The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-12-31
A SHOT TOWER.
How the Shot Is Sorted Into Sizes for the
Familiar Canvas Bags.

Familiar Canvas Bags.
Shot isformed by pouring a melted
piece of alloy or lead through colander
or sieve at the top of high tower. In
falling to the base of the tower the
particlesof semi-fuid lead assume the
globular form. They fall into vessel
of water placed TO receive them, before
reaching which they become so nearly
solid that their globular form is re-
tanned when they strike the surface of
the yielding element. An arsenical
preparation forms the alloy, which
makes the lead more ductile, softer and
better fitted to take the spherical form.
The soft and pure American lead re-
quires less arsenic than the hard and
brittle foreign varieties. Too much
arsenic causes the drops to assume the
lenticular form, and too little causes
them to elongate, to fiatten on one side
and hollow in the middle as they cool.
The higher the tower the larger the
shot that may be dropped in it. / had
an opportunity at Chicago of inspecting
the whole process of making shot. Also
at the same time saw how sheet lead
and lead pipes are manufactured, and
the no less interesting processes in the
manufacture of linseed oil.
The lofty tower, as high and almost
| as massive as Bunker Hill monument,
must have attracted the attention Of
nearly every one who has visited the
city. From its summit the best view of
the city is to be obtained. 1t is one of
the tallest towers erected for this pur-
pose in the world. There is one in
Europe 240 feet high. Some of the per-
pendicular bluffs in the Upper Missis-
sippi in the vicinity of the lead mines
/ of Iowa and Wisconsin are used in the
place of towers, the melted lead being
dropped over the precipices.
The shot are of greater dimensions
than thsrholes of the colander through
which they pass. Mr.. Blatchford dipped
out handful from the cistern for our
inspection. There was quite a variety
of sizes, and many of the drops had
assumed irregular forms. The first
thing done with the shot is to dry them,
and then the perfectly spherical ones
are selected by very ingenious con-
trivanee, as simple as it is ingenious.
A series of inclined planes is SO ar
ranged, one below another, with gaps
between, that when the shot is poured
upon the top one, the perfectly spherical
ones of all sizes bound forward merrily
in straight lines, skipping the gaps un.
erringly, and flying off neither to che
right hand nor the left. Any one who
has tried to roll an imperfect ball in 3
ten-pin alley knows what an irresistible
attraction the sides of the alley have
for the poor ball. 1t will MOI
keep upon the straight highway
cast up for it, but must needs roll intC
the ditch, a melancholy instance of tbs
"depravity of inanimate things 81
the imperfect shot scatter out at th'
sides of these planes. And even if the,
! chance, by miracle Of grace, to keel
in the center, they drop into the cum
ming pitfalls over which their perfec
! brethren nimbly skip in safety. Th
nearly perfect ones sometimes escap
} several of their gaps, but are all caugh
before they reach the bottom, and self
} convicted, are unceremoniously lyreturne,
to the melting pot. The perfect one
: of all sizes run into revolving barrel
, where with little pulverized graphite
\ or plumbago, they roll about for
7 while, and acquire the brilliant polls
4 which is their finishing touch.
E 1t only needs now to assort the size
5 and to pack them in the little canva
: bags familiar to all sportsmen. The
e are sorted in revolving cylinder
g slightly inclined, perforated with holes
a which increase in size toward the lowe
4 end. Each size drops out as soon as
: comes to set of holes large enoug
: to allow the shot to pass. The arrangt
+ ment for weighing and bagging ther
= is very ingenious. Receptacles nun
3 bered from one to twelve, according
: the size of the shot, nnder the revol,
g ing cylinders, conduct the little deatl
:. dealing missiles through tunnels int
t the canvas bags. As soon as bag hi
r received its twenty-five pounds i
$ weight shuts valve, and no more ca
It come till the bag is removed and al
S other put in its place. One man tent
e the whole row, with needle and threa
9 sewing up the bags, which are the
/ ready for the market. All the work
e the tower, except that which is done
n machinery, is performed by three mel
e Philadelphia Call.