, 1863-09-10
Chicago Qribn1te.
TIE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON.
Why the Shelling Of the City
vas Discontinued.
GREEK FIRE AND THE pARR1TT
GUNS,


Agent1eman OF much intelligence recently
from Morris Island where lc had unusual Ia
cilities for observation and gathering infor.
mAtior, 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 tho
"Gzeek Are'' shells, was because the shells
Eent were ignited on tic percussion princ1
pie, cnd being discharged from gun e1eya-
ted at an angle Of thirty eight degrees, took
their fight 1T the zane angle, with longitu-
dinal rotary motion, base doHuward, and
ppon the percussion end, and did not explode.
Only two are known to have e1ploded-one
which fell into warehouse aud another
which fell IN street. This peculiar motion
and descent Of the shell Was new discovery
tn artillery practice, then for the first time
made, and the ordnance department Was not
furnished with 1emedy tor the unlocked for
owes the delay Of the hour Of its doom.
Time futes, which will set matters al right,
Te1e at once sent for, and have doubtless ar
rived at Morris Island before this, and very
likely Charleston Is ut this moment experien-
cling the dreadful effects Of shower Of
Greek fire. shells, fifteen hundred Of which
have been ordered for tho bombardment Of
the nest of treason. The gun from which
the shells we1e first fired was = 20Qpounder
Porrott, which can throw shell no less than
seven miles, when aimed at an angle Of forty
five degrees. The, first shells went over
an angle. On1 readers will be pleased to
learn That Gen Gilmore has no less than
thirty Parrott guns mounted that will throw
shells plump into Charleston. Also that the
use Of Greek fire shells to bombard TINT rebel
stronghold vas personally ordered BY Presi-
dent Lincoln. The Greek fire burns for
twenty minutes. It will burn or the water
face Of GIG hundred square feet with flame.
The shell burst into about one hundred aud
twenty pieces, or ten times as many al the
ordlna1y shell. OF course the effect Of these
shells will be to set Charleston in flames,
which nothing can subdne.
In addition to the Greek fire shells, a large
quantity Of improved elrepnel shells, made
liz the inventor Of the Greek fire shell, and
containing from five hundred to one thou-
eaud bullets each have been sent to Morr1s
Island, to be transferred thence into the re.
bclltons city in u1anler not very pleasing to
| the enemy. These shells are fired with time
fuses, and are very destructive Of life. The
celebrated three hundred.pouud Parrott gun
| which General Gilmore has, weighs twenty
seven thousand pounds. Il TOOK two ttr0u
eand men nine nights to get the monster into
! position the drag teams breaking down seven
| nights IN succession, the enemy shclung tht
party au the while, and men being killed
nightly. Nothing was done with it By day
the gun being coVertd with bushes to concsa
It from the cnem3's fire. The diameter o.
the bore is ten inches, the charge Of powder
| twenty-five pounds, and the shell that goe.
| out of It is as high as flour barrel weighs
three hundred pounds, and contaIns seTen
teen pounds Of mortar powder. The execu
| ton Of one Of these shells on Sumter is con
sidered equal to three 200.ponnd shells. Bu1
two Of these immense riaed guns hare beer
made, although twenty more have been or
dered Tor the army. None hare been ORDERED
for the nayY. Gen. Gilmore ut first had OILY
one, but mother has just been Leat Il
him. The 500 ponnder when 1t exploded va:
In charge Of an infantry captain, who haG
| Fever fired cannon before in his life. Et
wae cautioned that some accident would hap
| Pen If be was not very careful. On the twen
Iou1ds Of powder. was filled, the percussion
fuse Eas screwed half way do IN, and could
not be got any further, when the captain sald
| "Let it 70 as that" The consequence Fa:
that when discharged the fire communicated
down by the thread to the shell, cansing the
litter to explode before 1t left the gun, and
breaking of tEenty inches Of fhe mnzzle
| AGAIN in two days. It b1rst On Friday at L
| O'Clock, and was firing again on Sunday a.
! veil as ever. These guns hare been free
| with forty pounds Of powder, ard sent . bll
through nine inches Of wrought iron Plates
md two feet OF oak timber by which the ffo1
| Was backed 1t has also sent q bail through
| twenty.six feet of earth+ The larger gn1
| hnying rifle bore Is made the steadier ant
| truer the ball Or shell Is eent-lndeed, the &C
| cu11cy of rife is attained. Mr. 3. P. Par
| lott, the inventor OF these guns, commence;
making them in 1856, at his own expense
continuing his experiments without MD frou
| the Government, till the rebellion broke oat
He then began to make ten FOUNDERS. aui
has now advanced from that small beginulce
| to three ree-hundred-pounders. He is at pres
| ent engaged in five hundred FOUNDER, and
If eucccssful will try two-thousaud-pouud
or. Over tHenty dya hundred Ct these gun.
hare been made by Mr. Parrott, who fur
nishes them at = less cost than the Govern
inceed, supplying them at tEiae above cost
depending upon shells, which he furnishes
to the Government, for his profits Another
fact which is very crcditable to him Is, tha,
| when the price Of iron aud oflabor advanced
be did not raise lis prices, although all ths
other fou1dries In the country did. Abou1
thirty three Of theEe guns, ranging fron
three hundred to ten-pound calibre, IRE turn
| cd out weekly at Mr.. Parrott's establishment
the West Point Foundry, at Cold Springs
| New York.
The demand for rifle cannon Is now 80 grea
that the foundries Of this country are unabl
to aupp!y them, and exteneiye orders are sen
to Europe The State Of Massachusetts sIon
has ordered seventy from abroad.