ORDNANCE. 



OREADES. 



80 



strike simply by a pull on a lanyard attached to it. It is so contrived 

 that after striking it is withdrawn from the vent and therefore not 

 thrown back by the explosion of the powder. The friction tube is 

 fired by sharply pulling out a portion of the head which projects above 

 the vent, and which is made with an eye for the insertion of the hook 

 of the lanyard. 



From experiments made in France it was ascertained that hollow 

 shot, being with equal weight greater in diameter than such as are 

 solid, when fired with low charges of powder against ships, pro- 

 duced most dangerous breaches in their sides ; and, in consequence, 

 certain heavy iron howitzer-guns for discharging such missiles were 

 introduced in the French navy. Similar experiments, attended by like 

 results, were in 1828 made in this country by the late General Millar, 

 with a shurt and massive 12-inch gun which he invented on the 

 occasion. The hollow shot projected from this pieco of ordnance 

 weighed 120 : pounds, and being impelled by 11 pounds of powder, 

 producing an initial velocity of 1000 feet per second, it pierced, at the 

 distance of 400 yards, a strong frame- work of timber, making an 

 opening which would have seriously compromised any ship so struck. 

 A conviction of the necessity of using these powerful arms in a future 

 war led the British government to adopt 8- and 10-inch guns in the 

 royal navy, and now the ships of war always carry a certain number of 

 such guns. 



Various experiments were made in France, England, and America, 

 on the effect of shells fired into and exploded in ships, the fuses being 

 cut of such a length as to explode the shell after striking ; or, still 

 better, by means of concussion fuses. The destructive effects were so 

 great that shells and shell guns were at once adopted in the navy, and 

 form a large portion of the armament, though the existence of 

 loaded shells on board of ships has been objected to on account of the 

 danger which might ensue from the accidental ignition of their fuses. 

 This danger, however, may be much lessened by keeping each shell in a 

 separate box, and by covering the fuse with a metallic cap till the 

 moment when it is required to be put in the gun. 



The carriages for guns vary much according to the calibre of the 

 gun and the objects to which they are to be applied, or the mobility 

 required. 



The field gun carriage, in which great lightness and mobility com- 

 bined with strength are required, is composed of one large solid piece 

 termed the trail, to which two small brackets are attached, one on each 

 side. The trail rests at one end on the axletree of a pair of high 

 wheels. The trunnion holes are cut in these brackets : as it is 

 necessary to come into action very rapidly there is only one set of 

 trunnion holes in a field gun carriage, and they are placed far back on 

 the carriage over the rear of the axletree, which has been found to be 

 the best position both on account uf the reduced strain on the carriage 

 when fired, and of the ease with which the trail can be lifted to 

 limber up or unlimber the gun. When the gun is in action the rear 

 extremity of the trail rests on the ground, but when it is required to 

 be moved, the end of the trail which is fitted with an eye is raised and 

 placed on a hook in the limber. 



The limber is a bed, with shafts, mounted on two wheels, and 

 carrying two ammunition boxes for the service of the gun ; the horses 

 are harnessed to the limber, and the gun with its carriage is drawn 

 after the latter. An ammunition waggon also accompanies each piece 

 of ordnance, and thre are others always in reserve. 



Field howitzer carriages and their Umbers are similar to those just 

 mentioned, but stronger. 



Carriages of a light construction are employed for the small artillery 

 which is used on service in mountainous countries. 



The travelling carriages for siege-ordnance are made wholly of oak, 

 and the limber carries no ammunition; the great size and weight of 

 the gun-carriage trail not permitting, when it rests on the limber, the 

 boxes to be placed there. The trail of siege-carriages is made of two 

 cheeks or side pieces firmly attached together by means of transoms, 

 mid rc.tting on the axletree of the wheels, instead of in a single piece 

 or block trail, as with field gun-carriages. 



Carriages for garrison service and for the navy consist of two short 

 cheeks or brackets, connected by transoms, and they move on four 

 truck-wheels. Garrison carriages are now often made of ca 

 which is more durable than wood, particularly in tropical climates. 

 High phitf.inns of timber or cast-iron are also occasionally placed at the 

 salient angles of fortresses ; they are made to turn at one extremity 

 upon a vertical pivot, the other extremity traversing through ninety or 

 a greater number of degrees. The usual garrison carriage is mounted 

 upon tliis ji] .itf.jrm, and thus the piece can be fired over the parapet in 

 any direction at pleasure. There is also a species of mounting for 

 guns, termed a traversing platform, by means of which the gun may 

 be made to pivot on any centre, and be directed with great ease in 

 U direction*. Traversing platforms are principally used for heavy 

 guns, 68-pounders, and 8- and 10-inch guns on board ships and in 

 HUB <.'-. 



Mortars are placed upon solid beds of wood or iron, which are made 

 as heavy as is consistent with the power of transporting them from 

 place to place, and for the sake of obtaining steadiness when the piece 

 is fired. The larger kinds of mortars and their beds are removed on 

 platform carriages. Sea mortar-beds are made of strong timber ; they 

 nave a hole in the middle for receiving the iron bolt on which the bed 



turns round, and they are placed on strong wooden frames fixed in the 

 vessels by which they are carried. 



