, 1861-05-22
Valuable Jnforn nation~--yFar Terms
maQo UulatRKandAhlaa :.

,
a. WAT and war mater1als ara ROW engross
Ing public attention, to the exclusion Of both
politics ind business, sone information rela-
i've to new terms occurring 10 frequently IN
connection With these subjects, will b :l1tef
.tstinK to these who aeo them used Without
for the United States sesviee u nado at pr1
7afe foprdKe6, 1pd afterNnrd inspected. and
proved by officers Of the ordn4ncs dcpartm't
cetailed Tor thAt purpose. Thu foundries where
most Of onr cannon s<e made ,aro tho following:
The Weat Point Foundry, neaF Cold Spring,
nta1 Richmond, Y. 4isezs, neaFP boston, nd
the Ames Foundry, near Chlcopee, Mass: The
}sst two furnish tbo bronze CANNON, and tho
c1hers the lrun- By tho term drtil1ery, Is
meant Ill firearms Of large calibre, together
sbe a ny Il ] tsa Upited M statta sel9tee % ths ali
1ery corps IL -intrusted with the use OF the
anna and munitions, and the ordnance corps
With their construction aud p1eser1Affon.-
Tbs term o7dn<nse is spilled to the guEs th-m-
selves, and In cur service the ordnance IL d.
4lded into guns, how1tzers, aud mortars.
A mortar Is = shor. cannon. bellsh.ped, and
is used principally for throwing shells 9lisd
strosfng buildings In siegss. They we're used
IL Europe four centuries. ago, but their de-
btructiye poHers hare acquired such terrific
encr0 from modem improvements thst tho
tombardmeat Of city, or she1ilng It, Is per
baTs the most horrible fate to which 1t can be
subjected. Tbs bursting Of single shell
sprrads havoc and death sInongs all near whom
II may explode. It IVES these terrible misstyes
which wrought the complete destruction Of
the quarters In Fort Sumter. Cot Auder4on's
t11r.mc care Of his men on Tint ccc sion
alone saved them from death, By keeping !ook-
outs to give wasaing OF the approach Of shot
or shell, and requiring bis brave men to take
shelter within tho bomb-proof portions OF the
fort. Shells we're rained down upon SebAsto
POL in such awful showcra tha. the Russian
commander wrote to the Emperor that 1t vas
with fuse, which takes fire when the mortw
/. exploded, and reaches the powder within
the shell very often at the moment Of lts btr'k-
irE. Long practice has enabled gunners to
know exact1y the length Of fase necessary t.
the distance which Tho shell ia to traverse
Many Ecrtars In our service will throw aarll
Is inches In diameter. Shells vera formerly
called bombs, and hence tho word lombard
mert, :.
4 howitzer Ia qua with chamber in It,
sud is used generally to throw shells and
other hollow prc1ecttles,. which ac' ~ well by
ettilpg ire to towns, ships and other qaarte:s
ct IN enemy. Tho delhhoritzer Is Of COURSE
much tighter gun than the s1ego or garrison
Eowlszer, aud Is used in Light batteries, Ths
mountain hoWItzer Is very light GpouDder,
snd IL used for service In countries so rough
al not to sdm1s the passage Of whealed
vehicles. Tho hoHitzer and It's carrisge, when
taken to pieces; are carried on tho backs Of
puks, which when the roads are favorable,
may be used to draw the common t1o-Wheled
carTlage with the mounted p1eca- Tho
howitzer Is lighter and shorter, In proportion
charges 1sed a1c smaller, and the accurs:y Of
n1c much 1ess. But this Is compensated Tor
blythe greater execution OF the shell when
it bursts, Tho system Of she'll guns MAS drst
brought Into practical use By the Freach
General Paixhan, IN 1872, soon AFTER Which u
v.s adopted BY the United States: WHAT i
atty a mobilization Of the P*I1han gun. There
ara two sizes, carrying balls eight
and ten inches In diameter, either hollow
or: solid. This gun, tiretore, com
bires tho essential qualities Of tho ordi
dItoharpes shot or shell With much greater
prtcasion than mortar, and u terribly do
5tIiUtGitiiye. In casting eo1qub blsds Il hs bean
found almost impossIbla torpAke them strong
enough to withstand the proper number Of
discharges. It is = rsznsrtsble facs that the
length q time thst : plsco has been east has
On triA Of three Inch: eoInmb!ads, esst In
/ the aRue mould and at the samo ttmn, one Of
them, 4 few days atter casting, burst At tbs
i'd round. OF the other two, After l.ying years
one burnt A1tSf ctWIQuuus3 Inc olAel sQhkAouQ
2,6s3 hres without yielding. It is coasldarod
Il that Ill iron guns, after 800 rounds, arcno
sIRe Armstrong gun i : zined oannon :of
EsElfsh invention, sad u s1oadod ut the breach.
All aooonnta aereo III representing Il - throw
otha g1n. It throws N e1plosive ball diled
t. with pe1eusk1on+ powder, which exp1odes
| when tho bal stiik1, tearing to pieces cverJ-
| Ting nearlt. TaABsitish have Introduced 1t
+ excessively Into tho ARMY: In their recent
+ t;eaupsi2nln ,China Il proved to bo Ata.zih1a
/ faxine Of death At 600 yards 4 taxget no
I 1arEer thaa man'a hat haa bean struck as IL.
| most -e1ery: discharge, md NJ 5000 5ards ~
Object nane tfea sQnaxt, which Ear. tAroaJ bo
seen 1t that 4dlssasce, can ha strnck by, a1eJ
otisx ahoE The 1UKest Armstrong galS yat
I msde, carry bi1h Weighing 110 poanda-. The
t f1namhex m guns msda la&t year nm 10, 1t m
I :xysxsQs eosf Of t1,7 Il wsssAld The Oharlss-
T ton rsbela hAd imported sevaea1 Arustrsa.ss
| guns to mako surn Of capturing 70 men IN
fsrt 8uutxr, their AtEets&n batteries noe bslAx
txurxh wit&cut then. Thera s1o yerJ foF
sueh Ezas n this country, peFnsps noae -,
| The stssm 6igAta NlaEazA II aI1nsd wlta ao
DaA]&r4. guns, weighing nearly ave tuns
| sA4Il, As s~Ashaw skss, ~ u1 fArsB