st into a greater number of
pieces." In later years, the shells were scored on the interior to
ensure their breaking into many fragments.

FUZES

[Illustration: Figure 42--NINETEENTH CENTURY PROJECTILE FUZES.
a--Cross-section of Bormann fuze, b--Top of Bormann fuze, c--Wooden
fuze for spherical shell, d--Wood-and-paper fuze for spherical shell,
e--Percussion fuze.]

The eighteenth century fuze was a wooden tube several inches long,
with a powder composition tamped into its hole much like the
nineteenth century fuze (fig. 42c). The hole was only a quarter of an
inch in diameter, but the head of the fuze was hollowed out like a
cup, and "mealed" (fine) powder, moistened with "spirits of wine"
(alcohol), was pressed into the hollow to make a larger igniting
surface. To time the fuze, a cannoneer cut the cylinder at the proper
length with his fuze-saw, or drilled a small hole (G) where the fire
could flash out at the right time. Some English fuzes at this period
were also made by drawing two strands of a quick match into the hole,
instead of filling it with powder composition. The ends of the match
were crossed into a sort of rosette at the head of the fuze. Paper
caps to protect the powder composition covered the heads of these
fuzes and had to be removed before the shell was put into the gun.

Bombs were not filled with powder very long before use, and fuzes were
not put into the projectiles until the time of firing. To force the
fuze into the hole of the shell, the cannoneer covered the fuze head
with tow, put a fuze-setter on it, and hammered the setter with a
mallet, "drifting" the fuze until the head stuck out of the shell only
2/10 of an inch. If the fuze had to be withdrawn, there was a fuze
extractor for the job. This tool gripped the fuze head tightly, and
turning a screw slowly pulled out the fuze.

Wooden tube fuzes were used almost as long as the spherical shell. A
United States 12-inch mortar fuze (fig. 42c), 7 inches long and
burning 49 seconds, was much like the earlier fuze. During the 1800's,
however, other types came into wide use.

The conical paper-case fuze (fig. 42d), inserted in a metal or wooden
plug that fitted the fuze hole, contained composition whose rate of
burning was shown by the color of the paper. A black fuze burned an
inch every 2 seconds. Red burned 3 seconds, green 4, and yellow 5
seconds per inch. Paper fuzes were 2 inches long, and could be cut
shorter if necessary. Since fi