This is a newly minted Dahlgren cannon that the arsenal has been replicating since Hale retrieved it from the wreckage of 901. [Read the latest chapter] However, due to the lack of workers' ability and technical details, Hale failed to adopt the central cooling casting process that played a key role in the performance of the Dahlgren gun. This made the cast Dahlgren gun useless. The appearance and performance are greatly reduced. To be on the safe side, no matter how surprised he was that the "Australians" only cast Dahlgren guns, the caliber of similar guns cast by his own organization did not exceed this caliber. He could only adopt the second best method in artillery production: forging the barrel with a water wheel forging hammer, then drilling the bore to create a smoothbore cannon, and then carving rifling into the bore.
There are many deficiencies in the quality of workers and the operating efficiency of workshop machinery, which makes it difficult to improve the quality and output of artillery. In particular, there is a lack of sufficient fuel and raw materials, causing factories to often be in a state of semi-stop operation. The resources that the sleepy Philippine colony can currently provide are really insignificant for Hale's ambitions. He has to rely on long and unpredictable cycles. Reliable import trade to obtain all this - this is why he was so anxious to develop Baguio's gold mines and proposed the colonial authorities to build a mint. The Philippines lacked exportable goods and only relied on royal subsidies and royal subsidies from New Spain. It is difficult for local tax revenue to support such a huge military preparation.
But being able to create a cannon that stuns the Spanish is already a huge improvement. The cunning Mr. Hale always used the cannon manufactured by the Bobu Arsenal to demonstrate shooting in order to impress the dignitaries.
Fernando Marcos was just a sailor and couldn't even tell whether the artillery should be front-loaded or rear-loaded. However, when he saw a Dahlgren-type cannon that he had never seen before, it was rolled out of the gun casting workshop. He still praised his benefactor heartily.
There is also a human-powered lifting frame built of logs on the empty field. This kind of machinery, which is the most common in the factory area, is designed for hoisting heavy artillery. However, the three Tagalog workers Marcos saw at this moment were not busy lifting cannons, but were tying several seemingly heavy wooden crates together and lifting them to be placed on the bullock cart parked aside. This is of course much less laborious and faster than lifting the boxes one by one onto the bullock cart. Marcos suddenly realized something was wrong. The time he spent in Hale's factory was not short, and he recognized at a glance that the long crates were special packaging for rockets.
he roared loudly. The driver pulled the horse back in fear, and saw Mr. Marcos rushing out of the hood behind him, jumping out of the car and galloping away, yelling and cursing as he ran. The indigenous workers were shocked and at a loss, although they could not understand the string of Filipino English that Marcos spoke in desperation. But something bad must have happened to make a "master" so excited and angry. As if to prove that Marcos's rage was not without reason, the rope binding the ammunition box happened to be disconnected at this time. The wooden box smashed to the compacted ground with a heavy roar, and the splinters were wrapped in dry and hard mud. Blocks flew in all directions.
Marcos didn't know how long he lay on the ground before he realized that there was no explosion. He saw three indigenous laborers still staying there, even though their upper bodies were pricked black and blue by flying splinters of wood. Some of the wounds were still bleeding, but they still stood motionless, dumbfounded and completely frightened.
The packaging box fell apart on the ground, and the tin lining burst open, revealing the rocket inside. Because of its simple structure and easy processing, the output of Paul rockets far exceeds that of cannons and artillery shells. A large number of finished products are shipped from factories every day. Marcos took a cursory look and found luck. He only broke two guide wooden rods on the rocket. The papier-mâché warhead was unharmed. However, some projectiles made of rolled iron sheets showed impact dents. Thinking that these iron sheets and paper cases were filled with terrible gunpowder and incendiary agents, and thinking that this accident almost destroyed the entire factory together with himself, Marcos became furious, picked up his cane, and slapped the three troubled coolies hard. Beaten. The three unlucky ghosts fell to the ground, their heads bleeding and wailing. But Marcos had no intention of stopping. The cane flew up and down, each blow using full force. Just like when the supervisor of the Zheng family whipped himself.
The noise was quite loud. Marcos suddenly felt his right arm holding the cane being grabbed by a strong hand, his benefactor Hale. Or Paul was standing behind him, wearing a priest's black robe as usual, but without a hat, "Marcos, put these three idiots into confinement first. There will be plenty of time to teach them how to work according to the rules."
