RULES FOR CALCULATING CHARGES FOR HASTY DEMOLITIONS BY GUNCOTTON OR GUNPOWDER.

Charges are in lbs.; B and T are in feet; t is in inches. B is length of breach to be made; T or t is thickness of object to be demolished.

Gunpowder is assumed to be roughly tamped with sand-bags, guncotton untamped. If the guncotton is tamped, the charges may be reduced one half. Charges of guncotton must be equal in length to the breach which is to be made.

Object Attacked.	Gunpowder.	Guncotton.	Remarks.
Brick arch.	³/₂BT²	¾BT²	The length of breach, B, should not be less than the height of the wall to be brought down.
Brick wall 2 ft. or less.		2 lbs. per foot run
Brick wall over 2 ft.		½BT²
Brick piers.		⅔BT²
Hard wood in any form, stockade, palisade, single timbers, trees, etc.	40 to 100 lbs. for stockade	3BT²	In a concentrated charge, or for trees not over 12 in. in diameter in a necklace.
Do., do		⅜T²	In auger-hole; when the timber is not perfectly round, T smaller axis.
Soft wood	Half the charges for hard wood
Breastwork of horizontal balks, or earth between sleepers up to 3½ ft. thick.	60 to 80 lbs. per 5 feet	4 lbs. per foot
Heavy rail stockade.		7lbs. per ft.
Fortress gate	200 lbs.	50 lbs.
Iron plate		³/₂Bt²
Field- or siege-guns.		1½ lbs.	On chase near muzzle.
Heavier guns		4 lbs.	In bottom of bore, tamped with water or sand.
First-class iron rail		⅔ lb.	Touching web of rail and near a chair.
First-class steel rail		4 oz.	Four rails placed around the charge will be cut simultaneously by it.

In the presence of an enemy increase above charges 50% to allow for contingencies.

House with Moderately Thick Walls.—Attack portions of walls between the windows, the charges being tamped, and inside the house if possible. Otherwise place outside, or one or two large charges inside untamped.

To demolish a building, a sufficient height of wall must be brought down to insure the arches over the doors and windows falling. The length of breach must be equal to this height. With very thick walls cut grooves.

To Cut Down Trees.—Place charge in an auger-hole bored horizontally into the tree at desired height. If tree be 1½ to 2 feet in diameter, use two holes. With a little care they can be bored so as to meet in the centre, in which case one detonator will suffice to fire the charge; with plenty of detonators it may be better to fire one hole first and then a second hole in the uninjured part of the tree, and so on.

The tree may be made to fall in any required direction by attaching a rope to the upper branches, and taking the strain on it before firing.

The guncotton may be hung around the tree, but this often fails with trees over 12 inches in diameter.

A hole may be dug under the roots. Dig down by the side of the tree and then horizontally under the bottom close to the wood, the hole being just large enough for the cartridge.

The rules for felling trees apply to timbers of wooden bridges, the uprights of the piers being the best point to attack.

To Blow Down a Stockade 12" × 12".—Use 3 lbs. of guncotton per running foot. The slabs should be threaded together, so as to be in contact, and hung or laid against the timbers at the required level.

If gunpowder be used, a charge of 80 lbs. should be allowed for the same stockade when the charge is not tamped; when tamped by having a few sand-bags piled on top, the charge may be reduced to 60 lbs. This would probably make a breach about 6 feet wide.

To Demolish a Gate.—Fifty pounds of guncotton hung against the gate by a nail or pickaxe or laid on the ground will suffice.

The charge of gunpowder should be 200 lbs., covered with sand-bags if possible.

Destruction of Iron Bridges.—Place charge on lower girders near an abutment, and at a point where the thickness of the plates is least. If sections are uniform throughout the length of the bridge, place charge at centre of a span between two piers. When the bridge plate is entirely of iron, place charge on top of beams.

Destruction of Railroad Tracks.—To destroy heavy iron rails, a charge of six 2-ounce disks (including primer) should be used.

To Destroy a Tunnel.—The crown of the arch or the side-walls should be attacked. The points selected should be some distance inside the tunnel.

To Destroy Field-and Siege-guns.—Detonate 1½ lbs. of guncotton on the outside near the muzzle. In heavier wrought-iron guns detonate 4 lbs. in the bottom of the bore, tamping with sand.

Heavy cast-iron guns can be burst by firing 1 lb. of guncotton in the same position and tamping with sand.

CHAPTER XIV.

Battery Books and Records. Rolls, Reports, and Returns. The Ration. Salt and Vinegar for Public Animals. The Travel-ration. Present Organization of U. S. Light Field-battery. Cost of a Battery of Four 3.2-inch Guns, in Detail. Price-list of Artillery-harness. Price-list of Harness for 1.65-inch Mountain-gun. Price-list of Artillery Accoutrements, etc. Price-list of Horse Equipments. Price-list of Stencil and Marking Outfits. Supply Table of Ordnance Stores for a Battery of Light Artillery for Six Months. Allowance of Ammunition for Target Practice. Standard Supply Table of Veterinary Medicines. Tableware and Kitchen Utensils. Allowance of Clothing, Equipage, Fuel, Lights, etc. Weights of Certain Articles of Clothing and Equipage. Pay Table of Enlisted Men. Summary Court, and List of Punishments. U. S. Signal and Telegraph Code. Penetration of Projectiles. Cover for Field-artillery. Treatment of Sick Men. Tables of Weights, Measures, etc. Tables for Converting Customary and Metric Weights and Measures. Salutes. Camp Furniture and Mess Outfits for Officers.