Bullet and Shell Civil War Projectiles Forum
Relic Discussion => Artillery => Topic started by: Jim J. on October 26, 2012, 05:41:43 PM
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A number of you have asked that I share more of my knowledge / experiences, so, as a Thank You for sharing your knowledge - Here Goes!
The Lab was asked sometime ago, to clean and conserve a 6" Fawcett & Preston Smoothbore from the wreck of the CSS Alabama. Sure, why not, I am after all a good Southern Boy - from South Africa. As a kid, I grew up learning an English ditty (a song!) - Here comes the Alabama. The vessel visited Cape Town in 1863, and was warmly welcomed by the locals. BTW, did you know that Raphael Semmes VI graduated from Texas A&M University in ~ 2005. It is a small world we live in!
Anyway, the cannon arrived and we cleaned the outer concretion off the cast iron, using a variety of techniques include careful use of a ballpeen hammer, airscribes, etc.
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y420/crltamuedu/Cannon1crop.jpg)
We then had to run it through a series of electrolytic baths, to remove the chlorides, and reduce the iron to a more stable state. So one needs a slightly larger ER vat, about 900 gallons, as the cannon is ~ 9' long and weights ~ 6,000 lbs. If I recall correctly, she was in ER for over two years.
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y420/crltamuedu/InER.jpg)
Periodically, we took the cannon out and continued the finer mechanical cleaning. We had to drill out the bore, as it too was filled with concretion. Surprisingly enough, "they" do not make hollow core drill bits the correct size. Off to see a friendly machinist, who made us the necessary bit, along with the 1" diameter shaft. This was inserted into the bore, and rotated with two 36" pipe wrenches, whilst a third person applied the "impact" with a 12 lb sledge hammer. Well, when we got down about 2 feet, I was asked - "What is that little round shiney thing down there?"
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y420/crltamuedu/300dpi02.jpg)
Okay guys, this is something we do at the Lab - do not do this at home! I will admit here that the cannon was at a 30 degree angle, and the bore was filled with water whilst we were drilling. Also, we were looking at a spherical shell with a time fuZe (Sp - I have been corrected here), that needs an ignition source. So we carried on diligently, and drilled down to the shell.
Now, some of you may know that if you place blackpowder in a cast iron container, and seal it up for 100 years - with some moisture, you will not have gunpowder when you re-open the container. Our shell had been underwater for ~ 140 years, so had losts of moisture, which alters the chemical composition completely. One of the new components is hydogen sulfide gas, which is both flammable and explosive. So one has to be very careful here, as one potentially has a shell filled with explosive gas, and one ALSO has to remember that there is the remains of the powder bag behind the shell, which will also be under pressure with explosive gas. We used a stainless steel chisel, to carefully cracked the concretion between the shell and the bore, about 1/8" all around - think windage. The cannon barrel was still at an angle, filled with water. We were working outside, and had a high pressure fan going to dissapate any escaping gas. Well, when we made the break, there was a roar like a freight train and ~ 10 gallons of water exited the barrel coating way too many people (and even more onlookers !). Yeah Right, think safety here, they all wanted to be there to see the explosion. A water hose was quickly applied, to keep things wet. The fan took care of the gas, I have never liked rotten eggs! We then oriented the barrel downwards, and slid a piece of sheet metal under the shell, and carefully pulled it out, along with the sabot. Sadly, the powder bag had disintegrated, and all that remained were the "ribbons" used to tie the bag closed. The fuze was a simple Water Cap time fuze, sorry but I cannot seem to find a photo.
Sights, I was asked to post a few images. Here is a view looking down the barrel. Sadly, the iron tip to the front site did not survice. The sights are numbered with the serial number of the cannon, as they are calibrated at the proofing range.
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y420/crltamuedu/Sights.jpg)
When you look at this image, I want you to think Point Blank Range - 400 yards. This is where the sights were set when the cannon was last fired off Cherbourgh, France, by Englishmen from Liverpool.
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y420/crltamuedu/PBR.jpg)
This is an image from the top of the barrel.
