New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-12
An Ordnance Museum.

m "AunohCC .VAusCu"s
NO visitor to the navy yard at Washing
ton will fail to gee the ordnance museum. if
be follow the advice of the National Repub.
tcaa. II is a square brick building, two
stories high, and was erected on the recon-
mendaticn of the late Rear Admiral John
A. Dahlgren for the purpose of collecting
within It's walls specimens of all small arms
in and ont of service shot, shell, torpedoes,
and III fact nearly every piece of ordnance
or instrument, with the exception of heavy
guns, that has been invented for use in time
OF war. AS you enter the door you are met
by old Jack Holmes, the presiding genius of
the institution. Jack has grown gray in the
service, and has cast anchor here. He will
take you, in charge and point out the first
three showcases on the right. These
contain sections of shell cut open to show
the inside construction When you reach
the east end an original Calling gun meets
the eye. This gun has six barrels. and is
turned with a crank when it is desirable to
use IL. Since 1t was manufactured improve
ments have been made to the model, and
the Calling guns now in service have ten
instead Of six barrels. Near it is a curious
looking arm called the Billinghurst bat
terry, invented during the war, but never
used. This battery has some twenty five
barrels, laid along in a row on a two wheel
carriage. and so pointed that when the
charges in tSem are exploded, as they can
10 oil DIV plCt, Tue Dultt5 echtttT III every
direction. The barrels of this battery are
about the same calibre as the Springfield
rifle. In front of the Billinghurst is the
Floyd breachloading three-ponnd rtied
gun, the invention OF John B. Floyd. who
was Secretary of War under James
Buchanan. The cases along the north wall
are filled with shot and shell, broken and
burned while being experimental with, and
other curiosities At one of the windows
looking north stands shattered sec
tioR OF the stern post of the Kearsarge, in
which is imbedded an unexploded shell
fred from the rebel pirate Alabama in the
memorable engagement of Cherbourg. Had
that shell exploded, the probabilities are
that Captain Winslow and his chip would
have gone to Davy Jones' locker. Passing
on to the west end of the building, among
the interesting objects you will see is gun
said to have been brought over by Cortez
and used in the conquest of Mexico. 1t was
cast in the year l490, two years before
Columbus discovered America. and was
captured by the United States forces at AL.
vaCado, Mexico, in lSi6. 1t is breech
loader, but of a clumsy pattern; tina, por.
ton of it where the charge is inserted is
about eight inches long, four inches in di.
ameter, and shaped like a tiat-iron on TOP,
having handle by which il can be re-
moved from the tmbrasure in the gun
when il is to be loaded; it is round on
tuC DpttuH. duh NIth placed III pO-
sition for firing. is secured by heavy
iron pin or key at the back. The can.
non is certainly curiosity, and il disproves
the general impression that breech-loaders
are a new invention. Near the Cortes gun
is beautiful twelve-pound Dahlgren brass
boat howitzer. mounted on a handsome
wrought iron carriage. The three cases on
the right of the door are principally de-
voted to fuses and pieces of broken missiles
Along by the windows looking south are
the shells of torpedoes of every descrip-
ton. Most of them are of rebel invention,
and were picked up by the United States
fleets il Southern rivers and harbors, but
there are some that were designed by the
officers of our navy. Among them s fac
smile Of the torpedo with which the late
Commander Cushing blew up the rebel ram
Albemarle at Plymouth, North Carolina in
October. 1854. Il is conicalshaped, about
two and half feet long by about ten
Inches IN diameter, and made of copper.
AT the butt end is an appurtenance by
which It can be attached TO boom or spar
when il is charged and ready for nse. Few
who look at this torpedo can scarcely
imagine how terribly lis prototype did lite
work oa the side of the monster that at one
time babe defiance to our navy. After
showing you the torpedoes and gan at the
foot of the stairs, old Jack Holmes will in
vite ynu 10 step up TO the second tiooT. As
SoU am tuc polisHeu Steps your atltn-
ton is attracted by an immense circle On
the side of the stair wall, formed with cut
lasses, with brass guards attached TO the
hi!t. In tie centre of this circle is the
figure of an eagle grasping the shield, etc.
When the top of the stair is reached num-
Der of cases containing the Remington and
other improved arms are seen along the
walls. At the west end is the model of the
cob or ordnance dock at New York. while
at different places throughout the room are
models of guns, turrets, boats and other
appliances used in naval warfare. On the
gun racks are weapons of every size and
calibre, from the ancient bluhderbuss to
stories are orDamented with stars and dia-
monds formed of swords and bayonets,
while on the cross beams of the upper story
miniature cannou are pointed in every d.
rectioD, ana beside them are small stacks of
shot.