Part 167

At the commencement of the present war, officers were dispensed from wearing furnitures at reviews, because it was judged very properly that the expence of 14 or 15 guineas for an article which was worn one day in the year, was at such a moment unnecessary.

FUSES, in artillery, are chiefly made of very dry beach wood, and sometimes of horn-beam taken near the root. They are turned rough and bored at first, and then kept for several years in a dry place. The diameter of the hole is about ¹⁄₄th of an inch; the hole does not go quite through, having about ¹⁄₄ of an inch at the bottom; and the head is made hollow in the form of a bowl.

The composition for fuses is, salt petre 3, sulphur 1, and mealed powder 3, 4, and sometimes 5. This composition is driven in with an iron driver, whose ends are capped with copper, to prevent the composition from taking fire; and to keep it equally hard; the last shovel-full being all mealed powder, and 2 strands of quick match laid across each other, being driven in with it, the ends of which are folded up into the hollow top, and a cap of parchment tied over it until it be used.

When these fuses are driven into the loaded shell, the lower end is cut off in a slope, so that the composition may inflame the powder in the shell. The fuze must be of such a length as to continue burning all the time the shell is in its range, and to set fire to the powder as soon as it touches the ground, which occasions the shell instantly to burst into many pieces.

When the distance of the battery from the object is known, the time of the shell’s flight may be computed to a second or two; which being ascertained, the fuse may be cut accordingly, by burning two or three, and making use of a watch, or of a string by way of a pendulum, to vibrate seconds.

FUSEE, according to the French acceptation of the word, is applied to various purposes, and belongs to various instruments of destruction which are used in war. The fusee is differently made by different artificers. Some make it consist of one pound of gunpowder, and two or three ounces of charcoal well mixed together; others of four pounds of gun-powder, two of saltpetre, and one of sulphur. It must be generally remarked, that the time a bomb, or grenade, will take to burst after it has been thrown out of the mortar, must depend entirely upon the length and quality of the fusee.

FUSEES à bombes, Fr. bomb fuses. The intent and object of these fuses, are to communicate fire to the gun-powder, with which the bomb is filled, in order to force it to burst and separate in broken pieces on any given spot. These fuses are usually made in the shape of a wooden pipe or tap, out of the linden tree, the alder, or any other dry and solid wood, and are afterwards filled with a slow combustible composition. The materials are increased, or diminished, according to the nature of their application. Fuses are sometimes made of copper, and they must not have the least aperture or fissure.

There are fuses for bombs of 12, of 10, and of 8 inches diameter. Fuses for bombs of 12 inches diameter, are 8 inches 4 lines long, being 1 inch 8 lines broad at the thick, and 1 inch 2 lines broad at the thin end; the breadth or diameter of the light, or aperture, is 5 lines. Fuses decrease nearly 1 inch in length and 2 lines in diameter, according to the calibre of the bomb. The diameters of the lights or apertures, only diminish one half line.

The composition for bomb fuses consists of seven parts of priming powder to four of salt-petre, and three of sulphur. These different materials are (each separately) first passed through a silk sieve; and after they have been well mixed together, the whole mass is thrown into a moderate sized hair sieve, and again passed through.

The fuse is gradually filled with this composition, each proportion being well pressed in, without violence. Iron ramrods, fitted to the bore of the fuse are used for this purpose. Every time the materials are poured in, the ramrod is inserted, and by means of a small mallet, with which it is struck 14 or 15 times, the composition is pressed into a hard consistency.

When fuses have been well loaded, and the materials have previously been properly mixed, they will naturally burn with an equal steady fire, preserving in general an even length of flame, without spitting or irregularly shaking.

In order to preserve fuses for a length of time, the composition, when thoroughly prepared, must be covered with a mastick or cement made of ²⁄₃ds bees-wax and ¹⁄₃d rosin, well mixed together. Bomb fuses prepared in this manner, will burn either in water, or in earth, nearly 70 seconds, without being extinguished.

The usual method of priming fuses, is to grate about one third of a French inch of composition. Two small matches about 5 or 6 inches long, with the ends bent inwards, are then well fixed with pounded composition to the eye of the fuse, by which last operation it is completely filled and closed. This part is finally covered over with cartridge paper that is tied, and remains so till there is occasion to use it. Before the fuse is driven into the bomb, the thin or small end must be cut off, in order that the fire may be easily communicated to the mass of gun-powder, which is lodged in the bomb.

FUSEES à bombes, à feu-mort, bomb fuses with dead light. There is a species of bomb-fuse, which is distinguished by the term feu mort, or dead-light. The difference between these fuses and the ordinary ones consists in this, that the eye instead of being pierced and hollow, is full and of a half spherical shape. In both cases, however, the composition is introduced through the small end.

The composition for fuses, à feu-mort, consists of 16 parts of pounded gunpowder and 9¹⁄₂ parts of ashes. The ashes must be baked over again, and run through a silk sieve. Potter’s earth or clay will produce the same effect as ashes.

