The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-11-19 00:00:00

Army anb Nabn.

ARMSTRONG BRITCH•LOADING ORDNANCE.—A large
brerch•loading grin, of Sir William Armstrong's Goa-
struction, but having the am crates for closing the
breech arranged to work from the side, as explained by
him at • MOellt meeting of the Institution of Civil
Engineers, was lately tried for quick and continued
firing try the Ordnance Select Committee. The weight
of the gun was a little over four tons, the idiot weighed
1141 h., and the charge user! was lllb. The trial was
made at the Woolwich pr•of butt, mid 51 conaecutive
sounds were tired in 46 niinntes and 16 seconds. At the
rind ..f the 15th round the shot began to pass through'
the butt, and the gun and carriage had in consequence
to Ire relnved to mealier plutforni, where the butt
plesented a sounder face. The time lost by this opera-
tion ass 13 minutes and 20 second.. At the ...53th and
30th rounds a block of a ood, forming part of the tem•
;emery carni..ge used in the occasion, became loose, and
the tate lost in securing it amounted to eleven minutes.
Deducting these stoppages, which were net attributable
to the gun, the time occupied in firing the 51 rounds
wan only 21 inintani MO 5.6 seconds, in which time the
total weight of shot diechargerl from the gun was
newer& of 2i bins. The average rate of firing was
about 26 seeondo per round, but nine conseeutive round*
were Area at the rate of three • minute. The escape of
gas at the breech wee effectually prevented.
TRIAL OF THE NEW GUN "PRINCE ALFRED."—The
above•namert rellouht.ble piece of wrought•iron
ordnauce, winch it may he remembered, Iray monied in
honour of Prince Alfred's visit to the Morey Steel And
Iron Works, on the 20th September last, ha. been an
far completed as to admit ef its being tented, which wax
done on :.iittunlay, on the beach between Crosby and
iglitown. This 11111 l Jenne gun is 12 ft. long, is 3.5 in.
iii diemeter at the breech and 18 inches at the muscle,
an.l measures no less than 5 feet 3 inches across the
trunniens. It ian cliember gun, on the Donner prin•
ciao, mid is 10 inches in diameter of bore, and
eel, elated to throw • shot weighing between 5001 b and
600113. ; its own weight is 10 tons, end on Saturday,
having been previously placed on. truck, it war drawn
to the place of trial by 17 home, although it had to be
conveyed over six or eight miles of sandy beach. The
trial of Saturday, being only • preliminary one, we.
made with mall thaws of powder and comparatively
light 'hot. The object of Saturday's experiments was
to ascertain the tifect of 10-inch 140-pounder shot
against a target similar in structure to our floating bat-
teries. The target was put up at a diritariceof 210 yards
from the point at winch the gun was discharged. It
was formed of teak 18 inches thick, covered with an
iron plate 4i inches in thickuess, and this target was
strongly strutted and kneed, and every means were
adopted to enable it to resist the impact of the shot.
Notwithstanding these precautions the first shot which
struck produced • most extraordinary effect. As
already stated the ball weighed 1401 b, awl this mighty
projectile was impelled by • charge of 201 b of powder.
It struck just below tire bull's-eye, and completely
carried away the target, which was driven several feet
along the sands, and turned completely over. On
examination the plate we, found to be indented nearly
three inches by the abut, while only a slight crack was
visible on its cup-face. At present this formidable i iece
of ordnance is smooth inn the bore; but it is to trim rifled,
after which it will be tested with the heavier shot
already mentioned. It is but right to add that this
gun, whish is entirely of wrought-iron, was forged
hollow, one plan invented by Lieutenant-Col. Clay, by
which the solidity 1111,1 homogeneousness of the metal
are more fully insured than by the ordinary methods in
in use; end it may be fairly stated that Saturday's
experimetits were considered to be satisfactory in every
respect. Other experiments will, it is understood, be
made with the " Prince Alfred" gun within a compara-
tively short period of time.—Lireepoini Albion.
THE WARRIOR.—The Warrior, which arrived in
company with the Revenge at Plymouth on Tuesday
evening from Queenstown, which she left on the pre-
vious Saturday, has proved in her trial trip • success in
everything but her sailing. Under sail and steam she
has made the extraordinary number of 17.2 knots, or
about twenty miles per hoar. A* • sea boat she is stiff,
rolling easily in • cruse sea, and taking in far leas head
!CRS than the Revenge. A broadside from her formi-
dable armament canece far less vibration on board of
lier than is experienced in our naval wooden liner..
As • steamer Are leaves the Revenge nowhere, but
under sail Alone ia rapidly over-hauled by the Revenge,
and she does not tack well in beating to windward. It
is maggestell that to remedy these defects it would be
necessary to increase the quantity of sail she carries, as
her rig is trot now in proportion to her vast bull. She
is expected to leave Plymouth Bound on Thursday for
Portland.

