The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-11-19

THE SHELLS USED IN BoMBARDING CHARLESTON.
The reason why Gen. Gilmore did not continue his
bombardment of Charleston with the Greek fire.
shells. was because the shells sent were on the per-
cussiUn principle, and being discharged from n gun
elevated ut an angle of thirty eight degrees, took
their fight at the same angle, with a longitudinal
rotary motion. base downward. and therefore struck
base downward instead of upon the percussion end,
and did not explode. Only two are known 10 have
explod ed-one which fell into a warehouse and
another which fell In a street. The peculiar motion
and descent Of the shells was a new discovery in
artillery practice, then for the srst time made. and
the ordnance department was not furnished with 4
remedy for the unlocked for contingency. Time fuses,
which will set matters all right, were ut once sent
for. and have doubtless arrived at Morris Island
before this; fifteen hundred of these shells have been
ordered for the bOmbardmept The gun from which
the shells were fired was 4 800 pound PARROT, which
can throw q shell no less than screen miles, when
aimed az an angle Of %forty-fve degrees. The first
shells went over Charleston. the gun being aimed as
too sharp an angle. Gen Gilmore has no less than
thirty Parrott guns mounted that will throw shells
plump into Charleston. The use of Greek fire shells
to lombard that rebel stron ghold was personally
ordered by President Lincoln. The Greek FIRE burns
for twenty minutes. 1t will burn or the water As
well as on land, and each she'll covers a surface OF
one hundred square feet with flame. The shell!
bursts into about one hundred and twenty pieces, or
ten times as many as the ordinary shell. OF course,
the effect of these shells will be TO set Charleston in
flames, which nothing can subdue.
In addition to the Greek FIRE shells. 4 large quantity
- HNAAH EAN haANIN SAANh'A AhhhAN ~ NV AAH 1AAA'A -
the Greek fire shell, and containing from 500 10 1000
bullets each. have been sent to Morris Island, to be
transferred thence into the rebenIous city in n man
ner not very pleasing 10 the enemy. These shells are
fired with time fuses, aud are very destructive of life.
The celebrated 500 pound PARROT gun which Gen.
Gilmore has, weighs e7.O00 pounds. 1t took 1000
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 conceal
it from the enemy's FIRE. The diameter Of the bore
Is ten inches, the charge OF powder twenty-five
pounds. and the shell that goes out of it is rs high as
a sour barrel, weighs 500 pounds. and contains II
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 rihei
guns have been made. although twenty more have
been ordered for the army. None have been ordered
for the navy. Gen. Gilmore at irst had only one,
but another mas just been sent to him. These guns
have been fitted with forty pounds powder, and sent a
ball through nine inches of wrough. iron plates. and
two feet Of oak timber by which the iron was backed.
II has also sent a ball through % feet ofearth The
larger a guu having a rife bore is made, the stesdier
and truer the ball or she'll Is sent-indeed the
accuracy of ride Is attained. Mr.. r P. Parrot, the
inventor Of these guns, is az present engaged in 4
500 FOUNDER, and If successful will try 4 1000
FOUNDER.