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y420/crltamuedu/Cannon3.jpg)
This is what she looked like, before we crated her up and shipped her off to the US Navy.
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y420/crltamuedu/Final.jpg)
Thanks guys, hoped you liked a bit of History.
Jim J.
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Thanks! Wow, one of the most interesting stories read lately; the Alabama was a wonder n itself.
David
Petersburg, VA
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Is this the gun that was in Charleston?
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Thanks so much for that! I really enjoyed!
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very interesting
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Good stuff, Jim - thanks!
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Awesome Jim :)
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Jim, Thanks for sharing with us. Obviously, this is something most all of us do not get to do in a lifetime. Why do you think the ball was only 2 feet down the barrel ?? Shifted during sinking ?? Had you thought of drilling out the vent and releasing possible pressure of decomposed black powder, or was that possibly more dangerous ?? Thanks for the post !!
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All -
There are two guns from the CSS Alabama that are currently on display that we (Catesby ap C. Jones & I) have visited. The first is at the Museum of Mobile and the other is at the Hunley/Lasch Conservatory in Charleston. The gun details are very interesting in terms of sights and locks while they differ in profile (Note the breech rim on the Mobile gun).
I'll have to enter the several photos in separate postings since the web site will not accept much at once.
Oh, and I have a zip file with the Dahlgren sight bar letter for you Jeff if you will send me a PM with your real email & contact info.
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CSS Alabama Tube at Mobile Museum Trunnion Sight
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CSS Alabama Gun at Hunley/Lasch Conservatory showing screw holes for mounting trunnion sight.
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CSS Alabama tube at Hunley/Lasch breech view
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CSS Alabama tube at Hunley/Lasch Gun Lock
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CSS Alabama tube at Hunley/Lasch bore view
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CSS Alabama Tube at Hunley/Lasch overall view
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CSS Alabama tube at Hunley Lasch rear sight.
I do wish for "Curator/Conservator" access to the artifacts in such circumstances but sometimes we have to stay "outside the ropes".
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Many thanks for all of the comments and questions. I will try and answer them all in order, to the best of my knowledge. Please feel free to pass comment, if you think otherwise / or I am factually incorrect, as this leads to more discussion and exchange of knowledge.
Redbob - the cannon we conserved, I believe is on display in the Washington area. The first cannon recovered from the CSS Alabama, was a 7" rifled Blakely, and she is in Cherbourg, France. The next two were sent to the Charleston Lab for conservation. One is an Admiralty pattern 32 pdr (6" smoothbore), and the other was an F&P 32 pdr / 6" smoothbore (actually 6.25"). The fourth (ours), was an F&P 32 pdr / 6" smoothbore, #153. If I recall correctly, there were four F&P guns on the CSS Alabama #153 - #156, two Admiralty 32 pdr’s, the 7" Blakely and a 9" smoothbore. When we received our cannon, they had been trying to recover the 9" gun in very difficult conditions, and took a smaller one at the last minute so as to come home with something worthwhile!
Dave - we did not drill the vent, as this would have entailed drilling a ~1/8" hole some ~ 12" through the cast iron. One also has to figure out at what angle do we drill the hole, and the odds are the concretion is harder than the corroded cast iron - so where exactly are we drilling? Also, what happens when you break through, with all the built up pressue - we did not know how much? Working down the bore, we had way more room to vent any gas. The shell ended up about 40" down the barrel from the muzzle, most likely from the sinking. There are a number of ways you could argue this (was the last shot only half rammed home?), but in all sincerity, we do not have enough facts to state with any certainly.
Bill - Thank you for posting images of the other cannon, I have been trying for years to see what they looked like! I am very jealous of the Charleston cannon, as they have the firing mechanism. When they raised our gun, onto the French Minesweeper Elan, they unfortunately dropped the cannon (one of the slings broke) the last few feet onto the deck. The archaeologist, a very good friend of mine, saw a large lump of concretion come off, bounce, and go overboard - with the firing mechanism. He got very drunk that night!
Jim J.
