The New York herald., 1862-03-08
THE PARRoTr PRoJEcrILEs.
Our West Point Founary correspondents.

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Our West Point Foundry correspondence.
Cold SPRING. Putnam County. N. Y, Feb. Is. 1862.
Hfai The Parrot Ga-Lt9atius Military Committee
and the Gopernor's SaF Wines the FTino-Resnl Of
the Epperiment-Some of the Features Of The Fbtadry
The Origin Of 0e Parrot Gur---The Nunster IN The
Southern Army-Hoc Many Were Sold 10 Oar Govern 4
menttn 1S61-The ProiectilsS-TAe amount Of fosgder
Used-WeigM Of the Guns and Their SnperiOrity-iae
Parrot Guns be Placed on all the Fytfcaons Of the
St1te, dc dc,
Your correspondent is today under military orders
not like other gentlomen that he has heard Of en-
route FOR government clearinghouse. but under mill
tary orders to wrte about weapons OF warfare instead OF
such civil mattors be found in the legislative
halls OF the State. In obedience to those orders here
Cold SPRING the location Of the westPoiat Foundry
where is made the famous Parrott gun, which
has done such execution, on every battle Geld
whore it has boon tried. There has been
considerable speculation in regard TO the kind
OF gun that would be the most serviceable on tho
fortihcaons Of the Stato 1t being important that the
most serviceabo guns, taking all things into consdera
tion should be purchased the Military Committee of the
two houses have decided mako personal examination
Of the cannon both or earhworks and artillery purposes
This is the day fixed upon to examine and test the
pons of warfare manufactured at the West Point Foundry
moro especially to try tho Parrott guns.
uotolOWIuy por6VuS lclt AiOAuy
morning for that express purpose namey-Licutenant
Governor Campbell Senator Bell chairman of tho Senate
Finance Committee; Senators Smith and Folger, of the
Military Committee Of the Senate Mr.. Huburd chairman
Of tho Ways and Means Committee of the House, Mr..
Pierce and General Gray of the Military Committee Of
the House. Adjutant General Hillhouso Commissary
General Welsh Engineer Chief General Arthur Coonels
Carroll Arden and several other military personages On
their arrival here they proceeded to the foundry and
workshops where the Parrott guns made. Tho
first point OF interest examined was the process
of ceiling the four inch bars Of iron which
usel for strengthening the brooch OF all the PARROT
guns and to prevent hor bursting is tho too fire.
quenty with tho old fashioned coumbads and Dahgrcn
guns These bars Of iron four inches square and
sixty feet long, placed seepors which elevate
thom few inches from the ground. Hre is built
around them and kept going until the iron bars heated
red hot from end to the other They then at
time drawn out of the 1re and coiled around cylin
der by machinery. They to-day coling the bands
for tho FOUNDER guhs. It done easily
the smallest wire is coiled around persons finger
From tho place whore it is coed 1t Is taken toan adjoin
ing room. and, with the pressure Of monstrous trip
hammer is welded together, then turned or and again
heated and pnccd upon the breach Of the in
expanded condition. tho contraction from cooling tighten
ing it, and when finished up no person would imagine but
being made @ ns
party visited the foundry proper, where the iron
Is mslted-where the hard metallic substance Is
made to yield to tho heat, and is converted
into liquid and then poured into the mould which forms
the The gun Is cast with the mould standing
that the pressure OF the iron, as is poured in will make
Il solid and compact breach, where the great
vst was nad to the turning where tho guns arg bored
out rifcd turned and polished From that portion of
tho establishment passed to the room where tho red
proctcs were being prepared to deal out death
TO the enemies of tho country We the fuse time
and percussion shells all their different stages Of pre-
parson for tho powder; the long and conica hard shot
and other missiles sent out BY the ri6ed gun. Tho
of space precudes my describing this Interesting portion
and for the same reason am compelled to only hastily
that in these days OF revolution and when tho public
attention Is diverted from civil pursuits to that OF war
Of great interest TO the general reader.
Having examined the manufacture of the guns from the
Noting OF the iron ito final completion passed
tho guns and their range The nrst gun fired was
twenty FOUNDER, tho same in all particulars as the
twenty FOUNDER Parrot guns now in tho government
hundred yards from the gun, and out Of ten shots five
hit amos. in the same place, and no shot was outside Of
circle of fifteen feet in diameter. Certainly person
could better result than this. The tcnpounder
then fred at the target and at the distance
from IT, AT first the balls fell little short; but after
few times firing they too, hit tho place in tho
bank OF the river Having satisfied themselves in regard
to the guns of small cabre trial had Of the thirty
toned further back in sort of bay or gap in the high
lands and fired at range Of over six thousand yards.
Tho result was IN every p1rtcuaT US as
the trial Of the smaller guns showing concusivey the
superiority of the Parrot gun over the common cannon.
The establishment where these guns are made is known
the Poiat Foundry located in OF those large
bays the east side Of tho liu .son, about three os
from West Point Military Academy. 1t was established
In 1917; believe its founder GouverEeur Kcnble
but Of this not positive; at any rate it has since
been owned and run by him, 1t is one of tho most
tensive manufactures In tho country. Although tScast
ing Of cannon has been portion Of its work yet the
long and happy which tho nation has enjoyed but
little to be done in chat line. and no foundry could
Eonrx flnvah " f1efn n(
Various kinds Of machinery were made there. such as
engines for waterworks and boilers and machinery for
steamboats, Tho engines and steam apparatus Of the
famous Morrmac, which tho rebels have been making
such rumpus over made at this establishment
were Likewise M several Other engines % Tor government
its name, is, believe, brother inlaw OF Golvcrncur
Eembe, and now one q the proprietovs Of tbs sstapsh
mont lie has, understand full c6ntro. Of the ca,.lon
| and pro'e;to manufacture ~ tN-
Tho Parrott gun is modern invention. In 1856 Mr..
Parro began TO experiment with hrined guns by riding
tho old fashioned columbiad finding them superior when
rincd but yet too heavy for field and artillery when
large enough TO DO elective he immediately turned his
with longer range and yet less liable 10 explode which
was OF the bad features Of the columbild, notwh
~ n. ana ns
to the world Of the bes not the ghtcst guns Of
the cabre TO be found in tho world aud yet less
liable to explode than any other, owing to the bani Of
wrought iron placed at the brccch whero the greatest
strain is felt There Of these guns owned by
the government at the breaking out Of this The
stateof Virginia had twelve Of the ten FOUNDERS which
| they purchased, and which delivered long before
the election Of $780, showing that they
preparing astruggs then Those twelve guns
all that the rebels had at the commencement OF the
and M that they have now except those that they cap
tured at Bull run Tho uovernor of Georgia made
tract with Mr. Parrott, in tho fall Of 1So0 sxtcon
guns. Tho guns madc and were nearly ready for
delivery when the police commenced sezing arms and
| ammunition In Now York. A. this time war
sdorcd Inevitable. Mr. Parrott, not having desire to
strengthen tho hands Of the rebels wrote to the Cover
OF Georgia, stating that, to all appearance
ton would bc srrayed against tho oher and he owed
allegiance In his own state he could not consistently
send TO Georgia tho guns without arraying himself
against his state The Governor OF Georgia, being
state rights man. wrote back that he did not desire TO
interfere with any mans allegiance 10 his STATE and
gave his consent TINT tho contract might be cancelled
These guns having boon competed the moment that hos
titics they rendered TO government
| and accepted and are now believe in service. In
this way did reap the benefit fcontracts
made by tho Governor OF Georgia for guns and no doubt
from State ended their by