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MINUTES OF PEOCEEDINGS OF 
climates, it prevents the formation of a space or groove between the wood 
and composition which would cause the fuze to explode* instead of burning 
regularly; and, 2nd, it enables the side holes to be made deeper, thus 
diminishing the thickness of wood to be bored through in preparing 
the fuze. 
In addition to being deeper, the side holes differ from those of a common 
fuze in being plugged with rifle powder only, the ground clay being dispensed 
with. The bottoms of the powder channels are not, as in the common fuze, 
closed with shellac putty, but like those of the diaphragm fuze, are connected 
at the bottom with a piece of quickmatch. 
Above the level of the top side hole the composition bore is driven with 
mealed (pit) powder instead of fuze composition, to ensure greater accuracy 
when the fuze is prepared for short ranges.t 
(3) In dimensions this fuze differs from the common in being altogether 
about one inch longer to give room for the plug, and in being cut from 
a somewhat thicker part of the same cone. 
In other respects the construction is identical with that of the common 
fuze. 
.Preparation . The preparation of the 9-seconds and common fuzes is the 
same, with the exception that the 9-seconds fuze is uncapped by stripping 
the tape and copper band from the priming, by means of the exposed end of 
copper which is left to lay hold of. 
This should not be done until the shell is in the bore of the gun . 
With reduced charges, to ensure the ignition of the fuze, it may some¬ 
times be necessary to further expose the quickmatch priming—a slight 
touch with the fingers will easily make the ends of the quickmatch project 
from the groove,—and when very reduced charges are used, two or three 
strands of quickmatch should be tied in addition round the projecting part 
of the fuze. 
Action. When the fuze composition becomes ignited, it burns out of the 
two escape holes provided for the purpose, the action in other respects being 
the same as that of the common fuze. 
The 9-seconds fuze can be used with all muzzle-loading shells having the 
“ General Service ” fuze hole or adapter, and in addition to being used with 
all M.L. rifled shells so fitted, it has been adopted for use with naval 
spherical shellJ having a suitable bush or adapter. It will gradually 
* On the principle of a tube. 
f Pressed mealed powder burns twice the rate of fuze composition, and thus by substituting 
mealed powder for fuze composition twice the length is obtained, the chance of the boring tool 
cracking the composition as it would be liable to do if it entered near the top, being thus diminished, 
and the accuracy of the fuze at short ranges increased. 
J For reasons which induced the Ordnance Select Committee when engaged on the assimilation 
of fuze holes not to attempt to extend the assimilation as far as spherical shell were concerned to 
any but “naval shell,” see Extracts 0,S.C., Yol. IV. p. 143, et se%. 
