The Express.
London, England, 1863-10-21 00:00:00

LYCEUM.

On airCIDAT, OR. 3Ciii7Dlllo/110, a Love Story.
Pleura Pechter. brougham, Pinery, Needle, and Garden
mom Terry, Laraine, and Illewarthy, and Mrs. Lee,

siyr•trirLL_

TES Immo, THE DAYS OF LOIIIB XV. lin. S. Luc
-THE GREAT GHOST EFFECT. Heim Reynolds sod Cooke
Mesdames Creaked and Yareold. —filmdesr by Sam Mini.
Mr. Randall, and Km. Meem—And JULY IYOUNNOR.

HIM WALTIM AT LONDON MDSE.
Tim DAT —Marnfas. tat .Alterseera. Pa.
T 0410.0011... Mambo. 1113. dia.— After^ lab. Ude.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21.

Ir is stated, and recent disclosures give proba-
bility to the report, that many of the workmez.
in the Gun-factory at Woolwich have been die-
charged, and that the manufacture of Armstrong
guns has been suspended, if not brought to a close.
We cannot but hope that the report may prove
correct. By the inventor himself, as well as by
all his friends, the Armstrong gun is at least ad-
mitted to be far from a perfect weapon, yet it has
so occupied the field as practically to block out im-
provement. No one can tell what its comparative
merits might be it it were fairly pitted against the
Whitworth or the Blakeley, the Parrott or the
Palliser, yet we have till now not merely exclu-
sively manufactured it, but have given no fair
chance to the weapon of any other maker. Five
years ago the Whitworth and the Armstrong were
tried against each other and because the latter
was superior in accuracy, it was at once, and as if
finally, adopted as the service gun. But accuracy,
even if that early experiment should prove conclu-
sive, is only one, and not the chief, element
to be considered. Range, penetration, dura-
bility, easiness in working, simplicity of con-
struction, are all at least as important as mere
accuracy. In these respects, as well as in accu-
racy, several of the rival guns have proved their

title to an equal consideration with those of the
favoured inventor, yet for five years they have
not obtained a hearing. The result is, that while
every other nation has a good service rifled gun,
we find that we have none. We have here no
concern with the criminations and recriminations
of rival patentees. Government, under the Patent
Act, has power to take for the Qucaw's service
whatever supplies of any patented articles it may
require, at a fair valuation ; and even if it had
not that power, we may well ask why, if Warr-
wows and BLA.M.ST sell to foreign powers, ours
should not also be their customer. For obviously
the only true method of ascertaining which is the
best gun for service is to try them all on service.
When a gun has by preliminari experiments
proved its fair title to a further trial, Government
ought to order a supply sufficient to afford that
trial, and ought to distribute them among our
Royal Artillery and our ships, so as to make the
trial a fair and full one. It is now pursuing that
course with the Whitworth rifle, which is about to
be served out to certain selected reg;-nents. And
it is because we hope that the suspension of the
manufacture of the Armstrong gun indicates that
it is about to adopt the mine plan in reference to
our ordnance, that we welcome the probability
of that step. Nothing else will either ascertain
the best piece, or will afford such certainty of
reward to inventors as will bring the best talent in
the country into the competition.

We have already more than once urged the im-
portance of at once obtaining spccimens of the
guns which in America are producing such astonish-
ing results. There is nothing bat actual experi-
ment in identical circumstances that can inform
ns how far these results indicate a real advance in
gunner/. We must try these guns not only against
the same Warrior target which has become our
standard test of the attack on the iron-clads, but
against brickwork and granite, earthwork and
sand, before we can tell whether the transatlantic
manufacture is preferable to our own for the pur-
poses of war. For we must remember that
Charleston is exceptional in its circumstances. It
is a naval and a land siege combined. The naval
force have the benefit of the support of shore bat-
teries, the army has the benefit of naval transport.
So gnus can be used on shore which could not be
carried far inland, and the fleet can repair damages
under cover of perhaps heavier metal than they
themselves can carry. These peculiarities may per-
haps prevent nsfrom accepting the guns approved on
this particular service as being the best for gsnerel
service. But at least we ought to have placed
beyond a doubt what it is that they can do when
circumstances admit of their being used.
The need for this is the more pressing, because
the two classes of American guns typify in an ex-
treme degree the two opposing systems of artil-
lery fire. Forty years ago General Pamirs:is
inaugurated a new system of gunnery. He ex-
pressed it in brief as great size with low velocity.
Applied to shell firing, he anticipated that it would
make the feeblest vessel or battery • match for
the colossal tbres-decker. He proved its truth at
Brest with an 80-pounder firing shells horizontally,
and he asked triumphantly, what would be the
result if a 100, 150, or 200 pounder were used f
He avowed his expectation to be that it would an-
nihilate the British predominance at sea ; and we
now perceive that it has in effect abolished the
wooden navy. This system has been pushed by the
ingenuity and resources of Transatlantic mechanics
to a far higher development The Rodman or
Dahlgren gun, with which their monitors are
armed, is of 15 inches calibre ; it is of east-iron,
and cast hollow, and weighs about 18 tons ; it
throws a spherical solid shot of 401 U., a shell of
3371b5., using a charge of 401bs. of powderb But
immense as this charge is, the weight of the pro-
jectile is so great that its velocity is low. And it is
accordingly against wooden vessels that it would at
sea be chiefly effectual. Admiral Danmiums,
indeed, has stated that this is the service
for which it is especially designed, though,
as the Atlanta experience showed, it is
still highly effective though the vessel is plated

