Barrel vault

“ The simplest kind of vault is that known as the barrel, wagon Or tunnel vault, which is generally semicircular in section, and may be regarded as a continuous arch, the length of which is in excess of its diameter; like the arch (q.v.) , the same provision is required as regards its temporary support whilst the voussoirs constituting one of its rings are being placed in position, for until the upper voussoir, or keystone, is introduced it is not self-supporting. ”

“ The chancel, where the best preserved paintings remain, is covered by a plain, circular barrel vault, built in rubble. This vault has nearly been the destruction of the chancel, by spreading and so pushing out the walls, which were without buttresses, as is usual in Norman work. It has, however, been lately shored up and made secure from outside. Such vaults as these are common in military and monastic buildings of the eleventh and twelfth centuries ”

“ When two semicircular barrel vaults of the same diameter cross one another (fig. 2) their intersection (a true ellipse) is known as a groin, down which the thrust of the vault is carried to the cross walls; if a series of two or more barrel vaults intersect one another, the weight is carried on to the piers at their intersection and the thrust is trans- mitted to the outer cross walls ”

“ That the destruction of the gun barrel does not arise from the property possessed by fluids, and in some measure also by sand and small shot, of pressing equally in all directions, and thus exerting a force against a large portion of the interior surface, seems to be proved by a circumstance mentioned by Le Vaillant and other travellers, that, for the purpose of taking birds without injuring their plumage, they filled the barrel of their fowling pieces with water, instead of loading them with a charge of shot. ”

“ Powder-barrels are made to contain 100 pounds each, the barrels being large enough to allow sufficient space for the powder to move when rolled, to prevent its caking. Also any hollow cylinder or tube, as the barrel of a gun. See Fire-barrel.
Barricade. An obstruction formed in streets, avenues, etc., so as to block up access to an enemy. They are generally formed of overturned wagons, carriages, large stones, breastworks, abatis, or other obstacles at hand.
Barrier. In a general sense means any fortification or strong place on the frontiers of a country. ”

“ Not for themselves though. Those fellows at the bottom of the ladder are catching it, aren't they? Oh, pshaw, they don't mind it. They get it worse than that at a real fire when they aren't half so well fixed for it. Why, is there no bottom to that barrel at all? Why, look!... Say, the judge forgot to close the valve. There's a hose connected with the bottom of the barrel to run the water off after each trial and he's forgotten to—... ”

“ Paragraph 2 - If a barrel on the roof broke, he can bring a container and put it underneath, as long has he doesn't bring an additional container to collect the liquid in the air that fell off the roof and another container to connect to the roof. If he's using one container, it is allowed even to collect in the air or to attach to the roof.
סעיף ב - אם נשברה חבית בראש גגו מביא כלי ומניח תחתיה ובלבד שלא יביא כלי אחר ויקלט לקבל מן הקלוח באויר לאחר שירד מן הגג, ולא יביא כלי אחר ויצרף אותו לראש הגג. ואם מציל בכלי אחד, מציל אפלו קולט או מצרף. ”

“ It is made by digging a place for it in the bank and, after the floor is levelled off, setting rows of barrels around the foundation, filling these barrels with sand, gravel, or dirt, then placing another row on top of the first, leaving spaces for a window and a door, after which the walls are roofed with logs and covered with sod, in the same manner as the ones previously described. The dirt is next filled around the sides, except at the window opening, as shown by Fig. 142. A barrel also does duty as a chimney. ”

“ When the ground is more or less wet, or when the mine is not to be fired immediately, the charge should have a water-proof covering, which may be a thoroughly calked and pitched box, an ale-barrel or beer-keg, the metal barrels in which powder is shipped, or India-rubber or pitched-canvas bags,—depending upon the amount of moisture present and the time that the charge is to remain in place. Many of the high explosives are not affected by dampness, and but little if any by water ”

