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Show DESlHAlILE 13j,pilttATI0& Jx thestt. warlike tipicr tho following from tbo Sciintific American will ba read with luicrcst: Tlio Cplumbiad or Pji.tlian(pro'nootiei.i tpayznn) is tv largo gtin, designed pritci-' i pally .far firing shells it bcintj fitf wore .accurate thaii the ordirfary short mortar. A mortar fs a Very sior cannon, with-h with-h largo bore, some of thenthirteen inches in diameter, for Bring shell. Those- in , use lit oar nruiy arc set at nu angle of if degrees, and tho range of Hell is varied by Stiteriiig the charge of powder, Thu shell is caused to explode nt just about the time that 'it htrikes, by, means of a.fuse, the length rdi'whfch tsadjnsted W the lime Of flight, to bt; oaup'led, by tho ball, which, dr coiirac, -correypon -with the range. Tlio accuracy witli whtcli tht? time of the burning ol fuse cnu, be adjusted by .varying Itfi length, Is 'surprising, good artillerists ar-tillerists generally Succeeding in having 1 their shells explode almost at the exact lustant of striking. . ha loading a Oiortar,-c well is carefully care-fully placed with the directly i'or waifl, mid when the piece- is discharged, the uhell i 0 completelyyCiiVftoptd with MUitW:h&.frsr-i tvferlj"cW?i3 The fuse is made byfillinjf a. wooden' cylinder with- fuse' powder, the cylinder being ol u snluejent length lor the long- est range, to bo cut dwn shorter for shutter raimfs, as rtquired, A Dahlgrett gnu is an, ordinary cm-, noil, except tlmt it Is made very thick at ' the breech for some three or four feet, when It tapers downhurply to less, than' j the usuaj $izo Tills form was. adopted in consequence of the- cxpcritnnt8 of Cap-', tn'tu Dahlgrcn.'of the V. S. rs'avy, hav-; Ing shown tlmt when a gtin bursts H usiinlly gives wy at tlie brt?ch. The! Ningsru is nrmc-u w ith these guns, and nt the ltrooklyn Navy Yard theie are sixty, weighing nboitt ,O0O pounds each, und six of 12,01)0 pounds weight each, the former of Well nn-'capableof carry ing nine inch, and the-latter n ten inch sheila distance of two or three miles; und there ;is one gun of this pattern which weighs 15,010 pound, nnd W warranted to scud nu eleven Inch shell four miles. i A' casemate is a stono roof to a fort, made sufficiently thick to resist the force of cannon balls; and a cuscimtte gun is, one which is placed under a casemate. ' A barbette is cue which is placed on I the top of the fortification. J Ait embrasure Is tbo hole or opening ' through which guns are fired' from fortiC-cutioiw. fortiC-cutioiw. , ; Loop-holes arc openings in walls to fire musketry through. I The cost of Dahlgrcu's great nine inch iron guns U "J cents per pouud. As they ! weigli 9,000 poutuls each, the cost of a gun is. $G15. I The eight inch columblnOs weigh 8,500 pounds; the ten inch, 1C,000 pounds each; , bpth arc sold at G cents a pound. I i Forty-two pounders weigh 8,000 pounds; thirty-two poonders, 8,800 to 5,000 pounds-each. . Tho twclvc-poulrdwsrttiSlHrtS cent, I tho otlicrs at sis cents a pound. SJcaeoast howitzers o(k eight and ten inch bore weigh from '$,500 tb y,500 poiiiuls enehuud are sold at 0J cents a jionnd. i Siege howitzers of-cigLt inch boro arc much lighter, weighing 2,500 to 3,000 pounds, nn'd arc sold nt the. same rate as' i those above mentioned. 1 liruss guns arcjuuelt lighter, the arm? 'pattern twelve pounders weighing only 4.300 pounds; they ore, however, sold at 4G Cents a pound. The Dahlgren brass gnns nfc still proportionately pro-portionately higher priced; tho patent mountain twehe pound howitzers, weighing weigh-ing 220 lbs,, ure sold at 75 cents a pound; Shell sell according to weight, ht Iroiu 4 to 0 ceuts a pound; shot at 31 to -i cents. |