ROUTE C AT WOOLWICH.— Allow me, writes a
"Father," to subjoin • prieis of • day's work at Wool-
wich Academy, reminding those who examine it that
it is not drawn lap with the view of "cramming"
and forcing dunces, but that it is the scheme of educa-
tion deliberately enforced among young men from
eighteen to twenty.two years of age who have proved
theiwelves the best pupils of our best schools
at eight o'clock ; breakfast and inspection till 8.40 ; in
atudy at nine till 11.10; clean and prepare for inspec-
tion at 11.45; drill till 12.45; dinner at 1 p.m. ; in
study from 2 to 4 ; parade at 4.15; drill till 4.45; in
study frou4s till 7; tea at 7.15 ; leisure until 10, in
an inclosure 200 yards by W. At ten, cadets are re-
quired to answer WM!, at rounds completely dressed,
when lights are immediately extinguished, and they
are left to go to bed in the dark.

_ .
Tug Braav Quastiox AGAIN.—The forty•third
'Tilde of the new Admiralty instructions is att follow.:
—" The officors, petty officers, and seaman 4 the &et,
are not to wear moustaches or beards. Moustaches,
but not beard.. may be worn by the officers and men
belonging to the Royal Marine Corp.."

TeX LEATHER TRADI.—We extract the following
front Hassell and Cogan's circular :—There has been a
good general business doing throughout October, but
dealers have not shown so much disposition to make
large purchases as during the prsceding month, sad
the sales that barn been effected have been
chiefly to supply the immediate wants of
the trade. The principal leather houses over
the e:untry are known to be very bare of stock, but, as
the retail trade in many parts of England is still very
bad, they do not seem, inclined to purchase more than
enough for present requirements. It will be seen by
Our 9013t111600s that the prices of most articles remain
unaltered, whilst a alight advance has been obtained on
soins few goods. Pressiay Leather.—We have not bad
a large demand for best harness and saddler's hides,
and our storks of these articles have rather increased.
Common hides and shaved hides have moved off slowly
at about late prices. Skins have been in fair supply,
but those of light weights have not readily found
buyers. Prime pattern skins have been very scarce,
and an advance of hI to 211 per lb has been obtained on
best tannage.. Kips sell readily at about late prim,,
and our stock of these goods is not large. English
borne hides have met with a ready sale at about late
rates, but Spanish have not been lunch inquired for.
Ruda are in short supply, and sell freely at our quota-
tions. Sole Leallier.—Thore has been a good demand
for heavy South American butts of best tannages ; the
counnonner descriptions have not sold freely. New
South Wales butts have been very scarce, and an
advance has been obtained on those of heavy weights.
Light English butts have not been very saleable, but
those averaging 251bs and upwards, of good growth,
have generally found buyers. Our market is almost
bare of good heavy bellies, and an advance of id to id
per lb is obtainable on these goods. Sole shoulders are
scarce and saleable. Carried Areal's.? --There has been
a moderate business doing in light kip butts; those of
low and ldle prices are touch inquired for. 81we
butts, of light weights, have been scares and In good
demand. Roo Goods.—We have had but one arrival of
South American hides into this port since our last, viz.,
the Helena, from Rio Grande, with 5,250 salted hides.
The market for these goods has remained unaltered, and
although merchants have tried their utmost to realise
advanced, or st least fall rates, tanners hare acted with
so much prudence in their purchase that most parcels
of fresh arrivals remain unsold, whilst some of the old
stocks have been selling (under the denomination of
heated hides) at roach lower rates. The import of
South American hides this season, to the present time,
very far exceeds that of last year, and the stocks now
on and are more than double three of the correspon-
ding period of last year, so that any alteration that
miglit take place in ths value of those goods would
undoubtedly' be in favour of the tanner. Borf arid
Volonie.—'The transactions in bark continue very
limited. Prime valonia is seam, and late prices ass
tally sustained; that of secondary quality is but little
inquired for.