Several Chinese foremen led a small team of coolies and carried the rockets scattered on the ground back to the workshop according to Hale's instructions. At this time, Marcos discovered that there were some Spaniards around Hale. He recognized several of them as officers of the East India Fleet, including Captain Suvezareta. They were surrounded by a middle-aged officer who was dressed in splendid clothes and looked majestic. The bright ribbons and medals on his chest, and the shoulder straps studded with tassels and embroidery all showed that he was a distinguished general. Of course, Marcos was not involved in the social circles of colonial high society, otherwise he would have recognized this newly arrived celebrity in Manila, Commodore Don Juanco de Bazin. On royal orders, he traveled to Manila via Mexico to inspect the new gadgets that appeared here. The news sent shockwaves through the upper circles of the colony. The situation changed overnight. Most colonial officials declared themselves staunch supporters of the Governor of Salamanca, and the eccentric and reclusive Japanese monk Paul once again became a hot celebrity.
"As you can see, we just had a little accident here," Hale explained the accident to the Commodore. His soft tone and calm attitude made the latter have a high degree of trust and goodwill in him, " There is also an advantage to this. You have seen with your own eyes that rockets and ammunition made according to my method will not explode even if they hit the ground from a height of 10 volts. When installed, they will be destroyed with devastating explosions and flames. The target hit will not cause any damage to the shooter, nor will it accidentally explode when flying over the heads of your troops. Sir, the weapons we make are reliable for your Majesty's troops and reliable for your Majesty's enemies. Terrifying, far superior to any existing howitzer in both respects. Maybe people tell you that these weapons are difficult and expensive to make, but that is nonsense. Just follow me and the facts will prove everything. Hale turned around and walked towards the workshop door: "Marcos, lead the way for us."
Hale's tour route was obviously carefully arranged in advance. This group of Spanish officers who insisted on wearing formal clothes on a hot day were first led to visit the foundry, which was privately called the "Fire Hell" by the indigenous workers who believed in Catholicism. The walls made of three-piece rammed earth are wrapped with tall wooden pillars, supporting the semi-open roof to facilitate fire protection and air circulation. The high roof reflects the loud banging of hydraulic forging hammers and the roar of wind and water pipes, mixed with the squeaking of red-hot iron being immersed in water, and hundreds of strange sounds that are almost inhuman, all gathered together. In this gloomy space, the sunlight that penetrated between the wall and the roof was obscured and polluted by the boiling heat and thick smoke. Between the miserable smoke and fire, it was impossible to distinguish the Chinese workers and the native Tagalog workers. They were covered in black smoke and crawled in and out like ants, blurry and erratic, like ghosts. in action.
Marcos was already familiar with these scenes, but he still watched in awe as the workers lifted the red-hot forgings onto the anvil. The red light illuminated their faces in pain from the scorching heat. They were silent and carefully moved the copper and iron forgings. . The water wheel drives the cam to raise the arm, and then the hammer hits the forging heavily. Sparks fly, just like the giant's weapon in mythology, which can shatter a person's bones with one hammer.
Marcos was already sweating profusely. The Spanish gentlemen had already taken off their hats and wigs, and a few guys wearing ruff collars almost fainted, constantly asking the waiters to pour wine to quench their thirst. Hale was unaware. He still led the guests to watch the furnace. The craftsmen worked in pairs to lift the crucible with iron tongs, and the molten steel flowed into the sand mold with a dazzling white light. The Spaniards were sweating profusely and panting as Hale introduced in his unchanging calm tone that the best swords and drills could be made from this crucible steel.
The brick reverberatory furnace is laid out under the factory shed, like a giant's coffin. Captain Iker Suvisareta approached the huge hydraulic bellows in front of the furnace and wanted to cool off next to the huge wooden fan blades that were constantly opening and closing. Unexpectedly, the laborer opened the furnace door at this moment, and the incandescent The hot light instantly pierced the thick smoke and dust, making Ikel retreat in fright. The workers added fuel to the reverberatory furnace, and the flames roared out of the furnace like a glutton that was not picky about food. Whether they were chopping firewood, charcoal, or whole baskets of peat dug from the swamps and dried in the swamp, they all licked the ground like oil. Swallow it. Although Hale used Iliad-like verses to describe to the Commodore the spectacular sight of the molten iron coming out of the furnace to cast the cannon embryos, the Spaniards were eager to escape from this hell full of fire and smoke. They were blocked by a load-carrying pulley at the exit passage for a while. They watched as a cast cannon embryo was lifted onto the pulley and pushed along the hardwood track laid on the ground to the next workshop. Even after being cooled in the sand pit, the huge cast iron cannon embryo still sprayed unbearable heat, revealing a light that was dark and deep, dyed red like the eyes of a beast. (To be continued)
