The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1861-12-20
The Production Of Parrot Guns.


The Production Of Parrot Guns.
The government nov has nearly
three hundred Pnrrott gurs - ten.
twenty and tbrty.pounders in the
field. The working m,ris Of this
speci,s OF ordnance have been re.
peatedly tested by severe special
exuerlment, and in actual battle
aud thoroughly proved. While the
government il willing and anxious
to try every new gun that is brought
10 its notice, and offers ample and
immediate rev ards to inventors
who can achieve resi- improvements
in srtillery. il has go FAR ,xlIrcssVd i's
cnrlid' nee ir the jumshcnt ,Xccl.
icnce uf the i'arrot gnn, as TO con.
tract 10 take all that ran be turned
uut ut the West Point foundry for
an unlimited period. About GOO
hands are now employed in supply
ing this general order, and are pro.
ducing twenty guns weekly.
The Parrott gun, npon which he
government is content to sIake such
vast issues, ia made OF cast iron.
h"red and riflrd in the ordirary
way. Its chic original peculiar ty
is the addition oi a "-leevu" OF
wrought iron at the bre,cl Of the
gun. This elceve ia made hy twist.
ing bar iron spirally about the
hrcech and welding it under the
hammer into a compact mass. Il
furnishes an absolute protection
against ,xpiosion at the point of the
pun most exposed to thrt accident.
From the sleeve Ia he II uzzle OF the
gun, or rhont tivc.six ls oi the whole
myth, it is found that IA thickness
oi c,st iron much lss ll,an that or
linariy used. ia sufficient T. insure
he s,iety ol the p;ece. The pnn.
therefore, cuu,hlues rem arkab!e
strength and security with ex'rsor.
.iinlry ligh,ne. admirably adh,tlng
- tor tlyiug batteries and all The
Xigcncies Ui ieid service. The
,roi lies emp o,ed in tire gnn Prc
also HE original invrn,lon OF Mr. 4.
| Z. parro,t. In general construction
AMI appearance they resemble TIC
r"r,1on iillrd sheil and are ign'cd
either hy percussion cirs at the altN
"r lay lime lr,os; hat, oA oXalniuiu-
he base Of the missile, n uirst in.
4,niuus novelty j. hs,rv"h. In
manufacturing rrojccIilcs tor r,il d
2nus, tie great rruhlun Il {" IL
item p,rccliy to TIA, b.rr. thus
-avlng ihr explosive power nj pow
Ter. and iusuiing accuracy OF firing
This j. durc hy u variety Il CON
''nvnnc,s. uCst ot which ;uliill thcir
~ lurt more or less imprrlr,tly. ana
/ nave Dangerous ap;lludr Oi "-;lip
! pin. rH irouI the shell as II leaves
! he gun, ud placing the lives ol by
-'andc,s in jeopardy. la firing ovrr
/ the he.da ot troops ut a dist. M
aruy, friends my be exposed to
. immircEt peril quite az well rs Iors
r Mr.. Pnrrplt conquers this difficult V
/, which has been Iat,l 10 many varIc
! ties OF the ritl"d 2nn, by two Lisiinc
:. inventions. One is \ wr0n.ht irol
Il cup, n ,ritlc larger in diameter thai
he shell, which is let upon it. tn
e cone ave eide oi TIC cup being tu'
ward and laced next to the vowdc
r IN the gun. The explosion OF ia
. powder iorces the rim OF the Gu
Is into the grooves (wlich it fits wiz
n perfect accuracy hut dos, 8 not nuo
b rate t. drtach it from tie shell ait.
t leayrs the gun. Thc second il
! vrutlun Is a brass rim. attacl ed I
r. the shell in casting, and subs, qnrn
c ly loosened at POINTS opposite tn
r grooves by blows OF II chisel, go 9
,c To permit the powder. Mt the moinci
is ,t explosion. 10 rrv ont the ring M
,s lii it exactly into the grooves. Bot
- inventions are ionud to work oqusl
4. we'll Some ui the projtc,les al
made with one attachment and som
with the other. Tho results sho
how the explosive force oi The poy
h der is ecouomz.d ly these process
#. es. With charges of powder weig
nj ing one tenth as much ne the mis,i
IL at an elevation OF IA degrees, u 3
be pound sEel was thrown 4 ,S74 yard
he 90. pound shell 1 500 yards aud
p, 10 pound shell 4 300 yards.
NJ an angle OF 80 degi ees. a l0'poun
lis cr threw it's shell 5000 yards.
'ur over three and third miles I
Ee range aud the other points OF Il
N, Parrott one hundred pounder, ha
ali not yet been completely tested, b
he will he in II short time ut Fort Ric
mt mond, under the direction OF Colon
IN. Delaftld. This gun has bore
ng SIX anc fourteenth inches and is
nd inches long. Two only have he
Gu cast besides the one at Fort Ric
all nond. One OF them ia at I
ap Brooklyn navy yard, and the otl
are Fortress Monroe.
of A small portion OF the resourc
Iarl Of the West Point foundry are ,
ed voted 10 the manufacture OF the
,st pattern Dahl green guns, another g
,at. cies OF cannon by the inventor
ing that well known weapon. /
use new kind Of enn is peculiar only
tho fact that il is cast without tr,
the MONS, Those indispensable porii'
vis OF the picce are fitted on aiterwsr
for Capt. Dahlgreen cl,ims that wi
pa u gun is cast with its trunnions
AXE tho iron in their immediate nei