The Press.
London, England, 1854-08-26 00:00:00

AUGUST 26, 1854.

TRIAL OF LANCASTER'S GUN.

SOME important experiments were made off Ports•
mouth on Wednesday, in the presence of the Queen
and a large number of distinguished and official
personages, to test the qualities of one of the new
screw gun-boats recently built for the Baltic, and of
the famous gun on Lancaster's principle, from which
so long a range is to be got with a missile of extra-
ordinary power. The Arrow, built at Blackwell, and
commanded by Lieutenant Jolliffe, was the vessel
with which the experiments were made. The place
selected for the trials of her gun was at the cliffs
adjoining the Needles Rocks, at the western ex-
tremity of the Isle of Wight. It was believed that
the gun could carry a distance of 5,000 yards, but
one of 4,000 was selected in this instance, in order the
better to ascertain the destructive effects of the shell.
Lancaster's gun is an oval one, and the shells are
elliptical or egg-shaped ; the gun being a 68-pounder,
10 feet long, and weighing 95 cwt., whilst the shell
weighs 100 lb., and has a charge of 121 b. of powder.
The Black Eagle, with Sir James Graham, Rear-
Admiral Berkeley, and Major-General Simpson, the
Lieutenant-Governor, and other officials, on board,
accompanied the Arrow to the spot, whither in due
course the royal yacht, with her Majesty and Prince
Albert, also arrived.
The squadron arrived up at the Needles at five
o'clock, and the Arrow at once took up her position
off the cliff, at the distance of 4,000 yards. She was
not long before the first shell was fired, but no one
could say or see what the effect was. Another shell
was tired, but still the cliff did not fall or any portion
of it seem to be struck. This was accounted for
afterwards by the information that these two first
shells had burst in the gun. The third, fourth, and
fifth shells were fired, but still the mark was not bit,
nor was it seen where these shells burst, or what
became of them. Something ominous was, however,
indicated by the fact of the flag at the lighthouse at
this part of the Isle of Wight, and which is one of
the most important in the British Channel, being
suddenly lowered. After the fifth shot, too, a party
of spectators, consisting of the attendants of the
lighthouse, coast guardsmen, and their wives and
families, who had taken up a good position on a
rising piece of ground near the light, all at once dis-
appeared in a most hurried manner. In the course
of about a quarter of an hour all was explained. A
boat was then seen to be stealing round the Needles
Rocks carrying a white flag. Firing was then
ordered to cease, whilst the Fairy was sent to learn
the news. The flag was made out to be that of tho
Trinity-house, and the three men in it provbd to be
the attendants of the lighthouse. The message
they gave was—" The two last shells have nearly
blown down the lighthouse." They also told of the
fright of the inhabitants, and the breaking up of a
gipsy party, who had taken up their position in an
adjacent bay. The Fairy communicated the message
to the royal yacht and the Arrow, and the next shell
was fired accordingly. It fell in the sea to the right
of the Needles, the only one whose transit had been
seen from the squadron. This closed the trials ;
six shells being the number ordered to be experi-
mented on. It will thus be seen that not one shell
struck the mark, or even went near it. But much of
this is to be attributed to the heavy swell on the
water at the time, and which rocked the Arrow about
like a piece of cork. In addition to this the gun
was fired from the side of the vessel, by which, from
her rolling so much, it appeared utterly impossible
to take anything like a fair aim, especially if the
distance be considered. The vessel is fitted to fight
this gun either fore and aft or from her side; and
the trial would appear to prove that, excepting in
smooth water, the former mode cannot be adopted
with advantage. This was also the first trial on
board ship of Lancaster's gun, and, from its pecu-
liarity, sir shells can hardly be called a fair test.
With regard to the length of the range there can be
no question about : this was amply proved, as was also
the ability of the vessel to bear the discharge of so
heavy a piece of metal.

AKONO the passengers by the steamer which brought
out Lord Harris to India was a French gentleman, who
somehow came to be taken for the new Governor of
Chandernapre. By virtue of this supposition everybody
showed him every attention, and all who had not altogether
forgotten their French grammar made it a point to hold
conversation, as opportunity offered, with him. He was
generally ekteemed as an intelligent, affable, and in every
way agreeable fellow-passenger. This attention and this
esteem he enjoyed, not only from the company on board
generally, bit in a marked degree from the greatest man
among them—to wit, Lord Harris. At table he usually
sat on his 10-dship's right, and engaged the lion's share of
his lordshipb conversation. At length the voyage was at
an end, ant: the Governor of Madras and the supposed
Governor o! Chandernagore were obliged to part. Lord
Harris landed at Madras, and the Frenchman vane on to
Calcutta. Here he went ashore and was received at
Government-house, but only to take charge of the vice-
regal cuisine. In short, the supposed Governor of Chander-
nagore Proved to be Lord Dalhousie's French cook I.
eengal Hurkrru.

THE PRESS.

so Atzt

OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, AUGUST 21.

