Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-05-01
How Shot nre Made.

Every person who has walked about
the lower part OF New York City says
the Tribune, must have noticed high
round tower, as high rs the roadway Of
bridge, which rears itself high above
the surrounding buildings snG has
small windows at different places. This
tower Is In Center street near Worth
street, and belongs to the Colwell Lead
Company. There are several Of these
towers in this city. They are places
built especially for the casting and
manufacture of shot. The tower rises
to height of l16 feet, and is iifty feet
In diameter at the base. Ii diminishes
in diameter as it ascends, being about
thirty feet across ut the top. Ii Is d.
yided into several stories. A circular
stairway made of iron extends 10 the
summit, giving access TO the several
stories. Great height Is essential for
casting, as the lead must cool In the de-
scent, and thus assumes spherical
shape. II hot. il would hatten when IL
strikes the water into which il falls.
The first method is making what is
called temper" This is mixture OF
arsenic and lead. The mixture Is melt
ell in large kettles, and is constantly
skinned aud stirred. Ii is cast In bars,
the same rs lead. When the temper is
made II Is carried TO the top floor, where
there are kettles aud u furnace for melt
Ing IL. The temper Is mixed with the
lead, as pure lead would assume various
shapes in casting; but when mixed with
the temper in the proportion OF three
tons of lead 10 one OF temper, IL takes
the shape of globules when IL Is cast.
The casting pans are large colanders,
round pans with holes perforated In the
bottom. The casting is all done on the
Top floor, and the colander is suspended
over an opening In the door, which goes
through the entire height of the build
ing to the gyound, where there isawell
Of water. The lead Is melted In large
kettles, and is dipped out and poured In
the colauder with ladies' which have long
handles. II oozes through the holes IN
the bottom OF the colander, aud falls
through the opening to the ground hoor
into the well. The shot is taken out OF
the well by small buckets fastened To an
endless belt, which runs over a wheel,
which carries IL from the well up to a
long hot metal table. Here the shot Is
constantly stirred by men with long
rakes, and the heat rapidly dispels the
moisture, aud the shot soon becomes
perfectly dry.
1t is taken from the "drying table" TO
the "screeners," series OF tables with
narrow openings between them, the ta-
bles being set at sligh, angle. II the
shot il round and perfect, IL rolls rap
idly along these tables, skipping the
openings, until 1t reaches box at the
extreme end, into vhica 1t falls. II it
is imperfect II cannot roll fast, aud falls
into the openings, under which boxes
are placed.
The shot then goes TO the "separa-
tors" which are n series OF drawers,
no, unlike bureau, which rocks back
ward and forward by machinery. The
shot Is poured into the upper drawer,
which has an iron bottom perforated
with holes of a certain size. The sec
ond drawer has holes Of a smaller size
and so on down to the lowest drawer,
the bottom Of each drawer being perfor-
ated with holes Of a size smaller than
those in the drawer above IL. The back
ward and forward motion throws the
shot from side 10 side, letting all the shot
the size OF the holes or smaller pass
through into the second drawer, while all
larger than the holes remain Ia the draw
err. The same Is repeated down to the
lowest drawer, SO that each drawer con-
tains a smaller size Of shot than the one
Immediately above IL.