It was suggested to me that I share the following article with the Forum, as it "might be of interest". Working in a University / research environment, does have it's advantages. People send me all sorts of information, and I thought that I would share this tidbit. Please note the error on the 15" Dahlgren's range, I think that it should read 4.1 miles - maybe even less!
Jim J.
July 14, 1861
ORDNANCE.; A Visit to the Manufactories of Heavy Ordnance at Pittsburgh and Washington.
Correspondence of the New-York Times.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, July 11, 1861.
The term ordnance, as all should know, applies to the various kinds of cannon and firearms used for the purposes of warfare, but, more strictly speaking, to heavy garrison, sea-coast and light battery guns. At a time thus exciting, when all classes of our people are perfecting themselves in the use of arms, and when information of a warlike character is eagerly grasped for, a brief notice of two of our most important cannon manufactories will serve to interest the reader, and show to him that the skill and ingenuity of American mechanics and inventors is not a whit behind that of any other civilized and enlightened nation.
The casting of heavy cannon for our Government has been done at private foundries, under Government contracts. Of these private foundries, the Alger Works at South Boston Point, the West Point Foundry at Cold Spring, N.Y., and the Fort Pitt Foundry at Pittsburgh, Penn., have had the contracts for heavy garrison and sea guns, while the Messrs. AMES, of Cabotville, Mass., have manufactured mostly ordnance of a light character, such as brass guns and howitzers for light batteries.
A few rods below the depot of the Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad, in the City of Pittsburgh, the stranger will notice an imposing brick pile with huge smoke-stack, which marks the location of some busy manufactory. No watchful cerberus guards the gateway, but pacing to and fro are two bronzed and smoke-begrimed Emerald-islanders walking before the entrances, while the forbidding sign "no admittance" stares one full in the face. Passing around the corner of this gateway, through whose interstices you behold enormous guns, you come to the office, and in a second you are in the celebrated works of the Fort Pitt Foundry. Entering the court-yart, piles of condemned cannon, mostly of iron, condemned shell and shot of all sizes scattered around, meet your eye. From this court-yard the next object of interest to be seen is the foundry where the heavy guns are cast. It was at this foundry that the celebrated Rodman and Union guns, of 15-inch calibre, were manufactured. Here workmen were engaged in casting shot and shell of all sizes, and piles of "secession pills" lay scattered around, comprising 6, 12, 18, 24, 32, 42 and 64 lb. balls, ready for immediate use. One pile of immense 15-inch shells attract the attention of the visitor. These consist of a shell 15 inches in diameter, severally weighing 300 pounds, and requiring a charge of nine pounds of powder to the shell. They are made for the celebrated "Union" gun, now mounted at Fortress Monroe, and which heavy piece of ordnance alone weighs over 50,000 pounds, its range being 41 miles. The machineshop is the next place of interest. Here several hundred workmen are employed, and on a lathe was seen a huge 10-inch Columbiad, whose bore seemed of sufficient capacity to put one's head into with ease. On other lathes the visitor will see heavy 8-inch Columbiads and 8 and 10-inch siege-mortars and howitzers, revolving slowly in the process of boring and turning. There are other shops where dusky forms and fiery and smoky Vulcans are preparing for use the implements of war. Messrs. KNAP, RUDD & Co. are now making, besides Columbiads and howitzers, a number of heavy 9 and 11 inch Dahlgren guns, and they employ over two hundred and fifty men, at work night and day, such is the demand for artillery of all kinds. They are also manufacturing a set of 9-pounder rifled field-guns for experimenting with. So far, the guns manufactured at the Fort Pitt Works have proved to be most perfect in their construction, standing severe service-tests to the entire satisfaction of the inspectors. On the 17th of June the writer visited the proving-grounds on the Alleghany, about twenty miles above Pittsburgh, witnessing the satisfactory proving of two 10-inch Columbiads and a number of heavy 8-inch howitzers, designed for the immediate use of our forces in the field. So much for the celebrated Fort Pitt foundry.