“ Evidently the officers of the Webster Bank had relied upon the solidity of their vault doors for protection, and upon the fact that with plate glass windows upon two sides, facing Rector street and Broadway, the policeman on the beat could see the entire front of the vault as plainly as though it had been standing in the street itself, by the light of the gas-burner, kept burning the entire night directly in front of the combination lock. ”

“ The barrel passes directly through the centre, and is kept cold by constantly throwing cold water over it. The fresh water runs out through the hole from which the nipple is unscrewed, and is caught in any suitable vessel; and the waste salt water through holes bored in the bark for the purpose. Many modifications of this plan might, of course, be had recourse to, but this will be found about as convenient as any. Barrels, or hooped vessels of any kind, are about the very worst that can be taken into a wild country, as the hoops come off as the wood shrinks, causing leaks and endless trouble. ”

“ When he came to the huge steel door of the vault, he stopped and looked within. The floor immediately before him had raised up to form a wall. Beneath it was a round hole that acted as the entrance to a large, metallic, and greasy tube.
Down that funnel had slid the entire population, screaming, wailing, weeping, clutching at one another for support, striking out in a burst of maniacal fury. ”

“ Fire now crept through the side of the frame structure and mounted rapidly, and such a hail of lead poured through the smoke-spurting, upper loopholes that it became impossible for the buckets to be properly used. It was only a matter of time before the blazing roof and floor would fall on the defenders in the adobe-walled structure below, and through a loophole Red Frank suddenly shoved out a soiled towel fastened on the end of a rifle barrel. ”

“ Do you know that if that vault is taken by either an electric-arc or an oxy-acetylene blow-pipe, I will be suspected?”
“I didn't think of that.”
“It is a fact! You see the police and the private agencies know a man by his work. How can we take that vault in a new way? How can I go through three layers of vanadium steel?” ”

“ On igniting the train, a tremendous explosion takes place. The windows are then drawn up, the door opened, and the smoke dissipated. The twist barrels are found buried in the sand, the common ones are thrown forwards; some are found perfect, others burst to pieces. It is rarely that best barrels are found burst; more frequently they are bulged, or swelled out, in places which are faulty, or of a softer temper. Those that are found perfect, are then marked with the provisional punch of different sizes (but having the same impression) , according to the quality of the barrel. ”

“ What a mass of carts, drays, buggies, wheelbarrows, handbarrows, and many queer makeshifts for carrying goods—the strangest of all a large barrel set on an axle, and dragged or shoved by means of two long handles, the proud possessor's belongings turning round and round inside until they must surely be churned into a most confusing jumble. ”

“ When external and superficial, they are all defects in point of neatness only, but when situated within the barrel, they are of material disadvantage, by affording a lodgment to moisture and foulness that corrode the iron, and thus continually enlarge the excavation, until the barrel bursts, or becomes dangerous to use. ”

“ No robbery of the Treasury vaults has ever been attempted. When one sees the solid walls of masonry and the patrol of soldiers, on duty night or day, with every spot bright with electric light, no such attempt seems likely to occur. The entire vaults inside are a network of electric wires. If, for instance, a tunnel were made under the building, and a robber should reach the vaults, the wires would ring up the Chief of Police, who has telephone connexion with Fort Meyer and the navy-yard, so that within twenty minutes a detachment of troops could be on the ground. ”

“ To prevent the escape of water, there is at the forward end of the barrel casing asbestos packing, which is held in position round the barrel by the packing gland. At the rear end of the barrel there is a cannelure, also filled with asbestos packing, which prevents the escape of water when 6the gun is working, and a gunmetal valve immediately in front of the barrel block, which prevents the escape of water when the gun is not firing and the barrel home. ”