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Thanks so much, Jim J., for those incredibly satisfying images (thanks to Selma Hunter also!); the story of the Alabama is one of the most fascinating of the war for me personally. Highly recommended reading is Semmes' Memoirs of Service Afloat During The War Between The States, and if you can locate a December 1994 issue of National Geographic it contains a great article written by the chief archaeologist of the recovery team, retired French Navy Captain Max Guérout. The article is replete with images of recovered artifacts, and one of the tube featured in this thread being hoisted to the surface with the caption "...it swung like a three-ton fist in the current."
As far as I know Admiral/General Semme's sword, so dramatically tossed into the deep remains "uncaptured".
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Jim -
I think my post in re the "sight bar" document indicated "Jeff". My apologies. The offer stands.
In what may have been found (memory issues here folks) in the book "John McIntosh Kell of the Raider 'Alabama' " (Norman Delaney, University of Alabama Press - 270 pages) there are references to several curious events in the description of the battle with the USS Kearsage. Semmes and Kell had of necessity been forced to "recruit" sailors as best they could from their adventures around the world. This did not always make for the best gunners at sea. One of the yankee sailors speaks of at least one (maybe there was another reference as well) fuzed projectile hitting his ship and rolling around close to his position. Thinking death was imminent he stood waiting for his final moment on earth to end in a massive explosion. When he found that he was still standing he looked at the shell fired by the CSS Alabama only to realize that in their haste and/or inexperience the gunners on the "Alabama" had failed to remove the lead seal on the fuze of that shell. Kell had drilled his crews put-together gun crews extensively so we'll never know what led to such an oversight or how things may have ended had the ordnance on the Alabama performed as designed.
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Selma Hunter, do you know if there were any such oversights as you mention related to the unexploded shell in the Kearsarge's rudder?
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Thank you again for the comments and questions - which only lead to yet more comments and questions.
Jine - You passed comment about Raphael Semmes' sword. It is in the USA, in the possession of a family member. You also ask about the shell in the rudder post - please read below.
Selma Hunter - Thank you for the offer, I will PM you from my office computer, and send you a few images in return!
The CSS Alabama was built in the Birkenhead Yard, in Liverpool, as Hull #290, and later commissioned as the Spanish steam ship Enrica. Liverpool was a veritable hive of both Confederate and Union agents. The Union knew exactly what was going on, and complained the English government about supplying the South with war materials. This accusation was denied, but they did pay a "fine" after the war to the Union. The vessel left Liverpool with an English crew with many dignitaries on board, for a supposed trial cruise. Behind a small local island near Liverpool, the unwanted supernumeraries were passed over to an attending tug, and the Enrica ran for the Azores. She was met by Semmes and his officers, who had arrived on the Bahama, along with the supply ship Agrippina that carried all of the armaments and other necessary supplies for a commerce raider. The Enrica was converted, and Semmes commissioned her into the Navy. Some 85 sailors, from the three ships - all from Liverpool, became crew members. Regardless of where the men came from, they sailed and fought bravely for the South. The total roster, was something on the order of 150 officers and men. If I recall correctly, the CSS Alabama sank or captured ~ 65 Union vessels. The Union Navy put many ships to sea, with the sole intent of finding her, and sinking her.
The CSS Alabama put into Cherbourg, in France, with the intent of resupplying and doing numerous repairs to the ship - after ~ 21 months at sea. One of her major problems was ammunition, as her lockers were less than ideal and not exactly water proof. Black powder is hydroscopic, and absorbs water over a long period of time. The powder was in effect damp, which made the timing on the fuzes questionable - damp powder burns slower (but how much slower?), and sometimes they flat out did not burn. During the battle with the USS Kearsage, the Alabama fired more than twice the number of shells, and hit the Kearsage repeatedly. Yes, the Kearsage was using anchor chain as an added layer of armor, but the shells failed to explode on time! Lt. Kells' gunners were good, no doubt about it, but the powder and fuzes were damp. One of the 7" Britten shells ended up in the Kearsage's rudder post, and failed to explode. When the vessel was repaired, the rudder post was replaced, and the section with the shell cut out and put on display. The shell had a Preston percussion fuze in it, and I have often wondered if it was ever emptied of powder? We had one of the sister shells here in the Lab, I will have to dig out some images from the archive. I have read the story about the Kearsage sailor, and the lead seal on the fired shell, and often wondered . . . was it a bad fuze, was the lead seal still there, was it just explained as having the lead seal to rationalize it not having exploded? Digging in and finding out the rest of the story, is what makes it all the more interesting.
