Interesting Show

[N.Y. Yankee]

This past weekend, I watched a show about old abandoned places around the world. They did a piece on the old federal shot tower in PA. Very interesting to see inside it and see how it was built, the tallest building in the US at the time. It shut down due to a fire that gutted the tower but in just a couple of months, they had rebuilt the workings and had it up and running again. They had learned how to make lead round ball by drooping the molten lead through a screen from the top into a large pool of water and saved us from having to import ball from another country.

 

[Col. Batguano]

How high was it? It would be interesting to know how high it has to be to make round shot rather than swan shot.

 

[SOLANCO]

142 Feet tall. I've seen it many times, but was never inside. Don't know if the interior is accessible. Tall structure associated with lead? Doubt they let anyone in.

https://www.ushistory.org/oddities/sparks.htm

 

[TreeMan]

There is a shot tower near where I live that has its own small state park.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_Tower_Historical_State_Park

 

[Ninering62]

This past weekend, I watched a show about old abandoned places around the world. They did a piece on the old federal shot tower in PA. Very interesting to see inside it and see how it was built, the tallest building in the US at the time. It shut down due to a fire that gutted the tower but in just a couple of months, they had rebuilt the workings and had it up and running again. They had learned how to make lead round ball by drooping the molten lead through a screen from the top into a large pool of water and saved us from having to import ball from another country.

I've seen that tower. I'm from Md. theres an old shot tower in downtown Baltimore too. Pretty cool history.