“ In order, therefore, to insure that every part of the surface is coated with a film of oil the cosmic should be warmed. Apply the cosmic first with a brush; then, with the breech plugged, fill the barrel to the muzzle, pour out the surplus, remove the breechblock, and allow to drain. It is believed that more rifles are ruined by improper preparation for storage than from any other cause. If, the bore is not clean when oiled—that is, if powder fouling is present or rust has started—a half inch of cosmic on the outside will not stop its action, and the barrel will be ruined. ”

“ Often the paths were so narrow that but one man could get hold of the end of a barrel and lift it, while another hauled it from above, their feet sinking deep at every step. Imagine a gang of forty or fifty men engaged in landing boxes, casks, sacks of corn and salt, wagons, live-stock, ploughs; hurrying, crowding, working in each other’s way, sometimes slipping and falling, the lost barrel tumbling down upon those below ”

“ How far it extends no man now living can tell, by reason of the damps or thick vapours that are in it; for as soon as you go an arrow flight in it or less, your candles will go out, or extinguish of themselves, for want of air. For what end or use this vault was made is uncertain, though it is probable it was an arsenal or store-house for laying up arms, ammunition, corn, and provision, for the soldiers of the castle wherein it stands, in the wars between Charles I. and his Parliament. ”

“ The vault in which the safe stands is two feet each way wider than the safe, and as this stands in the centre, there is a foot of vacant space on each side of it. Round the upper part of the safe there is a sliding apparatus by which a stout steel case, like a bottomless box, can be drawn up to the level of the trap-door. ”

“ They have nine or ten great vaults, which are full of those barrels, which are seldom removed, for they have trunks which come down through the roof of the vaults in sundry places, through which they pour the drink down, having the cask right under it to receive the same, for it should be a great trouble to bring it all down the stairs. ”

“ This danger is entirely obviated by the breech-loader, which cannot go off until the barrels are restored to position after the charges are inserted; cannot leave hidden sparks to imperil the owner’s life or limb; never expose the hand over the loaded barrel, that may have been left at half-cock, if the sportsman is liable to thoughtlessness or over-excitement ”

“ Even if there be a small air space between the powder and the ball or shot cartridge it will affect the shooting. Every one using double guns should accustom himself to the use alternately of both barrels, not only for safety but for good shooting. A barrel is often said to be a poor shooter, when its bad qualities may be wholly ascribed to the air space produced above the powder by the recoil occasioned by firing the other barrel.
To Prevent Gun Barrels from Rusting.—Heat the barrel to about the temperature of boiling water, no higher, and then cover it with a good coating of copal varnish. ”

“ If the bore of a barrel is made to taper from muzzle to breech, it will scatter. If made to taper too much from breech to muzzle, it will compress the shot, and by so doing mangle or deface them so that they will “shoot wild,” while at the same time the effect on the gun will be to spring the barrel, and, if it be thin at the muzzle, as generally made, there is danger of enlargement of the bore at this portion of it.
Choke-Dressing a Gun Barrel.—A very slight variation in the size of the bore of a gun-barrel at one of its ends often has a marked effect on its shooting. ”

“ But what if the gun-barrel does become hot? The real trouble is not that the cartridge will explode prematurely, but that the barrel will expand as it grows hot, so that the bullet will fit too loosely in the bore. Inside the barrel the bore is rifled ”

“ There are spacious openings in lattice work, in the roof and under the eaves of the building, to allow of the escape of the smoke with which it is filled at each discharge; for it is customary to prove a large number of barrels at a time. The barrels are loaded with a very heavy charge, so as to subject them to much greater strain than they can ever be exposed to in actual service. The building on the left, in the engraving, is used for loading the barrels, and for cleaning and drying them after they are proved. ”

“ This time, instead of following my merchant through the town, I went direct to the barrel, and, hiding myself behind a bush near by, prepared to wait there all day and see what happened.
'I had not made myself comfortable many minutes before I saw two old men coming along the road from the town; so old were they indeed, that they could only creep along by leaning one against the other. Right up to the barrel they crawled, and then, to my surprise, they scrambled over its sides and disappeared. ”