New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-05
THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOT
OLD METHODS STILL USED IN THE MAIN
A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS USED IN THE

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS USED IN THE
sHoT-TowERs OF NETWORK.
Situated among the great office buildings OF
lower New-York are the towers where shot Is
manufactured by methods which were devised
when 1t was first called into requistion. In this
age of progress. the fact that any industry or
considerable proportion can thrive when the ma
chinery it uses Is of Anticipated style Is surpris-
ing for nearly all manufactured articles IN
present use are being made b. modern machinery.
The two great centres FOR the manufacture or
shot in the United States are New-fork and ST.
Louis. There are three shot towers In New
York two of which have no modern Innovations
and in the third the departure from the old lines
has been small. The process through which lead
must pass before 1t is converted into shot is not
complicated, and a Tribune reporter who visited
them tells the process used 10 change bar lead
into shot.
The first tower visited was latham & Bros.
In Beeknan-st. 1t Is the tallest tower In the
city and measures from the water tank TO the
sleeves 2l5 feet On the top floor are situated two
large kettles in which the bar lead is melted
and contiguous to these kettles in the centre OF
the floor Is frame upon which are fastened the
sleeves through which the molten lead passes
to drop 2l5 feet into a tank Of water. The OBJ
ject OF this long drop Is to afford the shot time
70 cool before striking the water, the shot being
perfectly formed when II drops through the
sieve. When asked II the necessity Of having
tower could not be obviated, the manager said
that as the present system was SO inexpensive
little thought was given to devising new ones
When the shot reaches the bottom OF the tank
which Is an inclined plane 1t is run into the
pockets Of an endless chain and carried up to
the top Of the tower. where II is run into dry
ing cylinder, which Is surrounded By steam
pipes. From the drying cylinder the shot
passes into the polisher. which gives the gloss
by the rubbing of the shot and the addition OF
a small quantity Of black lead. BY an ingeni-
Gus arrangement series OF steel tables, from
three t. five IN number. the first set at an angie
Of 30 degrees and the successive ones at angles
from to 10 degrees less and three inches from
each other. serve as which the
shot is run. The perfect shot rolling easily
pass from one table to the other, while most
Of the imperfect shot fall between the first ana
second tables but If successful in making the
first jump seldom get beyond the second ana
when the end OF the last table is reached moth
ing but perfect shot pass on 70 the sorting ma
chimes These machines consist Of series or
trapezOdal cylinders the surfaces or wnlch are
punctured with holes the size or the shot ue
sired - be collected in the pans beneath thein'
beginning with the finest sizes OF shot. In or
termining the size OF shot the measurement IL
calculated the basis Of an Inch divided INTO
hundrcdths. shot designated as NO. peihS
> 100 Of an inCn In diameter. The shct AFTER De-
Ing separated are put into canvas bags contain
ing twenty-five pounds each and are ready Tor
shipment.
The manager said that many as hve or
more sizes Of shot might be obtained from me
same sieve. the size being regulated by the
temperature OF the lead.
At the Caldwell Lead Company's tower. In
Centrc-st.. .he same process was in use ,iere
II was learned that the lead used In the manuiacl
of shot was alleged. about 2i2 per cent OF OF
arsenic being mixed with III" lead to make II
drop from the sieve in perfect squares.
Al tho works ~ the L. Roy Lead company IN
Water-st there Is no tower This company uses
a cold blast. and the manager said the plant was
the most modern in this country ana Dy tnelG
process they get just tho size shot they wan',
and II any other firm in this country had an
order for ~ 900 bags Of No. shot they Wouiu
have 10 make 100000 bags 10 fill the order. az
they go, two sizes above and two below the one
rea,lired lie said the method employed TO secure
this result was TO put layer If scum. made from
unrenned s.. Johns lead. over me bottom ot ,ne
sl,vcs. which kept the lead from dripping
through too fast and secured uniform size
The cold blast method which is used in this es-
tabl shment consists Of fan wheel placed az lhe
hotforn Of n ffty-seven foot shaft, the ran forces
cold air up the shaft. and the shot in passing
through this air IL cooled before II reaches the
water In other operations the lie Roy company
uses the same kind Of machinery as other manu-
factur.rs
Tho manufacture 4 shot Is not a lucrative
business as the difference In price between lead
I'm bulk and In the form If shot Is but one cent
a hundred pounds with the departure OF we
r,,,1lo-Ioa ling gun the sale OF shot except 10
cartridge manufac turers. has steadily decreased
II Is only I'm the southern states. whore the muz-
zlo-ioaders are st.ll largely used, that WarKe'
e. ,o,,,d for shot Il retail dealers and II is be
ievoI that within few years cartridge manu-
foc,urers will consume virtually the entire prod
net 81 the shot manufactures OF the United