Baltimore Shot Tower
The Phoenix shot tower, a Baltimore landmark, still in existence, was probably a main supplier of shotgun pellets used in the market gunning days of the mid and late 1800's on the Susquehanna. Some of the battery guns on sneak boats had as many as 6 or more barrels and used large amounts of shot and powder. Towers owned by Remington arms, further north, and shot from a Philadelphia tower were also used.
25 pound bags of shot were common as some punt guns could use one pound or more of pellets per powder charge. These home made guns were dangerous to operate and more than a few Chesapeake waterman of old were crippled by guns that exploded. The old waterman called the shot from Baltimore, Bal' mer shot.
I can remember in the 1960's seeing some of these guns in Havre de Grace that were not yet in Museums.