Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-01
THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOT
a VISIT TO AN OLD TOWER IN NEW
YORK.
Lead is Shaped by COlander and
Then There Is n Long Drop for
Hardening Purposes.

From the New York Mail and Express
Standing on made ground over ths very
spot where Robert Fulton sailed his hrst
steamboat is the celebrated shot tower
that has entered into the romance ana
tragedy of the great city for generations.
From its top one may look down into the
court yard of the Tombs prison, and years
ago, when murderers were hanged there'
newspaper men were wont to watch from
the tower and signal the news of death 10
other watchers posted on the ROOFS OF news
paper offices on Park row. Many men nave
been killed by the shot made there' anu
millions of rabbits and statelier game nave
become victims of the fieshpots through
its influence.
Every generation or so some crank comes
without a tower-one has been trying to get
before the public recently. Every plan mas
been tried but not an ounce OF small snoe
is on the market except what was maoe ~
that can be made in a tower Is twenty
three-hundredths Of an inch IN diameter
Buckshot and all sizes larger are moloeu'
The process is extremely simple.the snot
has nothing to do with shaping the pellets.
Height is only necessary to give them time
to harden before they come IN contact win
ANYTHING that might destroy their shape:
The old tower on Center stIeei .i Is ~, feet
fall. At its bottom is well thirteen 1eet
deem filled with water into which the haru,
but hot, shot fall. An endless chaln woI ,s
at the bottom with buckets, carrying tle
shot up to platform as FAST as .ney re deu
the bottom Of the well. On WORKING gay
twelve tons Of shot will be ralned oowI
from the giddy top into this Wen anu .le
water will be kept kissing with the torrent
Rut that is a little detail Of the manu1act-
ure. The real skill is reQulreo III iNe
tha lead To be poured.
Shortening the Lead
Melt pure lead and pour it through the
colander at the top Of the tower and 1t Will
ba taken from the water in short strings,
more like crooked nails than shot. 10
make the lead form pellets it must be
shortened, or "sharpened.' just as house,
wife shortens dough with lard to make
ME crust The shortening for lead Is ar
senic Several years ago genius VINO edlted
a Sunday newspaper discovered thaI inns
arsenic in shot poisoned the game killed
with it and rendered 1t unit to eat out
that was a Sunday story.
The amount Of arsenic used Is so slight'
and so perfectly assimilated by the ieao'
that it Is harmless. 1t Is mixed with tne
lead thus: On the bottom of a great retort
is placed a heap of forty pounds or pure
arsenic Over it is placed an iron crown,
which fits air-tight. On top of this Is put
a ton Of cold lead. The lead Is then heated.
i
tendant plunges an iron rod into 1t and
upsets the iron crown. or bowl. that held
the arsenic down. The poison Is thus re-
leased at the bottom Of the hot lead. II
begins to work its way up through the
mass but by the time 1t reaches the sur
face there is barely fume OF 1t Ie1t. the
lead having absorbed 1t.
Lead thus treated Is as brittle as quick
silver and bit Of it dropped on the floor
will fiy in a thousand directions and come
to rest in myriad Of tiny pellets. 1t is
too brittle for shot. IL Is shot STOCK.
with a thousand pounds of pure lead and
the resultant mixture is short enough for
shot and is run off into bars Of 200 pounds
weight each.
The Rain Of silvery Shot.
At the top Of the tower on sort of dais
is a melting pot. The prepared lead is
hoisted to this on an elevator. The colan-
der, which is like those used In any
kitchen, only vastly more heavy, is foot
in diameter. 1t is placed over the center
of wooden tube. three feet in diameter,
that stands in the center Of the tower.
Scum from boiling lead is powdered. and
the bottom Of the colander Is covered with
1t to the depth OF half an inch. On top OF
this the lead Is poured. 1t percolates
through the powder and drops through the
holes exactly as water through filter.
Each drop that leaves the suspended col
ander is perfectly rounded shot. Its form
is never changed for the better. After the
drops begin to let go they fall so fast from
the many holes that to the eye they seem
like solid streams of lead instead Of
succession of tiny globes. The rain OF
metal CLEANS like silver and Is pretty
thing to look at. But If one were 10
thrust ones head into the shower ones
head would be chewed of in twinkling.
especially at the bottom. for the speed it
acquires in Its fall Is almost as great as
that it has when fired from gun.
Nearly every stranger who visits the
tower for the first time wants to poke his
hand into the stream to see how hard 1t Is
falling. Recently wise young man With