George,
Yes, I't seems like a significant part of the content of this "Catechism" made its way into the 1866 volume.
One thing I haven't read before, and which doesn't make sense to me, is in the chapter on black powder pp. 155-156. Everything I've read about Thomas Jackson Rodman's "Mammoth Powder" has stated that it was a great success, and it was used in large bore ordnance with good results. Rodman's powder concept was adapted by Britain, and used in their large Armstrong guns, as well as in European and Russian big guns all the way up to the time that smokeless powders were developed. The XV-inch guns being referred to, have to be Dahlgrens, and I don't see why Rodman's mammoth powder wouldn't work well in them.
{T.J. Rodman conducted experiments which showed that using black powder compressed into hexagonal shaped cakes with holes bored lengthwise into them caused the grains to burn outside as well as in, thus resulting in a longer and more consistent burn time in the bore, and this made for a safer, more consistent pressure build up in the bore, which remained more constant from the beginning of the burn up until the exit of the projectile from the barrel.}
Q. — What description of powder has been de-
signed for the XV-in. guns ?
A. — Powder with grains nearly the size of a cubic
inch.
156 GUNNERY CATECHISM.
Q. — For what reason ?
A. — It was supposed that such would give as
much or more velocity to the ball without straining
the gun as the ordinary cannon powder.
Q. — Has experiment proved this to be coreect ?
A, — No. The velocity is much less, and it is
certain that all the grains of the large size are
not burned. The regulation now is to use the or-
dinary cannon powder with these guns.
