Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/61

 CASES CASHEW NUT 53 articles are to be exposed to much wear, these being easily made of soft iron, and then ex- ternally hardened. It is also conveniently ap- plied to give a good surface to small articles which are desired to receive the high polish of which steel is susceptible. CASES, Connt do Las. See LAS CASES. CASE SHOT, or Canister Shot, a missile consist- ing of a number of wrought-iron balls, packed in a tin canister of a cylindrical shape. The balls for field service are regularly depos- ited in layers, but for most kinds of siege and naval ordnance they are merely thrown into the case until it is filled, when the lid is sol- dered on. Between the bottom of the canister and the charge a wooden bottom is inserted. The weights of the balls vary with the differ- ent kinds of ordnance, and the regulations of each service. For siege and garrison artillery, the balls are sometimes arranged round a spin- dle projecting from the wooden bottom, either in a bag in the shape of a grape (whence the name grape shot), or in regular layers with round wood- en or iron plates between each layer, the whole cov- ered over with a canvas bag. The Shrapnel shell, so called from its inven- tor, Gen. Shrapnel of the British army, is a thin cast- iron shell, from one third to three fourths of an inch thick, with a diaphragm or partition in the middle. The lower compartment is destined to receive a burst- ing charge ; the upper one contains leaden musket balls. A fuse is inserted containing a carefully pre- pared composition, the ac- curacy of whose burning off can be depended upon. A composition is run between the balls, so as to prevent them from shaking. When used in the field, the fuse is cut off to the length required for the distance of the enemy, and inserted into the shell. At 50 to 70 yards from the enemy the fuse is burnt to the bottom, and explodes the shell, scattering the bullets toward the enemy pre- cisely as if common case shot had been fired on the spot where the shell exploded. The pre- cision of the fuses at present attained in several services is very great, and thus this projectile enables the gunner to obtain the exact effect of grape at ranges where formerly round shot only could be used. CASEY, a central county of Kentucky, trav- ersed by Green river and the Boiling fork of Salt river; area, 350 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 8,884, of whom 544 were colored. The surface is hilly and broken. The Cincinnati, Lexing- ton, and East Tennessee railroad is to pass through it. The chief productions in 1870 were 16,773 bushels of wheat, 356,850 of In- dian corn, 42,747 of oats, 116,841 Ibs. of but- ter, 22,469 of wool, and 145,982 of tobacco. There were 2,780 horses, 1,972 milch cows, 2,954 other cattle, 12,047 sheep, and 19,240 swine. Capital, Liberty. IASIIAX. See KASIIAX. CASHEL (anc. Caraiol, the "habitation in the rock"), a town of Ireland, in the county and 12 m. N. E. of Tipperary, and 90 m. S. W. of Dublin ; pop. in 1871, 3,976. Part of it is well built, but it has a poverty-stricken appearance, is destitute of manufactures, and has been on the decline for many years. It contains an Anglican parish church, a nunnery, chapels, schools, barracks, a hospital, an infirmary, and court houses. Its most interesting object is the famous "rock of Cashel," which rises abruptly from the plain outside of the city, and is crowned with the finest collection of ruins in Ireland. These consist of a round tower, a Cashel Cathedral. splendid Gothic cathedral built about the 12th century, a monastery and a castle of about the same date, and a chapel of hewn stone, with a roof of the same material, built in the Saxon and Norman styles of architecture, and still showing marks of extraordinary beauty. These remains, which are visible at a great distance, are all within an enclosed area. At the foot of the rock are the ruins of Hore abbey and of a Dominican priory. Donald O'Brien, king of Limerick, and his nobles took the oath of alle- giance to Henry II. here in 1172. Cashel was the ancient residence of the sovereigns of Mun- ster, and is often dignified by the title of " the city of kings." In the civil wars following the rebellion of 1641, it was taken by Lord Inchi- quin, and afterward by Cromwell. It is the seat of a Catholic archbishopric. The former Anglican archbishopric of Cashel has recently been united with the bishopric of Waterford. CASHEW NUT, the fruit of the anacardium occidental, cultivated in the West Indies and