Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-21
THE NEW MORTAR
Carries Prolocino Weighing Gao Pounds a
Distance Of Seven Miles.


providence Journal)
One of the now rilled mOrturs mounted
on carriage just as Il would be in ac-
ton, with, of course. the exception OF the
masonry around the base of the carriage,
Is ON exhibition now at the Builders iron
foundry In this city, which is making
Il number OF them for the government.
IL h being put In proper condition TO he
sent 10 the Worlds fair as a part OF the
government exhibit As the name indl-
Gates, IL Is n breechloadcr, with a II
inch rifle bore. The body ia of east iron
and steel looped. 10 feet . inches in
length, 3 - inches ia diameter and
~ IL inches over the hoops, which are
shrnk on the bodies Ia two rows. The
castings are made from charcoal pig and
are east vertically breech downward,
by the Rodman process.
Test specimens cut from both breech
aud muzzle ends of the mortar have an
elastic limit of about 1900 pounds, and
tensile strength of between 10000
and $1,000 pounds per square inch. near
~ double the strength of ordinary east
iron. As soon M the piece of east water
IA kept constantly circulating through the
core and the cooling mt once commences.
removed and the water turned directly
into the bore of the casting for n day
or two longer The castings are made
at the rate of one week. 10 ia then
placed ina huge lathe and turned to the
required shape
The attaching of the hoops Is deli.
cate and interesting process, They are
heated TO about aOO degrees Fahrenheit
or To such q degree that the hoop will
expand 90 Va Observation-Disclosures
expand about 90 Of an inch This eX.
pansion allows the hoops to Ice Slipped
over the mortar, Ii is then slowly sprin-
lled with cold water Gradually Il con-
fltta tstf
mighty grasp Next comes the riding
Few operations in machiue-shOp re-
quirc SO much care "a the riding Of \
cannon, since 80 much rs at stake, The
results of n months labor, the body of the
gun, the hoops, and the whole material
mny be utterly ruined by one false cut,
SiNtN-eight grooves are cut, after which
the threading Is done by special MAJ
chine. The breoch mechanism Is won
dertul result of inventive genius, In which
the machinery secms TO net as II imbued
with reasoning power
The proieotilc discharged by this NOR
tar is three feet long and weighs O3O
pounds. II h soft and pointed at tho
end and has encirclmg It's rear metal
bands which fit into the riding grooves
and give L n rapid rotary motion and
accuracy of aim. Indeed although this
projectile can be thrown nearly seven
miles, It can be made 20 drop within
elAll OF neNrutN-llNe lVtk Oh hafh
At the trial at Sandy Hook its promoters
stood quite near 60 the mark aimed az
SO as 20 witness its effect = 0groat was
their confidence IN its accuracy. The
proieotlc contains a bursting charge OF
thirty pounds of powder, ana will nierc,
q plato armor four inches thick. How
ever this is not the intended use OF the
proiectle. which. of course, Us discharged
upwards into the air and dropped on IN,
| deck Of sOmr shin whore it viii only ca
counter the resistance of wood It re
| auire a charge OF eighty pounds Of brown
| prismatic powder 10 eNpel the projeciilc
| The angle OF fire Is at fifty degrees from
the horizontal The guns are 20 be- plac
/ ed along the coast IN groups OF sixteen
20 have them shielded from the enemy
guns by high cara embankments, an,
10 ire them simultaneously by the mer
\ pressing OF an electric button