Royal Regiment of Artillery.—Gentlemen Cadets to be
Second Lieutenants. Frederick George Bayley, vice
Tyler, promoted; Noel Hamlyn Harris, vice Smart, pro-
mated ; Oswald Carr, vice Leonard, promoted ; Henry
Whitby Brisco, vice Eden, promoted ; William
George Martin, vice Ogilvie, promoted; Philip Henry
Sandilands, vice Newbolt, promoted; William James
Hall, vice Mahon, pomoted ; Morton Parker Eden, vice
Stirling, promoted ; Charles Dalrymple Gilmour, vice
Carey, promoted ; Edwin John Ward, vice Strange, pro-
moted ; Alexander Dickson Burnaby, vice F. Lyon, pro.
moted ; Wilmot Burrows Edward Ellis, vice Taylor,
promoted ; Charles George Luard, vice Longley, promoted ;
Henry Auriol Douglas de Vismes, vice Keats, promoted.
Corps of Royal Engineers.—Gentlemen Cadets to be
Second Lieutenants, with temporary rank.—Charles John
Darrah, vice Greatorex, deceased; John Popham Maquay,
vice Lennox, promoted; Robert Nicholl Dawson, vice
Leahy, promoted ; John Major Henniker, vice Bland, pro-
moted ; Edward Osborne Hewett, vice Baynes, pro-
moted ; Frederick Mould, vice Le Gallais, promoted ; Con-
stantine Phipps Carey, vice Durnford, promoted ; William
Butler Gossett, vice Frazer, promoted.

WAR-OFFICE, Ana. 25.
To be Ensigns by purchase.

lit Regiment of Foot—Redmond Bewley Caton, Gent.;
John Archibald Cumming, Gent.
Brd Foot—Barnes John Caldecott, Gent.

bth Foot—Oliver Colt Gent.
7th Foot—Edward John Disney, Gent.
9th Foot—William Harris Burland, Gent.

11th Foot—Stuart James Shortt, Gent.
13th Foot—Henry Gillett, Gent.; William James, Gent.
14th Foot—John Donaldson Bradley, Gent.
15th Foot—Walter Godwin Hawkins, Gent ; Thomas
Eccles Dickson, Gent
17th Foot—Frederick Carr Swinnerton Dyer, Gent.;
Archibald Hammond Utterson, Gent.
18th Foot—Wm. Kemp, Gent.; Fairfax Fearnley, Gent.
20th Foot—John Little, Gent
26th Foot—John Lowndes, Gent. ; William Beers, Gent
31st Foot—George Bayley, Gent.; Gordon George Cow-
per, Gent.
34th Foot—Norman Ramsay, Gent. ; Edward Jordan,
Gent.

39th Foot—James Gibbon Smyth, Gent.
46th Foot—John Horndon Messenger, Gent.
47th Foot—Richard Parker Hawkes, Gent.; Wm. Carnegy
de Balinhard, Gent.
44th Foot—James Farquhar, Gent. ; Thomas Collings
Maguire, Gent •
151st Foot—Augustus Brigstooke, Gent.; Sidney Henry
Swat field, Gent.
_ _

54th Foot—Thomas Parr, Gent.; John Stevenson,
Gent.

56th Foot—Thomas Pierce Butler. Gent.
57th Foot—Steuart Smythe Wyndham, Gent.
69th Foot—George Joy, Gent.
60th Foot—Llewellyn Edmund Traherne, Gent.; James
Joseph Collins, Gent.
63rd Foot—Samuel Ashton Tate Benyon, Gent. ; Law-
rence Edward Knox, Gent.
65th Foot—Arthur Branthwayt Toker, Gent.
66th Foot—Henry Charles Spearman, Gent. ; John
Baring Short, Gent.
68th Foot—Edmund Peel Ethelston, Gent. ; John
Hobert Culm Seymour, Gent.
69th Foot—Henry Scott Turner, Gent.
77th Foot—George Edward Leggett, Gent.
79th Foot—William John Macknight Crawford, Gent.
80th Foot—Henry George Pattisson, Gent.; Robert James
Maxwell, Gent.

Rifle Brigade—John Plumtree Carr Glynn, Gent.
2nd Regiment of Life Guards—Francis Trevelyan Buck-
land, Gent., to be Assistant-Surgeon.
Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards—To be Ensigns
and Lieutenants by purchase—George Ernest Ross, (lent.,
and George Maynard Ives, Gent.
3rd Foot—Charles John Roper Tyler, Gent., to be En-
sr gn.
10th Foot—Ensign Frederick Beatty to be Lieutenant;
Charles Errol Hope, Gent., to be Ensign.
15th Foot—William Robertson Tyler, Gent., to be
Ensign.
26th Foot—Brevet Major Francis Carey to be Major;
Lieutenants Robert Creighton Granville to be Captain ;
William Mosse to be Captain ; Ensign G. Wilbraham Nor-
they to be Lieutenant.
115th Foot—Lient. Cortlandt George Macgregor Skinner
to be Lieutenant.
87th Foot—Ensign Frederick John Nash Ind to be
Lieutenant; Edward Birkett, Gent., to be Ensign.
38th Foot—Francis James Rooper, Gent., to be Ensign.
41st Foot—Lieutenant Hugh Rowlands to be Captain;
Ensign John Stirling to be Lieutenant; Alfred Walter
Thynne, Gent , to be Ensign.
43rd Foot—Ensign Hon. William Henry Herbert to be
Lieutenant.

46th Foot—Quartermaster Joseph Cartmail to be Pay-
master.
49th Foot—Harry Denham Tanzia Savary, Gent., to be
Ensign.
50th Foot—Ensign Monta,gne de Salis Mc K. G. A.
Clarke to be Lieutenant; the Hon. Charles Cornwallis
Chetwynd to be Ensign.
51st Foot—Edward Marcus Beresford, Gent., to be En-
sign.
60tb Foot—Second Lieutenant Wykehann Leigh Pem-
berton to be Lieutenant; John D'Olier George, Gent., to
be Ensign.
6Rth Foot—Captain Alexander Macdonald to be Cap-
tain ; Lieutenant Stephen Croft to be Captain; Ensign