In proceeding to charge a bomb-fuse that is made of ordinary wood, the eye, or aperture is first closed with pipe-clay, which is well beaten and pressed against the fuse in a small platter; the thin end of the fuse being held upwards. Three lines (or ³⁄₁₂ths of a French inch) of this earth will be sufficient to stop the communication of any fire. A tube, or trundle, filled with pounded gunpowder for the purpose of setting fire to the composition called feu mort, is thrust into the fuse, by which it is finally charged. If this charge of pounded gunpowder were to be omitted, the fuse might not be susceptible of ignition; but the quantity never ought to exceed 3 lines, as the fuse would split by the explosion.

When the grains of gunpowder have been well pounded, a trundle, or tube filled with the aforementioned composition must be applied, and it is finally loaded like the rest.

It must be recollected, that two inches of this composition will last as long as one of the quality with which common fuses are charged. Before the fuse is driven into the bomb, it must be pierced through with a gimblet of one line diameter, taking care, that the hole is made precisely through the charge of pounded gunpowder. One end of a priming match must be forced in, and three others be tied to it, which three are to fall upon the bomb when it lies in the mortar.

The particular object to be obtained from this sort of fuse, is to prevent the least trace of fire or light being visible in its projection; so that the enemy may remain ignorant of the range, or direction of the bomb, and not be able, of course, to get out of the way when it falls, or to avoid the effects of its explosion.

These fuses were made use of at the siege of Ham in 1761. The experiments which were made in 1792, with this composition, by an artificer belonging to the ordnance-board at Douay, have proved, that it answers every purpose for which it is invented.

The author of the Manual de l’Artilleur, from whose treatise these observations are taken, concludes this article by stating that the advantages to be derived from this invention are not so great as they at first appear.

He remarks that with respect to the real utility of the fuse à feu mort, if it be considered as tending martially to the defence of any besieged place, the argument cannot be very forcible, when we reflect, that to gain time constitutes one of the principal means of defence, and that the only way to obtain it is by regarding the besiegers’ operations. These ends are gained by various expedients. Among others, the common lighted fuse conduces not a little; since during the whole direction of the bomb against the works of the assailants, the attention of the workmen is diverted from their immediate labour, and as long as it continues in its range, much uneasiness is created, because its ultimate explosion and concomitant destruction are unknown.

Add to this, that independent of the confusion which is occasioned among the assailants by repeated projectiles, the bombadier by means of the lighted fuses, is enabled to correct his aim during the darkest night. The same principles must certainly hold good in attacks; and from a conviction of their solid utility in both instances, the common fuses have been hitherto adopted, although the kind in question has been known for several years.

FUSEES à grenades, Fr. fuses for grenades. These fuses are made of the same quality of wood as those adopted for bombs. Their length is 2 inches 6 lines; their diameter at the head is 10 lines; 7 lines in diameter 1 inch from the head, and 2 lines in diameter to the sight or aperture. The composition of these fuses consists of 5 parts of priming gunpowder, 3 parts of sulphur, and 2 of saltpetre: or 3 parts of priming powder, 2 of saltpetre, and one of sulphur.

These fuses must be loaded with the same care and precision as are required in bomb-charges; that is, the thick end of the fuse must be placed downwards, so that it stands upright; the composition must then be introduced by means of a trundle, which the French call lanterne, made for that specific purpose; the composition must, after that, be well pressed in with an iron ramrod fitted to the bore of the fuse, and gradually forced in by gentle taps with a mallet. Great precaution must be observed during this operation, as too much violence might split the fuse. When the fuse has been half filled, a shorter ramrod must be used, with which the charge is completed. In making bomb-fuses great care must be taken to strike equal blows with the mallet until you get to the three last, when the strength of each blow must be increased.

FUSEES d’obus, Fr. howitzer-fuses. These are generally made of the same composition and wood, as serve for bombs, and are loaded in a similar manner. They have the same dimensions when applied to calibres of 8 or 6 inches diameter; that is, they contain 5 inches 4 lines in length; 15 lines diameter at the small end, 3 lines diameter at the thick end; 13 lines diameter 1 inch from the head; the eye, or vent is 10 lines. These fuses do not exceed the vent of an howitzer, so much as bomb fuses do the vent of bombs. They are in fact, shorter.

FUSEES volantes, Fr. sky-rockets. These fuses are made of various dimensions, and serve for signals in times of war. They are sometimes 2 inches and more in diameter. The cartridges with which they are loaded, contain in thickness the sixteenth part, or more of the diameter.

The composition which is used for fuses of this description, consists of 16 parts of saltpetre, 7¹⁄₂ of charcoal, and 4 of sulphur; or of 16 parts of saltpetre, 6 of charcoal, 4 of sulphur, and 2 of priming gunpowder. The materials must be carefully pounded and well mixed together. Hollow rods of various lengths are used to charge these fuses. They must have cavity enough to admit the stick.