Once again, Many Thanks.
Jim J.
PS - I have re-read some of my posts, and apologize for my poor spelling!
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Jim,
Can you expain further on a lead seal and theBritten percussion fuze??
The fuze is often mis-identified as a Preston.
Britten patented the shell and fuze.
The projectile shwon below doesn't look like any shell I have seen. It even appears to be a bolt not a shell. Can anyone see a fuze?
John
(http://i1069.photobucket.com/albums/u465/jbart2/BritishBrittenShrapnelShellPercussionFuze.jpg)
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Thanks for the continued flow of information, Jim J. For all of these years I assumed that sword was still resting on the bottom, and this is a shocker. I'm glad to hear it is in the possession of a descendant or at least family member.
There are likely better images available of the shell and rudder post of the Kearsarge, but here is one I had immediately available.
(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/7421/img6281x.jpg)
Many thanks to you, Jim J.
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John: I think Jim was referring to the seals on the watercap fuses in the round balls; not the Britten. The Britten in the rudder is showing the tail end which is missing the lead sabot. The fuse would be on the other end but can't be seen.
Jim: Was the lead seal still there on the shell photographed in the bore of the still loaded cannon? It looks like it might have been but it's very well just crud. I can't imagine how much work it must have been to have cleaned out that bore sufficiently to get the shell out.
Here is the image for convenience:
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y420/crltamuedu/300dpi02.jpg)
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Sorry about the confusion here guys.
Bart - the lead seal I referring to, was from the story of the spherical shell that was supposedly rolling around on the deck of the USS Kearsage - and recovered by a sailor. The Britten shell that we had in the Lab, is a separate side story. The brass nose cap was missing, along with the striker inside the fuze body. When carefully cleaning and inspecting the fuze, we discovered that there was a small wooden plug jammed into the fuze body, which we removed and then flooded the inside of the shell. The remains of the "powder" had been damp for some time, as we dried a sample and tested with an open flame - did not burn at all. You are correct about the fuze being a Britten percussion fuze, not a Preston. I have an image labelled incorrectly in my files - Britten / Preston fuze, that I need to change. Thank you for pointing that out. The usual view one sees of the Britten shell in the rudder post (from the Kearsage), is from the aft or base end. So what you are looking at is the section where the lead sabot would have fitted. I will try and dig out the image I have, that shows the fuse. I like your drawing of the shrapnel shell, ours was only a regular shell.
Jine - the sword is in the possession of a 5th generation Semmes family member. Thank you for the image of the shell in the rudder post, I only had an old B&W photo.
Carl - you are correct on the orientation of the shell. Now, back to the 32 pdr F&P cannon - the shell came out intact, and the Water Cap fuze did not have a lead seal. They were usually (!) removed before firing, but I am sure mistakes were made on occasion - like musket ramrods being fired downrange! I hear that re-enactors still do this on occasion, I think that it is frowned upon! Drilling the barrel was a challenge, which is something that I enjoy ( a good challenge!). You all know what a steel cold chisel is, well, imagine a 6" hollow-core cold chisel being rotated by hand (two "volunteers" please) and a third person applying the impact with a 12 lb. hammer. It took a long time, and we took our time, as we wanted to accomplish the job safely. I had a number of EOD instructors who I liaised with on the QT, as they were not allowed to help me from a legal standpoint. They were informed by their superiors, that they had to stay away / No way in H--L. If you think that doing a 6” bore was time consuming, try a IX Inch Dahlgren – that was a task we have just completed. With the F&P we only had to drill 40", and the barrel was clean behind the shell. The was another story, we drill ~ 8 feet, with a 8 & 15/16" custom made drill bit. We still have to get the sabot out, which is being a real pain! The problem is that I am an “AR” archaeologist, and I want everything – including getting the sabot out intact!
