New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-31
a Monster Gun
AN INTERESTING EVENT AT THE GOVERNMENT
FouNpRY-THE PROCESS OF CASTING.


LFrom the Pittsburg Commercial July 24l
On Saturday, at II O'Clock, number Of ladies
and gentlemen were assembled at Fort Pitt foan'
dry to witness the casting of 2Oiuch navy gun
for the monitor Puritan, now building in New |,
York This is the first gun OF the size now cast I
tor the navy. Two other guns of this size were,
some time ago, cast for the army. As far as We |
are able 10 Judge from the successful manner in |
which the mould was filed with hot metal, the |
present gun is perfect success the result OF un.
renting attention. by Col Joseph Kaye, who mas
been connected with these works for twenty -seven
years and his assistants. Very few of the guns
cast at these works ever fail of being perfect. The
one Just cast will undoubtedly be taken from the
mould as complete. Some ten days will be re-
quired before it will be sufficiently cooled to be
taken out. It was cast on the Rodman principle
that is, wi h q stream of cold water passing con
stantly through the core.
Among the spectators was Capt. Kholostaff, of
the RUSSIAN royal mining engineers, who has
been sent by that government to inspect our man
utacturlng establishments, our social and political
system, IN their every detail, with view of report
ing deliberately to his government on the practical
blty of that government adopting them He will
strongly recommend the Fort Pitt mode of gun
casting. He says they have our monitors now and
to complete them, they need our guns-and they
may need some of our men, too.
The metal used in The casting of the present gun
amounted to 100000 Tbs. 1t was heated in three
furnaces, No. contained $4,000 TBS. No. $4,000
lbs. aud No. So 200 lbs. OF this amount of metal
101 900 lbs. Juniata second fusion and 80 600
lbs. Juniata pig from the Rodmau and Bloomfield
furnace This Is considered the best material in
the country for cast iron guns.
The fires to heat this immense amount of metal
| were kndled at 435 A. NJ. on Saturday. No. was
down and the melting completed at HAS, No. at
| l045, and No. at l0:45 A. 81. At ten minutes
] past IL furnaces Nos. aud were tapped, and
| No. t q few minutes after. The time consumed in
running the metal from the furGaces into the
mould was very short. No. 4 stopped at 1922,
/ No. ut 1928 and No 6 at 1924. The metal was
1 very perfect At the commencement of casting
he tenn he Wa
I and outside II degrees.
When the water commenced to run from the
I hydTant into the core, the temperature 81 de-
gfees. When the core barrel full, the tenn
perature was 80 degrees. Ten minutes from the
lime of commencing the casting the water was
III degrees and 20 minutes after las degrees, at
which temperature itstood as long as we remained
The density OF this gun is supposed to be some
what lower than those previously cast, being from
7.23 10 I.24.
The length of The rough casting is 286 inches
/ The maximum diameter is 653 inches, and the
minimum As inches. When finished the breech
Of the gun will measure 81 inches in diameter
and the nozzle 355 inches The length of the
cylinder bore is l47 inches, depth OF chamber 10
inches The thickness of metal outside the bore
at the breech is q inches and at the nozzle 9l0
4 inches The extreme length of the gun is 1888
inches. Diameter Of truman, Is inches. At 500
Sunday morning the water was turned off, at
which the temperature 81 deg. At 1913 yes
! terday the cOre-harrel was hOisted when it came
ont perfectly clean, there being every indication
OF perfect success in the casting. After the bar
rel was hoisted out q very small stream of water
diatey became steam. This will be continued
until this morning at o'clock, when a column of
cold air will be forced in, and the cooling process
Il completed in this way
! A PRosPEcr OF CHEAP BEEF.-The New York
Post says:
In recent account of the extract of beef pre-.
pared in South America by Lebig's process, we
alluded to the successful experiments in the same
direction made by Mr.. Gail Borden. We learn
that Mr. Borden has now perfected his invention,
and will soon establish large factory in Texas,
where beef can be procured at cheaper prices
than at the North. His establishment in Illinois
is capable of preparing two thousand pounds of
beef daily but it is believed that Texas is better
II field for operations.
4 Mr., Bordens experiments were begun in ls49,
and in 1851 his "meat biscuit was introduced into
the market. That invention consisted of an i'm
proved process for preserving the nutriciOus pro
perties Ofmeatby combining concentrated extTact
of beef with the finest -four, and thoroughly dis
scatiDg the mixture; but further investigation
proved that it was practicable to preserve the
juices without the admixture of other ingredients.
The extract as at present made, is soft, elastic
solid, Of nut brown color unsated soluble in hot
water, and possessing the flavor of decately
roasted meat. 1t is extensively used for broths
for the sick and forms cheap and palatable dish
for the table, The important points in its manu-
| tacture are: lst careful selection of the best
beef. I'd. Great prOmptaess in commencing the
treatment after slaughter. Sd, Immediate and
/ thorough exhaustion of the nutritiye elements
from the meat. BY the use of the vacuum pan
the liquids are evaporated at very low tempera
4 ture, and the OsmazOme OF faYOring principle Of
i the beef is preserved.
The substance is now used by travellers, and in
many private families in our cities in preference
to meat, for making soups, graves, beef tea, etc
but when it shall be more largely made, it is be
ieved it will be an important article of food, and
bring within the reach of all, in a cheap and
tiVpo nd viz ole