Oblong carcasses were formerly in use. The round carcass is more applicable for mortars and howitzers. The 13-inch round carcass weighs about 212 lbs., 10-inch 96 lbs., 8-inch 48 lbs., and 51/2-inch 16 lbs. Carcasses are seldom or ever fired from guns or carronades, in the land or sea service. In bomb vessels, they are only fired from mortars. After the first invention of bombs, that of carcasses and grenades naturally followed. They are said to have been first used in 1594, and afterwards by the bishop of Munster, at the siege of Groll, in 1672, where the Duke of Luxemburg commanded.
The carcass for 12 and 10-inch mortars has six bands of iron; that for an 8-inch mortar, no more than four. These bands are of an oval shape, and fixed with nails, either clenched or rivetted to a bottom, of the shape of a segment of a sphere; then to a hoop, placed horizontally at one-third of their height; and at top, to another that closes the opening.
The sacks, that contain carcasses and fire-balls, are of a cylindrical form, and their diameter and height are equal, being the same as that of the carcass at one-third its height. They are sewed upon a circular bottom, like the woollen bags of gun-cartridges. When the ball is wound with thread, the folds will disappear. The sacks of fire balls are an inch less than the caliber of the mortar, and those of carcasses four inches more.
Table relative to the Dimensions of Carcasses, to fire from the Mortar.
| CALIBERS OF | 12-inch. | 10-inch. | 8-inch. |
| Inch. | Inch. | Inch. | |
| The spherical segment. | |||
| radius, | 55/12 | 4⅔ | 1 |
| height, | 2 | 1⅔ | 1 |
| Diam. of the circle, | |||
| at ⅓ of the height | 10 | 8½ | 7 |
| at the opening | 6 | 5 | 41/6 |
| Height | |||
| Of the iron mounting | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Of the charged carcass, the ear not included | 16 | 14 | 12 |
| Of the enveloping sacks | 16 | 14 | 12 |
| Pounds. | Pounds. | Pounds. | |
| The weight of the iron, for the mounting of the carcass, about | 20 | 18 | 7 |
Composition of Carcasses and Light Balls.
| Pitch. | ||||||||||||
| White Pitch. (Turpentine.) | ||||||||||||
| Mutton Tallow. | ||||||||||||
| Rosin. | ||||||||||||
| Sulphur. | ||||||||||||
| Saltpetre. | ||||||||||||
| Grain-powder. | ||||||||||||
| Meal-powder. | ||||||||||||
| Camphor. | ||||||||||||
| Charcoal. | ||||||||||||
| Carabé. | ||||||||||||
| Moist composition. | 24 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | |
| Idem. | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dry composition. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Idem. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2½ | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1½ | 0 | |
| Another. | 12 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | |
| Ditto. | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| Ditto. | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ditto. | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ditto. | 0 | 2½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1½ | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ditto, particular, for setting fire to magazines, buildings, &c. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ditto, same purpose. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 32 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 1 | 0* | |
| Ditto. do. | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Antim. | ||||||||||||
| Ditto. do. | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 25 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| * Also, iron or steel filings, 2; and fir-tree sawdust boiled in a solution of saltpetre, 2. | ||||||||||||
We may remark, that the four first formulæ are given by Bigot, and are used in the French service. Therefore, although the others have been employed, we may consider the proportions in these, as best adopted for the carcass and light-ball composition. About 49 lbs. of composition and two lbs. of fine tow, are required for a carcass of 12 inches.