New-York tribune., 1869-04-08
SUMMARY OF BURST GUNS.
Tota

Eighteen Parrot 100 Founders, in addition to
the above, are unaccounted for, supposed to be
hurst Tyenty-seven Parrott 1jO-pounders
were condemned by the navy. OF 43 Rodman
15-incb guns, cast for the navy. which
WAS the greatest number in service at any
one time, II have burst or been disabled. Ot
three i2-nch Rodman rifles, cast for the navy,
one was rihed on the plan of Mr. Parrott and
burst at the 27th fire; one on the plan OF At
water, burst at the 3Oth fire; one on the plan
of Rodman, burst at the 10Th fire. OF four
Dahlgren 15O-pounder rifles, one burst at the
eth fire, one at the Goth fire, one at the 10Th
fire, and one at the Goth fire. One 13-inch gun,
cast sold at Providence, endured 17S fires
One 13-inch gun, cast hollow, at Pittsburgh,
endured 1OS fires. The navy 15-inch guns, cast
| on Rodman's plan. are divided by Admiral
| Dahlgren in his testimony into three classes:
1. The original Dahlgren model. 2. The same
altered by Captain Wise. 3. The new model
by Captain Wise. OF the first class "a were
cast II were altered to the second class. OF
these eight were dsabled-nearly hGU'-after
enduring but an average OF 13j fires for EACH
One-ffth of the unatered guns were disabled
after an average of 17J fires for each gun.
Sxty-six guns were cast OF the third class.
The trial gun endured but 13l fires, when it
was disabled. OF the remaining 05, 40 have
only been fired the nine proof-rounds; 2j have
been mounted in iron-clads, and have been
altogether fired 1883 times one burst, three
condemned, two of them sold as old iron.
One-ffth of these failed, being subjected to an
average of 50 fires each.
The guns above enumerated are all the 10
incl baUa in
service, none of the army guns having been so
fired. The Rodman gun was first officially
adopted in 1852, by the Ordnance Board of
which the inventor and patentee was n member.
When Gen. Dyer became Chief of Ordnance,
in the Fall of 1864, one of his first acts was to
appoint Gen. Rodman Constructor of Ordnance
He raised the price of the 15-inch gun TO 1000,
which was previously $6,50O and issued an
order to receive the guns made under the
supervision of the constructor wihout subject
ing them to the powder-proof Thus it can be
seen that Gen. ROdman has held in succession
three important positions in relation to tho
reception of his guns onetwelfth of the whole
price of which he has received as royalty viz:
1st. Inventor and patentee while an officer of
the United States army, and of the Ordnance
CVlpS' Su' n VI DOuTu
the pOwer behind the MrOne-which adopted
his invention officially for the service of the
United States. Sd. Constructor of ordnance,
charged with the inspection and reception of
the guns in which he is interested as patentee
receiving a royalty. Two hundred and ninety
six 15.inch guns have been received by the
army ordnance department under this organi-
zation 1888 10-inch Rodman guns, and 155
8-inch, for which carriages and large
supply of projectiles have been pur-
chased There are no data upon which
to found an opinion that the Rodman
gum If subjected to service test, would have
any special rate of endurance None of them,
except those referred to above as used in the
navy, have been fred in battle or service. A
large proportion of them have been mounted
without having been fred at ALL The siege
and sea-coast guns purchased by the Army
Ordnance Office from the 1st of July, 1861, to
June 3d. 1866, cost $5,3ji,3 57 of this amount,
S7O8,554 20 was paid for Panott guns. The
rest of this amount was paid principally for
Rodman guns. $3,23O520 SO was paid for Par
rott projectiles. S2S9l0j 80 was paid TO Mr.
Parrott for carriages for his 100. Founders, 200
Founders, and OO-pounders. The navy purchases
from the Fort Pitt foundery, where the Rodman
guns were principally made, amounted to $2.-
1902 G?. The navy purchases from Mr.. Par
r0tt have not been ascertaiped 1t is believed