Ball

of Lead, of different kinds. | KINDS. | Number to one Pound. | Diameter in Inches. | No. made from one ton of Lead. | | Wall pieces | 6 | ³⁄₄ |.89 | 14,760 | | Musquets | 14 | ¹⁄₂ |.68 | 32,480 | | Carabine | 20 | |.60 | 44,800 | | Pistol | 34 | |.51 | 78,048 | | 7 Brl. guns | 46 | ¹⁄₂ |.46 | 104,160 | Lead balls are packed in boxes containing each 1 cwt. About 4 pounds of lead in the cwt. are generally lost in casting. See Shot . Cannon - Balls are of iron; and musket and pistol-balls are of lead. Cannon-balls are always distinguished by their respective calibres, thus, | A | 42 | | - | pound ball, the diameter of which is | - | | 6,684 | inches. | | 32 | 6,105 | | 24 | 5,547 | | 18 | 5,040 | | 12 | 4,403 | | 9 | 4,000 | | 6 | 3,498 | | 3 | 2,775 | | 2 | 2,423 | | 1 | 1,923 | | Fire - Balls, | | - | | Light - Balls, | of which there are various sorts, used for various purposes. Their composition is mealed powder 2, saltpetre 1¹⁄₂, sulphur 1, rosin 1, turpentine 2¹⁄₂. Sometimes they are made of an iron shell, sometimes a stone, filled and covered with various coats of the above composition, until it conglomerates to a proper size; the last coat being of grained powder. But the best sort in our opinion, is to take thick brown paper, and make a shell the size of the mortar, and fill it with a composition of an equal quantity of sulphur, pitch, rosin, and mealed powder; which being well mixed, and put in warm, will give a clear fire, and burn a considerable time. When they are intended to set fire to magazines, buildings, . the composition must be mealed powder 10, saltpetre 2, sulphur 4, and rosin 1; or rather mealed powder 48, saltpetre 32, sulphur 16, rosin 4, steel or iron filings 2, fir-tree saw-dust boiled in saltpetre ley 2, birch-wood charcoal 1, well rammed into a shell for that purpose, having various holes filled with small barrels, loaded with musket-balls; and lastly the whole immerged in melted pitch, rosin and turpentine oil. Smoke - Balls are prepared as above, with this difference, that they contain 5 to 1 of pitch, rosin and saw-dust. This composition is put into shells made for that purpose, having 4 holes to let out the smoke. Smoke-balls are thrown out of mortars, and continue to smoke from 25 to 30 minutes. Stink - Balls are prepared by a composition of mealed powder, rosin, saltpetre, pitch, sulphur, rasped horses and a es hoofs, burnt in the fire, a a-fœtid a, seraphim gum or ferula, and bug or stinking herbs, made up into balls, as mentioned in Light - Balls , agreeably to the size of the mortar out of which you intend to throw them. Poisoned Balls . We are not sure that they have ever been used in Europe; but the Indians and Africans have always been very ingenious at poisoning several sorts of warlike stores and instruments. Their composition is mealed powder 4, pitch 6, rosin 3, sulphur 5, a a-fœtid a 8, extract of toad’s poison 12, other poisonous substances 12, made into balls as above directed. At the commencement of the French Revolution poisoned balls were exhibited to the people said to have been fired by the Austrians, particularly at the siege of Lisle. We have seen some of this sort. They contained gla , small pieces of iron, . and were said to be concocted together by means of a greasy composition which was impregnated with poisonous matter. In 1792, they were deposited in the Archives of Paris. Red-hot Balls are fired out of mortars, howitzers, or cannon. Use which you will, the ball must be made red-hot, which is done upon a large coal fire in a square hole made in the ground, 6 feet every way, and 4 or 5 feet deep. Some make the fire under an iron grate, on which the shell or ball is laid; but the best way is to put the ball into the middle of a clear burning fire, and when red-hot, all the fiery particles must be swept off. Whatever machine you use to throw the red-hot ball out of, it must be elevated according to the distance you intend it shall range, and the charge of powder must be put into a flannel cartridge, and a good wad upon that; then a piece of wood of the exact diameter of the piece, and about 3¹⁄₂ inches thick, to prevent the ball from setting fire to the powder; then place the ball on the edge of the mortar, . with an instrument for that purpose, and let it roll of itself against the wood, and instantly fire it off. Should there be a ditch or parallel before such a battery, with soldiers, the wood must not be used, as the blast of powder will break it to pieces, and its own elasticity prevent it from flying far; it would in that case either kill or wound your own people. For this deficiency the wad must be double. See American Mil. Lib . article Artillery . Chain - Balls are two balls linked together by a chain of 8 or 10 inches long, and some have been made with a chain of 3 or 4 feet long; they are used to destroy the pall is a does, wooden bridges, and chevaux-de-friezes of a fortification. They are also very destructive to the rigging of a ship. Stang - Balls are by some called balls of two heads; they are sometimes made of two half-balls joined together by a bar of iron from 8 to 14 inches long; they are likewise made of two entire balls; they are for the same purpose as the before-mentioned. Anchor - Balls are made in the same way as the light-balls, and filled with the same composition, only with this addition, that these are made with an iron bar two-thirds of the ball’s diameter in length, and 3 or 4 inches square. One half is fixed within the ball, and the other half remains without; the exterior end is made with a grapple-hook. Very useful to set fire to wooden bridges, or any thing made of wood, or even the rigging of ships, . for the pile end being the heaviest, flies foremost, and wherever it touches, fastens, and sets all on fire about it. Me age - Balls . See Shells .