New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-14
SPfKING CANNON.

oflhlNG CANNON.
The process by which it ID sought to render csunoa
Immediately uneeryiceable has BY recent events beeo
brought prominently before the public attention. 1t .
an operation which may be done quickly. The officer
in command of battery, perceivng that be will b
driven off without being able to bring away bis guns
spikes them 30 to render them useless to the captor
as well as to prevent them from being turned agains
him while retreatng, on the lne.n which he inteues
to fall back The commander of fort, On abandoning
it, as in the instance Of Anderson at Mourie adopts
the measure. Frequent are on record o en-
attacking party capturing battery and being IN tam
driven from it, though not without first spiking she
guns. When Paul Joues undertook the destruction q
the Engsh shipping at Whitehaveu. bis iirst move
men landing was seize the forts, and render the
guns useless in the same way. The only defences q
the harbor thus rendered harmless by stroke of das
ing which required but few minutes 10 accomplish,
he could proceed unmolested to the work Of desruc.
ton. The great point achieved by spikng gun s 10
make it unserviceabc for the time being. Even ten.
porary interruption of its fire is of the utmost impors
tance. But no spkiug yet invented has been able 10
do more than temporarily disable the gun, though var-
ous conrivauces have been suggested some. however,
making its restoration to service more difficult than
others.
A favorte mode Of spiking 10 by driving rat-tan
file into the vent and breaking Oft. If the spike b
an ordinary nail made of soft iron. the drill will readily
remove ; while the hard steel Of the file will require
far greater time and labor. The steel spike rough and
Jagged, with soft point Is elso used. Ii broken on
even with the surface of the gun and the point cliuchsd
inside by the rammer removal is mace more di'icnis'
If the spike happens TO be small to Ii. In loosely,
it may be driven by gunpowder; but If it be made
Of hardened steel with accurate fit TO the vent and
is driven in with great force, neither dril nor powder
will remove it. A patent spike was brought out ID
England during the Crimean war, which claimed "a
make gun permanently unservicesb!e. Ii conS'sted
of rod Of ineytempered STEEL turned TO hit the vent
but TO move freely in it, and terminating in forkea
spring in the bore Of the gun. II was coneuded thas
this spike could be drilled out because would turn
with The drill But though this were true, yet iS IN
venor forgot The important fact that the forked points
in the bore could be cut of bS single blow on cold
csel When spike is % Fixed as TO render exRscsios
very difficult, the rems.y is to drill new vent wAica
may be done without imparing the usefulness o. tns
gun. To do thu competent mschnirt Will requirs
some three hours more or Ices eee9rdIa u ne size
OF the gun But all sEg at the vent is admitted 10
0o oniy .porary expedieot to reuder artillery uA'
sei''0 Vie at the moment. Yet even this has ofteo
Ieen found productive Of the most important resrA.'
When time is afforded, such as the do ioefate soaF
donment Of military work. erikng ut the muszie u
sometimes adopted. and when thoroughly done, with
far greater embarrassment to those who Subsequently
come INTO possession shot is driven into the bottom
of the bore by wrapphs It with felt or using iron
wedges, and employing an iron ramner to drive sns
ball home. When this is done TO an iron gun the on,
method of unspikpg it is to hole in tho breech
and drive the bail out closing the hole with screw.
To do this the gun in most csses must go back tbe
foundery. In brass guns. which usually have vent
pieces, these be taken and the ball expelled By
wedges. Various modes for destroying cannon ere
adopted. Shells are sometimes exploded in them.
While heavy charges put in Others which sand
SHOT is rammed TO the muzzle and bunting follows.
One piece is sometimes fred against another, muzzle to
muzze or the mzzle of TO the chase Of the oSber.
In iron guns the trunnions are broken off, with bras
oncs fire is lighted under the chase, aud when struck
with heavy sledge while heated, the gun is bent and
disabled Had time been allowed Colonel Anderson -
destroy the cannon in Fort Moure before abandoning
it, there he little doubt from bis long experience ~
an artillery officer that he would have left to the rebels
legacy of crippled guns unfit for anything but The
foundery.