Lead Fuze Tabs??

[Ripcon]

Somebody told me these were lead fuze tabs to watercap fuzes. If so, how were they used? Did they come from the arsenal separate from the shell? I found a pile of these in a hole at an artillery position on the Mississippi river in Vicksburg. Any help with this i.d. is appreciated. Thanks.

 

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[jeff of pa]

If that is what they are.
My guess they were for over something like this

early GE architectural fuse holders with Edison sockets & 1901 patent


or early Screw type Cooper Bussmann Fuse type Boxes



and Maybe placed over Unused Holes

as for artillery use Fuses ... I'm at a Loss other then to say maybe similar type Use

 

[Nitric]

I have no clue even after doing a real quick net search. Pretty cool though!

I like how they give the seconds on them! Anxious to see if someone knows and can link a diagram of what it looked like and worked.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

They are indeed the civil war era lead "safety seal" from a US Navy Watercap (waterproof) artillery shell fuzeplug. The seal was put in place by the Arsenal (manufacturer) on the top of the fuzeplug to cover a wafer of "mealed gunpowder" which helped ignite the paper timefuze inside the fuzeplug underneath the waterproof "cap." See the diagram attached below, which Nitric requested. Unfortunately, the diagram incorrectly omits the little pull-tab handle on the lead seal's disc, the time-marking on the disc, and also the mealed gunpowder wafer atop the screw-in brass waterproof "cap.".

The Navy Watercap fuze's lead seal was always marked with the time length of the paper timefuze inside the fuzeplug. For example, on one of yours, 10 SEC means 10 seconds of burning time.

Because Ripcon asked... the Watercap fuzeplug was not put into the shell's fuzehole until just before firing the shell, because until then you didn't know what length of timefuze (5-seconds, 10-seconds, 15-seconds, etc) you needed for use on the target you were shooting at, depending on the range to the target.

I must add my public congratulations on your EXTREMELY rare find. Those Watercap Fuze lead safety seals are almost never dug, because the Navy Watercap fuze was (of course) used almost entirely aboard ships. Vicksburg is one of the very-very few places where these lead safety seals have ever been dug. They're found at Vicksburg because during the lengthy siege the frustrated yankees dragged some huge 9"-caliber Dahlgren cannons off one of the Navy's ships and laboriously hauled them overland into position in the siege entrenchments, to add some major Heavy Artillery firepower to the usual Field Artillery cannons bombarding the Confederate entrenchments. Because you dug them yourself, it would be worth your while to look up the history of that Navy ship's cannon's use on land at Vicksburg. It must have been located very close to where you dug those Navy Watercap lead safety seals.

 

[Nitric]

Awesome,,,TheCannonballguy!!!

 

[Anduril]

Obviously an artifact from a bygone era, long before the advent of "Detcord" (detonation cord) and silicon microcontroller technology!!

Nice find!
And thanks for the history lesson, CBG!

 

[Ripcon]

Thanks Cannonball Guy! I really appreciate the information you were able to give me. I was very lucky indeed to have come across these. There were three of us hunting and found about 20 total in the dig hole. I had no idea how rare these are... Any chance these could have come from the Confederate water batteries? We were hunting along the Mississippi river and there were several Confederate water batteries nearby.

 

[CoilyGirl]

Leave it to TCG! Great find Ripcon.

 

[callicles]

Very well done, Ripcon!!

And thanks TCBG for such great information! I hope that TCBG will also answer a question I have pertaining to this issue:

If the fuse comes separate from the shell, what is used to cover the shell's fuse hole to keep out moisture before the insertion of the fuse?

thanks. And, again, congrats Ripcon!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Ripcon, the digger of the civil war Navy Watercap fuze lead safety-seals, asked:
"Any chance these could have come from the Confederate water batteries?"

