds. The utmost care is nee
ercised 10 bring the material out in the most
perfect shape, and an apparently insignif-
cant check or flaw in the edge of the bloom
is sufficient TO cause its rejection by the
critical operator in charge of this depart
ment The blooms are next placed under
smaller trip-hammer, where they are re-
duced to the size and appearance of a
rough cannon. Next, they are turned off
in the lathe, and subsequently drilled, rifed
and polished.
Riled cannon are very much in demand
at present, and description of the manner
in which they are made will be interesting
to many of our readers. The material is
of the very best quality of wrought iron,
and the first process in the formation of
gun is rolling out the iron into strips seven
| feet long, three-fourths of an inch thick and
two inches wide for the bore. These strips
are CohCdfo oil the eAteFnal SURFACE ana
convex on the internal side so that they
will fit closely together on an iron cylinder
three inches in diameter. The cylinder be-
ing placed in the sockets of Two large wheels,
the strips are placed in position longitude
nally with it. This forms the bore of the
gun. A fifty feet long piece of flat iron,
two inches wide, is then drawn out of the
furnace, the iron at white heat, and it is
coiled around the cylinder in this condition,
running obliquely off at the end. The pro-
cess is repeated till six layers are rolled on,
when the piece resembles in appearance
large roll of oil cloth more than it does
cannon, even in the incipient state of the
latter. This roll, which is now about twelve
inches in diameter, is barrelled up with a
number of the narrow strips lonsitudinally
till the outer surface hides the coil. The
barrelled gun is next conveyed to a furnace
and heated to an almost fluid state. 1t is
then put between ponderous cylindrical roll
ers, where it is manipulated until all its
parts become welded together without the
minutest aperture or flaw being discernible
it is then compressed between two rammers
to shorten it little; then cutting ma
chine is called into requisition to mould the
breech, and taper off the superfuons iron
at the muzzle, and not until the fourth op-
Grafton is employed can there be discovered
any resemblance in the welded mass to a
cannon. The gun is then removed to an
oven TO receive the trunions, or arms. The
trunions are welded in at white heat of the
metal this being the fifth and last of the
fiery ordeals it is subjected to. The piece
is next taken into the boring room, and
placed on lathe. Here permanent drill |
of the requisite size is fixed and the gun
is made to revolve steadily until the "bore'
is completed, and the piece becomes hoI-
low cylinder for the first time. In the |
same shop the turning or finishing of the
external surface of the weapon is perform |
ed. The last of the processes is the riAing, /
for which purpose lathe Of the1sams gem
eral principle as that used for the bore is
employed. The gun is moved backwards,
and in IFS retrograde movement highly
tempered plane brings out delicate shaw
ing as easily as if it were a soft substance.
This is repeated till the sufficient number
of grooves (five) are made. A delicate
coat of varnish to prevent rust, is admin
istered, and we have rifed cannon COM
plete. The slightest touch on a finished
gun will cause clear ringing sound, and
when Il is discharged, the sound resembles
a bell, description of music the secesh-
ers will not admire.
A new battery called the "Union twin
battery was recently invented, which, it is
is very destructive in its effects.
1t is, properly speaking, battery of two
cannon working as one. They are con-
nected by hinge joint at the breech work
ing with screw, so as to produce di-
yergence, and the object TO be obtained is
the Simultaneous discharge of two balls,
by chain, the action of the balls
keeping the latter oui-stretched, so as 10