Jim J.
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Guys & Jine -
Not sure if your question was answered or not, but my citation was good from memory. I checked the notation and the passage(s) can be found on pages 169-170 - this copy is from the original 1973 printing it appears.
Let me know if there is anything else I can add.
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An update of Semmes' sword. I made an error here, and wish to correct things. When Semmes struck his colors, he threw his sword overboard - which presumably is still underwater. He was given another sword in England, after the battle. It is this presentation sword, that is in the family possession.
Jim J.
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Sorry Jim,
I was getting Preston fuze and lead seals mixed together.
Great close up Carl, what software?
Must be the lighting on the Britten, it looked like the pointy end. :)
John
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Thank you for the update on the sword, Jim. I must admit my head was swimming with the thought of its recovery as I had never heard that before. Somehow I'm more at ease with the thought of it lying where "Old Beeswax" hurled it in that most dramatic moment.
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Jim: I helped clean the bore of an ocean recovered CS 10-inch tube once. We had a 1-inch rod with a curved chisle to match the bore curve. As you described we too turns with a holder and a swinger. It was quite a job. In this case there was nothing waiting at the bottom.
John: I didn't do anything for that fuse picture. It's from earlier in this thread and posted by Jim. I just reposted it. Jim (or someone) did a great job with the light and focus on it. Not an easy picture to get down the tube I'm sure.
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Carl,
If all you had was a curved chisel on a long rod, and a hammer, you Worked way harder than we did. The work actually went fairly smoothly, unless we had a jam. The bit was harder than the degraded cast iron bore, so you had to go slow, lots of water and rotation by hand - well, by pipe wrench. If she jammed, then we had a slide hammer arrangement on the shaft to back her out. We, the Lab, have cleaned and conserved 28 cannon since 1996, from a wrought iron verso (1686), bronze 4 pdr's, 18 pdr long guns (1812), etc.
The picture of the shell down the barrel was easy to take, a good flashlight and a digital camera. There are problems with digital cameras, one takes too many images - where do you store them All, and the mechanical shutters wear out. We have sent two high end Canon cameras back under warranty, and they replaced them for free. One had ~ 136K and the other 86K of images. The good thing is that one knows you have / or have not taken the necessary photo’s. Whatever you do, if you buy a good high end camera, get the extended warranty.
Jim J.
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Jim,
Thanks for the great post. Was in South Africa in 1979, Capetown, Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban. Beautiful places and people. Thanks again.
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This has been a very interesting thread. Frankenstorm has me grounded so I thought I'd contribute an image of many of the various fuzes found in Britten shells. According to Jack Bell's book, the fuse in the rudderpost shell is broken off, but most likely it is the one John drew which is the middle one on the right side of this picture. The one above it is the "Preston" pattern which basically only differs in having a hex collar. The one below it is narrower at the threads (Dickey mark of #77 is for Blakely, AL) and on the cover of Chuck Jones' book. Long ones like the one in the center have been recovered from another "CS Commerce Raider." The four on the left are time fuse adapters for the Britten, the two shortest are from blockade runners and the far left one is a normal CS Read fuse adapter pattern threaded for the Britten and recovered at a land fight where field caliber Britten shells were employed.
(http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff458/emike123/DSCN1180.jpg)
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Great images Mike,
How about some 45 degree views that show top and side together?
John
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nullum beneficium impunitum 8)
Bart: How about you check out pages 72-75 and 116 in Chuck Jones' fuse book as most of these are the same exact ones shown there. An exception is the CS made "Read style" adapter, but that looks just like all the rest on page 41. After you've gone through and seen what is not already photographed professionally elsewhere, drop me a line and I'll try to take a couple more snaps for you at my earliest convenience.
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Mike,
If is difficult to make clear scans of Jones book. If you make a scan you will see what I mean when it is placed under magnification. Without well defined images I cannot see well enough to make a drawing. I don't speak Latin.
It's okay,
John