No. 124. J 43 



useful and beautiful articles — the whole the work of her own house- 

 hold, and principally of her own hands. 



The glory ascribed by the great Roman poets to the matrons of the 

 best days of that republic, may be justly ascribed to Mrs. Voorhees. 

 Such an example is one of inestimable value to our young republic. 

 If it should be well followed up by our ladies, our republic will 

 never die ; and from the sacred book we add, " Many daughters 

 have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all." The committee 

 recommend the highest premium. 



H. MEIGS, 

 EDWARD CLARK, 

 A. CHANDLER, 

 T, B. WAKEMAN 



Mblo's Garden, Oct. 27, 1843. 



5 



Committee. 



Report of the Committee to examine the Wrought Iron Gun. 



The committee appointed by the Board of Managers of the Six- 

 teenth Annual Fair of the American Institute, to examine the 

 wrought iron gun made at the iron foundry of L. B. Ward, at the 

 foot of Fifty-ninth-street, North river, respectfully report : 



That they proceeded on the 20th of October, 1843, to the Phoenix 

 works, foot of Desbrosses-street, to \vhich place the gun had been 

 removed for the purpose of being bored out and finished. 



They found a thoroughly welded mass of wrought iron, weighing, 

 as they were informed, 27,390 pounds ; fourteen feet in length j 

 and two feet eleven inches in diameter at the breech ; and one 

 foot seven and a half inches in diameter at the smaller end. This 

 is believed to be the largest and heaviest mass of wrought iron 

 ever forged in this or any other country. The mass appeared to be 

 closely welded, no cracks or crevices appearing in any part of it j 

 and the shape so nearly formed to the proper size, that very little 

 loss must be experienced in finishing it. There are no trunnions w^ork- 

 ed upon the gun, the mounting being different from that of the ordi- 

 nary ship or battery gun; and the aftermost part is much thicker than 

 the chase or barrel, so as to resist the effect of the first force of the 

 powder on its explosion, in a greater degree. 



It also appears, that to increase its strength, its construction has 

 all the advantage of the thoroughly-tried plan of the old stub and 

 twist barrel, so celebrated for its toughness and strength. The cen- 

 tre piece being a welded mass of faggots of the best iron, and over 

 this centre are welded what are termed lays, formed of tough scrap 

 iron, all perfectly welded. These lays are spirally wound 2in^ weld- 

 ed one over the other, on the centre piece, so that the grain of the 

 iron is wound around the whole gun, giving it the greatest possible 

 strength, and offering the most effectual resistance that iron can pre- 

 sent. 



The gun is to be chambered like the Paixhan, and is to have a 



