After the war, the Standard Lumber Company used it as a fire watchtower. Louis company, Chadbourne & Co., purchased the Dubuque tower, but did not use it. The shot tower struggled almost immediately due to economic downturn from the Panic of 1857. The water cooled the lead to its solid state, retaining the spherical shape. The droplets that fell from the grate were of relatively uniform size, and the fall provided enough time for the liquid-metal droplet to form into a sphere before landing in the water below. To make the shot, molten lead was poured through a grate at the top of the tower. The invention of the shot tower enabled economical production of many nearly perfect lead spheres of the right size to fit in a shot gun. The tower was built in 1856 to provide lead shot. Bridges on the Mississippi, at Dubuque, an 1872 wood engraving showing the tower in the center History Dubuque in 1865, the shot tower can be seen on the far right edge. At its location near the Mississippi River, the Tower can be seen from the riverwalk and is currently undergoing extensive renovations. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains a recognized symbol of the city. The Shot Tower located in Dubuque, Iowa, is one of the last remaining shot towers in the United States.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |