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City of History
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Long before the much vaunted military industrial complex wrapped its corrosive fingers around the throat of our Republic, arms production was a small and local affair.
In the manufacture of ammunition, the first step towards industrial scale production took place right here in Philadelphia. It was 1808 when plumber Thomas Sparks built America’s first shot tower.
It works like this.
At the top of the tower, molten lead is poured through mesh of varying size. The lead falls the 142-foot length of the shaft, while basic laws of physics reform the liquid metal into nearly perfect spheres. At ground level is a giant water tank which quickly cools and hardens the lead.
The shot tower enormously amplified the efficiency of ammunition production. The Sparks tower - near Front and Catherine in South Philly - was America’s first. It supplied the bulk of ammunition for the War of 1812 and remained in operation until the early 20th century.
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