Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-09-08
QOrtester @a1Ip Spp
THE DAILY SPY.

WHY THE SMELLING OF THE CITY WAS DJscoN-
TINUED.

From the Boston Journal, Sept.7.
The Siege of Charleston.
WHY THE SMELLING OF THE CITY WAS DJsooN-
TINUED.
A gentleman of much intelligence, recent
ly from Morris Island, where hU had unusual
facilities for observation and gathering infor-
nation, has communicated to US variety of
interesting facts connected with the siege of
Charleston, which throw much light on the
state of affairs there. He informs us that the
reason why Gen. Gilmore did not continue
his bombardment of Charleston with the
"Greek fire" shells, was because the shells
sent were ignited on the percussion principle,
and being discharged from gun elevated at
an angle of thirty eight degrees, took their
flight at the same angle, with longitudinal
rotary motion, base downward, and therefore
struck base downward instead upon the per-
cussion end, and did not explode. Only two
are known to have eXploded-one which fell
into warehouse and another which fell in a
street. This peculiar motion and descent of
shell was new discovery in artillery prac-
tice, then for the first time made, and the ord
nance department was not furnished with a
remedy for the unlooked-for contingency. To
this fact alone Charleston owes the delay of
the hour of its doom. Time fuses, which
will set matters all right, were at once sent
~ ~ - nav uouot'ese "iii'eu az Nlorrls ISL
90 Deioio '''s' anu very liAeIy charleston is
t az t''iS "lo'pent experiencing the dreadful ct
teen hundred Of which have been ordered for
the bombardment OF that nest of treason
The gun from which the shells were first
fired was 200-pound PARROT, which
can throw shell no less than Seven males,
MI e ~eI a, a" anspz ol Iorty-nVe degrees
ne hl:V 'uenS wen. over O"arieStoh, the gun
oelis "a. ni'lieu AZ Wv sna,p an angie. our read
w " Pi0"'Su w le1, 'l'' Neii' ulinlofe
Ias nv ieaS t""" "'r''9 "i'o' guns mounted
MAJ MAJ win t'iro" silellS pump ihIo charleston
Ing USE Vi Ureeh hre SiieliS 10 DohDard mat
FeOei Strongholu was personally ordered by
p leoluoii' hlncoih' ne Nreeh lre DuriiS lor
twenty 'iilu'es' IL VIII ourh on inc wafer us
f @e'i az on i"iiu' anu each sheia covers a sur
M W ny u"'.ieu square ieet WIN name;
nc 9'ei! ""iS'S i'ito aoouI one hundred ana
twenty pieces' OF ten tllhes as many as the
oiuilaiy She'' vi COURSE tile erect Oh theSe
s'iehs VIII oe 10 set charleston In names,
"Iich notning can subdue.
III auultloh 10 the Greek hre shells, large
qualu'y Vi improved shraphel smells, made by
tne inventor OF the Oreek nre shell, and con-
talmlhS lroul nVe hundred TO one thousand
ou[ietS eacil nave Deen sent to Morris Island,
10 ne transferred thence into the rebellious
CITY III manner not very pleasing to the en-
envy These shells are fired with time fuses,
ana are very destructive OF life. The cele-
prated aoO-ponnd Parrot gun which Gen. Gill
more mas weighs twenty seven thousand
Pouhus. IL TOOK two thousand men nine
nights to get the monster into position, the
drag teams breaking down seven nights in
succession, the enemy Smelling the party all
the while, and men being killed nightly.
Nothing was done with it by day,
the gun being covered with bushes to
concealed it from the enemys fire. The di-
ameter OF the bore is ten inches, the charge
OF powder twenty-five pounds, and the shell
that goes out of it is as high us flour barrel,
weighs three hundred pounds, and contains
seventeen pounds of mortar powder. The
execution of one of these shells on Sumter is
considered equal to three 200-pound shells.
But two of these immense rifled guns have
been made, although twenty more have been
ordered for the army. None have been or
dered for the navy. Gen. Gilmore at first
had only one, but another had Just been sent
to him. The 300-pounder when it exploded
was in charge of an infantry captain, who had
never fired cannon before in his life. He
was cautioned that some accident would hap
pen if he was not very careful. On the 18th
round the SHE'LL containing seventeen pounds
powder, was filled, the percussion fuse was
screwed half way down, and could not be got
any further, when the captain said, '.Let it
go at that" The consequence was that when
discharged the fire communicated down by
the thread to the shell, causing the latter to
explode before it left the gun, and breaking
oil twenty inches of the muzzle. The gun
was repaired and got ready for use again in
two days. 1t burst on Friday at twelve
o'clock, and was firing again on Sunday as
well as ever. These guns have been fired
with forty pounds of powder, and sent ball
through nine inches of wrought iron
plates, and two feet of oak timber
by which the iron was backed 1t has
also sent ball through twenty six feet of
earth. The larger gun having a rifle bore
shell is sent--indeed, the accuracy of 81 rifle
is attained. Mr.. r, p. PARROT. the inventor
of these guns, commenced making them in
J95f at his own exnansa oon,;n,;,,o b;s ~,