PETARDEAUX, Fr. Pieces of wood, covered with wool and pitch, which are used to stop the holes that are made in the sides of a ship by cannonball, during an engagement.
PETARD, or PETARDO, an engine to burst open the gates of small fortresses: it is made of gun-metal, fixed upon a board two inches thick, and about 2¹⁄₂ feet square, to which it is screwed, and holds from 9 to 20 pounds of powder, with a hole at the end opposite to the plank to fill it, into which the vent is screwed: the petard thus prepared is hung against the gate by means of a hook, or supported by three staves fastened to the plank: when fired it bursts open the gate. Its invention is ascribed to the French Huguenots in 1579, who, with them, took Cahors in the same year.
Petards are of four different sizes: the first contains 12lbs. 13oz. second 10lbs. 11oz. third 1lb. 10oz. fourth 1lb. The blind fuze composition for them is of mealed powder, 7lb. wood ashes 3oz.
Stores for one Petard.
| Hooks to hang the petard | 2 |
| Gimblets | 2 |
| Brass fuze | 1 |
| Wrench to screw the fuze | 1 |
| Blue paper portfires | 6 |
| Slow match yards | 4 |
| Props or forks | 2 |
| Copper funnels | 1 |
| Tallow ounces | 8 |
| Cartridges | 1 |
PETARDER, Fr.. to fire petards.
PETARDIER. The man who loads, fixes, and fires the petard. It likewise signifies among the French, the man who makes or throws a petard.
PETEL, Ind.. The head of a village.
PETER, Fr.. in a military sense, to explode, to make a loud noise.
PETEROLLES, Fr.. Squibs, such as children make and use in the streets for their diversion.