In over 40 years of contact with Vicksburg diggers and relic-collectors, I haven't heard of any CS-made ones being found there. However, both the USA and CSA Navy Watercap fuzes had the time-marked lead safety-seal, so theoretically, it is at least "possible" that yours are Confederate. The location you found them at should tell you whether yours are US or CS-made. Were you really close to one of the Confederate "river battery" Heavy Artillery gun emplacements? I've never had a reason to learn the exact location of the yankee 9"-inch caliber Dahlgren cannon emplacement at Vicksburg. That's something you could do. The Vicksburg National Battlefield Park HISTORIAN (not just any park ranger) probably could tell you where the US Navy Dahlgren battery was located.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Callicles asked:
"If the fuse comes separate from the shell, what is used to cover the shell's fuse hole to keep out moisture before the insertion of the fuse?"

During shipment from the Arsenal, and in storage before use, a civil war artillery shell's fuzehole was plugged with a wad of coarse hemp-like fiber called "tow." The purpose of the artilleryman's tool known as a "tow hook" was to remove the wad of tow from the fuzehole just before installing the shell''s fuze and firing the shell.

 

[lockster99]

CBG...would that be the origin of the term "tow hook", or was it used before that and adapted? Thanks.

 

[Kurios1]

Simply an astonishing recovery and made even more so by the confirmation of our very own The Cannonball Guy. Just wow!

 

[Kurios1]

They are indeed the civil war era lead "safety seal" from a US Navy Watercap (waterproof) artillery shell fuzeplug. The seal was put in place by the Arsenal (manufacturer) on the top of the fuzeplug to cover a wafer of "mealed gunpowder" which helped ignite the paper timefuze inside the fuzeplug underneath the waterproof "cap." See the diagram attached below, which Nitric requested. Unfortunately, the diagram incorrectly omits the little pull-tab handle on the lead seal's disc, the time-marking on the disc, and also the mealed gunpowder wafer atop the screw-in brass waterproof "cap.".

The Navy Watercap fuze's lead seal was always marked with the time length of the paper timefuze inside the fuzeplug. For example, on one of yours, 10 SEC means 10 seconds of burning time.

Because Ripcon asked... the Watercap fuzeplug was not put into the shell's fuzehole until just before firing the shell, because until then you didn't know what length of timefuze (5-seconds, 10-seconds, 15-seconds, etc) you needed for use on the target you were shooting at, depending on the range to the target.

I must add my public congratulations on your EXTREMELY rare find. Those Watercap Fuze lead safety seals are almost never dug, because the Navy Watercap fuze was (of course) used almost entirely aboard ships. Vicksburg is one of the very-very few places where these lead safety seals have ever been dug. They're found at Vicksburg because during the lengthy siege the frustrated yankees dragged some huge 9"-caliber Dahlgren cannons off one of the Navy's ships and laboriously hauled them overland into position in the siege entrenchments, to add some major Heavy Artillery firepower to the usual Field Artillery cannons bombarding the Confederate entrenchments. Because you dug them yourself, it would be worth your while to look up the history of that Navy ship's cannon's use on land at Vicksburg. It must have been located very close to where you dug those Navy Watercap lead safety seals.

My good sir, you are an asset of incalculable proportions. Not BS'ing ya' either mate. Who else knows this much about such uncommon ancient military technology. Well, perhaps there may be some out there but, I for one am darn tootin' grateful you offer your services around here for free and are more than gracious and humble in doing so. My hat is off to you sir.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Happy to be helpful to my fellow diggers and collectors, in my areas of knowledge.

US National Intelligence Chief Lloyd Cramden, to Derek Flint: "Dammit, man, is there anything you don't know?"
Flint: "A great many things, sir."

 

[Anduril]

Happy to be helpful to my fellow diggers and collectors, in my areas of knowledge.

US National Intelligence Chief Lloyd Cramden, to Derek Flint: "Dammit, man, is there anything you don't know?"
Flint: "A great many things, sir."

I have always liked the concept of specialization.
Taken to the extreme, eventually you know practically everything about almost nothing!

Of course, that adage isn't true -- because one can always learn new things.
As was the case in this thread!!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Lockster99 asked:
CBG...would that be the origin of the term "tow hook", or was it used before that and adapted?

As far as I know, that is the origen of the term "tow hook." Please pardon the delay in replying, I somehow missed seeing your question until today.