The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-15 00:00:00

ZION WATER AT LONDON BRIDIER

TM DAT
x t>.agoasaw.- Maratag, .511. 49a... Allaraoaa. 60. 16a.

LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15.

THE last few days have given to us the largest
ship of war in the world, establishing more firmly
a superiority of magnitude we already held, in
virtue of a whole squadron of gigantic vessels
which the Minotaur alone could place in the second
rank. But within only a few weeks we have also
become possessed of &gun which is in much greater
proportion in advance of all our previous efforts,
and which, if it prove able to stand the work of
war, relieves us from the position of inferiority,
humiliation, and peril in which, in comparison
with other nations, we have for some time stood.
This gun is Sir W. ARMSTRONG'S 600-pounder.
Nor, while we still retain the opinion that the
special advantages given during several years to
that gentleman have operated unfairly to his com-
petitors and injuriously to the nation, shall we
grudge him full recognition, or stint the measure
of thanks, if he shall finally prove successful in
supplying the weapon which the maintenance of our
honour and security requires. It is therefore not
carpingly, but only in needful caution, that we observe
that this enormous piece of ordnance has as yet been
fired not a dozen times, and that judgment on its
merits must be suspended till further trial is made.
But whether Sir W. ARMSTRONG shall be finally
victorious, or whether we have yet to expect from
Mr. WHITWORTH, or Captains BLAKELEY or PAL-
usza, the true gun of the future, the trial of the
600-pounder, combined with the success of the
Panaorr guns in America and of the KEVPP guns
in Russia, makes tolerably clear the fact that im-
mense rifled guns are possible and practicable.
Therefore, when the manufacture of steel (which
every one of the rivals declares his preference for,
at least to the extent of forming the inner tube)
shall have further advanced, we must be prepared
to accept as one of the conditions of war the em-
ployment of guns which, like the new 600-
pounder, while weighing not much over 20
tons, shall project at each discharge a Mein
of a quarter of a ton of itoii,cagiing a loaded
mine of nearly &hundredweight of gunpowder,
and -'
a distance of 2,000, and quite possibly of
4,000 yards, hit a stationary object of only 12 feet
diameter, and shall pierce the Warrior's side with
as much ease as the old 241 b. shot broke through
the oak planking of the Victory.
Now though this result may not be realised in
practice for several years, it is yet wise to look so
far a-head as to consider its consequences if it is
realised. And the first question, is whether the
advantage will be wholly on the side of land de-
fences, or whether the navy will be able to avail
itself of the same improvements. That it will
there can be little doubt. The 600-pounder weighs
only four times as much as the present 68-pounders
that form the chief armament of the navy, and
might, therefore, at once be substituted for them in
the proportion of one to four. Of course it
could not be worked without mechanical ap-
pliances, but Captain Cons has shown how these
could be adapted, and Mr. REED declares that
they are equally available in the case of broadside
ports. Machinery must, however, be employed
for loading as well as for pointing, and in this
there will probably be found an inevitable source
of delay which will limit the usefulness of the huge
guns. Ten minutes at Shoeburyness elapsed be-
tween each round, and though the time will to
some extent be shortened with practice, there
must always elapse so much as to allow an enemy's
ship to change its position to an extent which will
render the aim and elevation of the next shot very
doubtfuL So it does not seem as if sailors would
ever come to like these monstrous pieces for their
chief armament. One or two on board ship will
be useful, but a handier weapon will be employed
for the main work of fighting.
But supposing only one discharge from the big
gun to take effect, what will be the effect on the
enemy f It is clear that we have already all but
reached the limit of thickness of armour plate
which • ship can carry, and we must, therefore,
expect that it will prove no effectual defence. But
a ship, as we have often reminded our readers,
does nut sink at once because • cannon shot has
gone through her sides. And, though the cannon
shot in question is bigger, and will make a bigger
hole than has ever yet been seen, yet there are
several ways of meeting the difficulty. We can,
above all, now build iron ships so that their sides
consist of as many cells as • honeycomb, and the
whole interior is merely an agglomeration of in-
dependent watertight boxes. Any one, almost any
number of these may be pierced and filled with-
out endangering the ship. It is true that the ex-
plosion of a monster shell within them will do
great damage and cause terrible loss of life.
But it must be recollected that the fatal
effect of al,ella against ships has hitherto
in treat measure resulted from the in-
fiani ability of the ship, combined with the