The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-02-15


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- s. ~ CAIao. Feb. 9, 1889.
= tha = peof - the e(lciency 81, ~ mortar
1900 cona4rnotad &C 81. Louis at the suggestion
Souhts Is fke ninds of wen meanin6 person.,
i.clndins nuuphef 81 army and navy officers.
NV M hsen thoasht clumsy, iusuG lcicnt 10
thefr bulWarks. Incapable Of bearing To heavy
noftsrs desfknod fos them, and beyond AL CUES.
ion incapabIe Of fesieting the terrible concus'
sion which would attend tks firing Of . thirteen
inch she'll. So "a
Al shsee opjnIons and representations have
been overthSown today " the experiment made
under the superintendsnce Of Captain Constable.
and befoss COMMITTEES Of thrse, composed 9!
himself, Captain Kitty, Of the eun.boat hound
City, and Captain Dove, OF the gun. boat Losis-
vile. IS
One Of the mostar-boat. No. y, WAS taken
IN tow this morning by three steam tugs ano
conveyed 20 point lev hundred yafds below
Vn.t Hnek nm tia Ka0funkv NhOi4. v0o huge
mortar had prsviosely been placed ON board.
and 6xsd upon ono Of Rodmans mortar carriages
or beds. Ten or twelve Of the thirteen.incn
shells were prepared, dlled, however, Win wei
sand instead Of powder, the object OF the expert
ment simply being % aecettain the range OF sne
mortar and the eject Of the firing upon the ".
rious parts OF the boat. The boat Vas fastened
to the shore and the mortar directed down the
river. which from that point stretches away 10 .
broad and straight sheet Of water i've Or ak
miles, tovsrds Columbus
Everything having been got Ia readiness, Cap
tain Constable irsd . ANAL charge OF four pounds
Of powder for the purpose Of s.scaling" the NOR,
tar. The drst experiment with shell then fol.
lowed, with charge Of eleven pounds Of pow
der. When ell was ready the boat was cleared
Of the company, most Of 10 retiring to the
ehore, Capt Constable alone remaining to die.
charge the gun. Ready 6re 4 deafening
conclusion, and In IN instant the huge shell was
seen mounting In the air with o magnificent
curve, and its terrible roar gradually diminshing
- Its distance from usrapidly increased. Itmay
have risen TO the height Of half mile, and was
almost lost TO view before it began to make it,
descending curve.
p On It's disappearance our eyes were eagerly
directed to the rivers level to mark ito fall. It
was wonderful to wait % long, the seconds
1an0NhouAd rnk Il annunad IN vairnAna Thu
suspense Was relieved by the sudden shooting
up from the waters line Of white column Of
spray fer down the Mississippi, and, 40 1t was
estimated, two miles and half away from Us.
The moftar.boat scarcely moved by the explo-
sion, and the mortar carriage recoiled but two
or three inches. This was very encouraging.
The second experiment was made with twenty
pounds Of powder, Capt. Constable sgain dis.
charging the gun. The Conclusion was terrific
Some distance 10 the rear Of the boat, where
was standing, it was not painful, but those
who remained alongside and In the boat were
considerably shocked. The shell rose beautiful.
", mounting much higher in tho air, and at the
expiration of 2o& twenty mine and one.halfl
seconds, struck the water 1t an estimated dis
lance Of three miles. This conclusion showed
itself very palpably upon the boat The hatch.
way coverings in the trout part we're lifted of,
and 10 some cases broken and split, while the
boat itself recoiled some two or three feet. and
penetrated the soft bank of the river.
Experiment number three was made with the
full charge Of foenfv.tree uo,uas Of cooI.r =
The time Of the 6oHt Of the hall vss fhirtv.one
seconds and the DISTANCES I,s. o,,d !. ha,f MI.
The recoil Of the GUN earriaee vss sbont two
feet. and the effect Of the cofcuss;on mon the
100 -oodsn -ort oc ,hs No. -. ~ 20. ~
n Tho nrev;ous shot -
Erneriment number four oava reen,ts similar
IL number three. Cant Panld;nc of the onn
boat 81. Louis. discharp;no the gun in the Mace
Of Cant. Constahle. Csnt Pspl5;nc desc,;hes
the cnncnssion a. VERY stpnn;no and 1o;nG,l ~ ~
thinks IL cond not be endured v;tb;n The hni.
varks Of The mortar ho.t nv snv nan for nor.
than eioht or tan eonsecnt;vs shots ~ '''e''
Nnmh.. fvs -. ~;,h hrt eftsa,- ,,o,,,a. -
power, . sne @ e. IN .ns case Celng elevated
20 more !nsn ior.y 9ve degrees; Inc smell was
ssm s.Sonus ~ sae s1, .no seemed 70
..u ~, .sf s.ss y my o. sns preceong ones,
wo'c" Ieu " uie oP'nion IN tue minus OF the