The number of horses employed in the British service to draw 

 artillery of the different natures is as follows : For an 18-pounder or 

 an 8-inch howitzer, from 8 to 10 horses. For a 12-pounder, 9-pounder, 

 a heavy 6-pounder, or a 24-pounder howitzer, from 6 to 8 horses. For 

 a light 6-pounder, a heavy 3-pounder, or a 12-pounder howitzer, from 4 

 to 6 horses. It may be observed here, that 4 horses cannot draw a 

 weight twice as great as that which can be drawn by 2 ; therefore 

 the number of horses which should be applied to draw weights must 

 be increased in a higher ratio than the weights. 



Formerly two 6-pounder guns were attached to each battalion of 

 infantry, but this practice has long been discontinued, and now all the 

 artillery which accompanies an army into the field is formed into 

 batteries or brigades, each invariably consisting of six pieces. The 

 brigades of foot-artillery consist either of five medium 12-pounders and 

 a32-pounder howitzer, or five 9-pounders and a 24-pounder howitzer; 

 and a troop of horse-artillery is usually composed of five 9-pounders, 

 24-pounder howitzer, though they have occasionally been composed of 

 6-pounders and 12-pounder howitzers. 



Six-pounder guns were not much employed with the armies under 

 the Duke of Wellington, as they were found to be inferior in effect to 

 the artillery which the French brought into action during the war ; 

 they may, however, be advantageously employed with a corps detached 

 for the purpose of intercepting an enemy's convoy ; but it may be 

 observed in general, that field ordnance should be such as may take 

 good effect against troops at the distance of 800 or 1000 yards: 

 12-pounders, and even 18-pounders, are necessary in the field when 

 it is required to destroy palisades or small intrenchments, to break 

 down bridges, and the like. 



The guns hitherto employed in siege trains have been 18- and 24- 

 pounders, and 8- and 10-inch howitzers, though at the siege of Sebastopol 

 32- and 68-pounders and 8- and 10-inch guns were employed. The 

 mortars are the 8- and 10-inch, and occasionally, as at Sebastopol, the 

 13-inch mortar and the small Coehorn or 4-inch mortar. 



With respect to the quantity of ordnance which should accompany 

 an army into the field, no precise rule can be given, as the ratio of the 

 number of men to that of the guns in the great armies on foot during 

 the wars of the early part of the century was very various; but, 

 according to General Lespinasse, a division of 12,000 men, including 

 two regiments of cavalry, should be attended by three brigades of 

 horse and three of field artillery : one brigade of each kind is recom- 

 mended to be always with the division, another of each kind to 

 remain with the general park of artillery, and the rest with the depot 

 in rear of the army. 



Long guns have now wholly superseded carronades for the navy, 

 both because their 6re is more accurate, and because of their greater 

 range and penetration. For the sake of obtaining a nearly horizontal 

 direction when a ship is rolling, it is a common rule in action to fire 

 when the vessel is nearly upright ; but this is said to be subject to 

 some limitation, for it may happen that then the ship is in the trough 

 or hollow of the sea, in which case she will have less command over 

 her enemy than if she were on the summit of a wave : and it is 

 recommended that shot intended to take effect on the hull of an 

 enemy's ship should be discharged while the side engaged is descending 

 towards the water ; or if intended to act against the rigging, it should 

 be fired with the rising motion of the side, provided the aim be 

 taken low. 



For further information on the subject the reader is referred to Sir 

 H. Douglas's ' Treatise on Naval Gunnery.' 



ORK. [MINING.] 



OKKADKS ('Opeidtes, from 'Oj>or, a mountain), Nymphs who dwelt 

 in mountains, caves, and grottoes ; but the nymph of each cave and 

 mountain had a specific name corresponding to that of her dwelling- 

 place. (Pausanias, v. 5, ix. 3, and x. 32 ; see also Theocritus, ' Id.,' 

 vii. 137.) The Oreades were among the attendants on Artemis. The 

 most celebrated of the Oreades was Echo, who incurred the anger of 

 Hera by engaging her in talk on the mountains whilst Zeus sported 

 with others of the Nymphs. On discovering the trick, Hera deprived 

 her of control over her tongue, so that she became unable to speak till 

 some one else had spoken, and then unable to keep from repeating 

 what was said. Wandering thus, she met and became deeply enamoured 

 of Narcissus, who not requiting her affection, she pined away until 

 nothing remained of her but her voice. (Ovid, Met. iii.) 



Under NAIADS and NEREIDS we have spoken of the Nymphs of the 

 fountains and fresh waters and of the sea : we here add a brief account 

 of Nymphs generally, in order to render our notice of the subject more 

 complete. 



XilinjJti (Nvpipai, Nympfite) were female deities in the Greek and 

 Roman mythology, who were exceedingly numerous, and were sup- 

 posed to preside over all parts of the earth. Those who presided over 

 rivers, brooks, and springs, were called Xaiculs ; those over mountains, 

 Oreadet ; those over woods and trees, J>rijade and Hamadryades ; 

 those over the sea, A'ereid* ; those over valleys, Naptfer, &c. (Homer, 

 ' II.,' xx. 8.) They were thus associated with all the forms of external 

 nature ; and they were the attendants of Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, 

 and other of the higher gt>ddesses; they are also seen with Apollo; 

 as the nurses of many of the gods, as Zeus, Dionysus, and Pan 