A few rapid stripes of railway over a long extent of mountainous country brings us to the borders of the enemy's confines, and the immense unfinished dome of the Capitol in the distance reminds us of the approach to Washington, the seat of our National Government. Here, at the present time, nought is to be met but soldiers, politicians, and long trains of baggage wagons moving in serpentine lines through the broad thoroughfares of this. "city of magnificent distances." Passing from the rear of the Capitol, the stranger emerges into the broad avenue northwardly, and, taking a "bus," is soon at the gateway of the Navy-yard. Entering, he beholds the representatives of both the land and sea service, the neat, white pants, belts and blue jackets of the marine displaying itself on one side, while opposite him paces leisurely along the neat fatigue-dressed soldier of the gallant New-York Seventy-first. As you walk down the broad avenue which leads you to the Commandant's head-quarters, you pass the nea white tents of the same gallant regiment whose various signs arrest the attention of the passer-by, such as "Pavilion," "Astor House," and last though not the least, the famous sign "Nine miles to the Junction," and "Thereby hangs a tale." At the naval head-quarters you enter an ante-room, and amid the crowd of visitors await your chance. Soon it is your turn, and entering you catch the eye of a sober yet by no means unpleasant locking officer of the middle age of life, whose undress uniform denotes him to be a naval captain. As he gazes upon you with, his mild blue eye and pleasant countenance, courteously inviting you to be seated, you feel at once acquainted with him and perfectly at your ease. He is an indefatigable worker, laboring with ease, and accomplishing with cool and steady nerve an immense amount of business in the most perfect order and in the most cheerful manner. As an Ordnance officer, his qualities are unsurpassed, and he is a most invaluable officer to the Navy, and for energetic and scientific abilities, his loyalty to his Government, we hope he will be advanced to the highest rank in his profession, as he certainly deserves its. An hour of pleasant conversation spent in hi, company passed away rapidly, and he courteously extended the. writer an invitation to visit the foundry where, the guns of his patent were in process of manufacture. Escorted by an orderly, we entered the foundry, and there saw sixty or seventy of his celebrated boat-howitzers, made to fire shell or schrapnel shot, of very light calibre, so that they could be used as a mountain howitzer with drag ropes, manned by a few men and easily transported on account of their light weight. We next saw a number of brass guns of heavier calibre, rifled and made as Capt. DAHLGREN said, to supply the wants of the times, the rifled gun being most in vogue. In another apartment were huge 9 and 11 inch ship guns of iron, one of which a 9-inch gun was rifled. Most of the ship guns, however, are of smooth bore, carrying shell of small calibre, grape, schrapnel and round shot. From the machine shop you enter the laboratory. Here cartridges are made for muskets, rifles and navy pistols, besides patent fuses and percussion caps. In this building about one hundred hands are employed, two-thirds of whom are young ladies and boys. At one end of the table sit these smiling ladies filling up these cartridges, and fixing the Minie ball to shoot the "lords of creation." Just think of it, soldiers and sailors, when you handle that ammunition, and while you pray for the fair damsel who made them, breathe a prayer that the traitor whom you shoot may be forgiven; but remember, pray for the girl first and the traitor after you have shot him.
Having finished the rounds below stairs, we visit the "ball-room," where the projectiles are kept. Here are round, conical, skeleton, grape, schrapnel, cannister and solid shot of every description and pattern, finished, unfinished and put up in neat boxes marked with the quantity and calibre of each. Lastly, we take a look at the newly invented rifle Dalhgren gun, the twelve-pounder bronze boat piece, and the rifled iron gun of 5.1 inch bore. Of these latter guns, the former is bored to 3.4 inches and rifled, its weight being 850 pounds, and its shell, when empty, twelve pounds. The iron gun is of heavier calibre, weighing about 5,400 pounds, carrying a shell weighing forty pounds and a shot of fifty pounds, and will properly class with an 8-inch smooth-bore gun. Another rifled gun has been manufactured of 6-inch calibre, weighing about the same as a 9-inch naval gun, carrying a shot weighing eighty pounds and a shell of sixty-five pounds. Capt. DAHLGREN informed the Department that he wished to make a rifled cannon of 7-inch calibre, for a shot of 120 and a shell of 100 pounds, which will no doubt be granted to him. His boat howitzers, however, are the most valuable gun, and the War Department has ordered a number to be used as light howitzers for our infantry corps.
The Dahlgren gun, as invented by Capt. JOHN A. DAHLGREN, claims in its construction a greater quantity of metal between the trunnion and base of the gun, than the ordinary cannon, causing it to be stronger at a point where the force of the powder is the strongest in explosion. This having been abundantly tested by scientific men, concedes to Capt. DAHLGREN the merit of discovering and patenting the best pattern of heavy ordnance for sea-coast or garrison duty. The Columbiad is made on the same principle, though of a different pattern, and has not (like the Dahlgren) an outside strengthening-band running longitudinally with the gun. Rifled, guns being now the hobby of nations, Capt. DAHLGREN's guns, subjected to this process, cannot be surpassed as one of the most valuable pieces of ordnance ever invented.
Those interested in the manufacture of implements of war cannot enjoy themselves better than by spending a few hours at either of these large manufactories of cannon and war-projectiles.
W.B.R.
