The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-16
WORKING A BIG GUN.
METHODS OF TODAY DIFFER FROM
THOSE OF CIVIL WAR TIMES.

| Worked the Swabber and Hammer.
"Our regiment was an infantry regi.
| mont said the old soldier, "but In the
| course of our service we did moro or less
duty ms artillery. On one occasion prac-
| tically the whole regiment was detailed to
man big guns in n siege. Tho particular
| gun that served on was Il 100 pound par
| rott. There were bigger PARROTS than 100
Founders. and other guns, too, that were
bigger, but u 100 pound parrott was a
| pretty sizable gun, s or 10 feet In length,
| possibly lOnger-I don't remember exactly
--rifled, and with broad wrought iron
band shrunk on to tho broech to re-enforce
it. Tho shell was pointed and elongated,
about as big around as an oyster keg and
something longer. 1t hnd band of soft
metal attached around its base, and when
the gun was fired this band expanded into
the grooves of the rifling to give the shell
tho twist and so Insure accuracy Of flight
"This gun was mounted in a battery
ON earth breastwork In front, with traverses
at tho sides to protect the men from shot
coming from those directions It was fired
through an embrasure in the parapet OF
the breastwork in front. The carriage
upon which 1t was mounted raised the big
gun to q height OF eight feet or so above
breastwork, under tho muzzlc Of the gum
there was platform, so that tho muzzle
could be conveniently reached. Nos.
and of the men who manned tho gun
stood upon this platform to load 1t and to
swab the gun out after 1t was fired. I
was No. on tho piece, to tho loft Of the
NuZzle
Tho man from tho magazine brought
around a cartridge, the charge of powder
done up In flannel bag about the size Of
good sized salt bag, and laid 1t on the
platform. No. Q picked 1t up and inserted
it in the muzzlo of tho gun. No. picked
up the sponge staff, q or feet in length,
and having tho sponge, or swab, mt one end
and tho hammer ut the other, and placed
tho rammcr end against the cartridge, and
then both men rammed the cartridge
gently homo, tho man whose duty 1t was
standing on the carriage mt the breech Of
the gun with his thumb OH tho vent mean
while.
1.-Two men brought around tho she'll
loaded and capped, and stood it on It's base
on the platform. Tho two men on the
platform picked up tho she'll and placed 1t
in the gun. The shell had u percussion
cap, TO be exploded by contact In the
center of the face OF the rammer there was
n cavity big enough SO that Its edges would
rest upon the shell clear of the cap. No
q. placed the rammer carefully against the
end Of tho she'll SO that tho cap would be
within tho cavity, and both men rammed
the she'll home, gently and smoothly, but
setting 1t up snugly against tho cartridge
"The man ut the vent ran n printing
wire down into the vent and through the
cartridge. and then inserted In the vent O
friction Srimer to which lanyard was at
tached. All the men about the gun jumped
TO the ground, and tho man stood with
lanyard outstretched, waiting the COM
mand.
'Firer
IA witch upon the lanyard, tho primer
exploded, its nre shot down into the pow
der, and 'Booml' went the 100 FOUNDER
The carriage recoilcd upon the iron sup
porting frame, and away sailed the shell,
while all the men jumped upon the gun
carriage again or upon the platform to
watch Its effect
"Then camo the sweb. There was a
bucket OF water standing on tho platform
into which the swab was dipped occasion
ally II the gun was being fired rapidly
The damp swab, or sponge, was inserted
an the muzzle Of the gun and rammed
clean to the other end of the bore, turned
there, and then drawn out again TO extin-
guish any lingering sparks of powder that
might have ignitcd the next charge OF
powder, and so caused a premature OK
plosion, and to clean the gun. Then load
again.
1--WE worked on these guns for weeks,
and 1t was n most fascinating employment
1t seemed wonderful then, and it seems
more and moro so now as the time grows
more remote. had read In story books
and in histories about wars and battles
and the fierce cannonoers and ali TINT sort
of thing, and here we were at 1t ourselves
as a daily occupation and under contract
to work for years.
1.-THE other day went over TO tho navy
yard to see the battlcship Indiana, and
she's daisy. We are not a fighting ma
tion-we don't need to be-but such fight
ing tools rs we keep in stock ought to be
OF the best, and here's ship that one
needn't bo ashamed to send into any wa
ters.
1--WE roamed all over the ship, from the
shaft alleys to the military tops, and finally
we went down into ono of the turrets OF
the great ID inch guns We had seen the
| giant tube projecting out over the deck
| through the portfolio. Now We admired
| the beautiful mechanism of the breeoh.
Standing on little platform near by was
| what looked like great round tin can, In
| size something less than half q barrel Its
| conical shaped metal top part tapered I'D
| to what might have been the neck of the
| can. The vertical sided barrel of the con
was completely covered with sheepskin
| with the woolly side out. And this was
the swab, or sponge, for the ID inch gun.
The gun is 40 feet long. Fancy Nos. and
| 2 standing at the muzzlo to sponge out
this gun! 1t would be like sponging q
chimney lying on its side. But they don't
do 1t that way. The gun loads ut tho
breech and Is sponged from there. The
| powder chamber is sponged after every dis.
charge, but the gun is not sponged through