with layer of iron. And, in fact, it re-
mains to be proved whether, though from the want
of velocity the shot might not penetrate, any
vaned can be constructed of strength to resist the
crushing impact, at short. ranges, of a mass of iron
la quarter of a ton in weight, driven by a charge of
401 th. of powder. Apart, however, from this
question, it has proved of great service against
shore batteries. The monitors have never breached
the batteries, but time after time they have silenced
them. This has of late been their office, and, ac-
cording to the official reports, they have thoroughly
performed it. Nor, indeed, can we doubt that a
suoothsion of 3001 b. shells would most effectually
fulfil this duty against the strongest fort yet built.
While an open embrasure is to be found, the fort
stands much in the same position as a wooden
ship, for these missiles finding their way in, in
either case slaughter every man between the decki
or within the casemate'. So there is good reason
why Government, which has made the safety of
our ports and arsenals to depend on the defence
which forts can supply, should see well what
powers, not of breaching, but of silencing, the
Dahlgren gun can exhibit in this country.
On a totally different principle are our 68-
pounder smooth bores, the Whitworth", and the
American Parrott guns constructed. Their object
is penetration, not crushing. They, therefore, are
of comparatively small diameter. But the Whit-
worths and Panetta obtain weight by using elon-
gated shot, and velocity by using high charges in
comparison to the weight of the shot. The Parrott
guns are, we believe, as well as the Dahlgren', of
cast-iron and cast hollow, but they are rifled ;
the largest sizes as yet made. are only 8 and 10
inches calibre, but they throw an elongated shot
of about 2 feet in length, the head of which is flat
like the Whitworth shot, and is chilled to give is
hardness for penetration. The shot for these
calibre's are respectively 2001bs. and 3 001ba. weight,
the charge is 251bs. to 40Ibs. of powder, and the
shells have a bursting charge of 171b5., or nearly
double that of our 13-inch mortar shells. These
are the guns with which Fort Sumter was ruins d,
and with which Fort Moultrie and Charleston are
being threatened. And if we recollect that the former
was battered from a range of three times the dis-
tance which had formerly been considered breaching
range, and that the latter has been shelled from
bc.ween four and five miles off, we may judge how
well these results deserve investigation. Only
against the sand works of Fort Wagner were the
Parrott guns found ineffectual, so that the regular
stages of a siege by sap and parallel bad to be re-
sorted to. The superiority of loose sand has also
been proved by us at Woolwich, and it forms
I another Oement of doubt in considering the ques-
L.:on of our proposed granite forts. But if the
Parrott guns (of which, it must be remembered,still
larger sizes, reaching at present to 500-pounders,
are in oonatreetion) are of such service in breach-
ing brickwork, there is every reason to suppose
that they will prove equally efficient against iron
plates. In this question all depends on the charge
of powder they will bear, for velocity is the re-
quisite for penetration, and if they have borne
401 th. charge the velocity must be very consider.
able. Such are the facts which we must learn,
for we are in jeopardy even/ hoar till they are
icertained.

trbt Court.

BALMORAL, OCT. 18.

Mr. Theed's statue of the Prinoe Consort, which
hu been placed in the principal corridor at Balmoral, was
uncovered yesterday morning.
The Queen, the Crown Prime and Princess of Prussia,
Prince and Primus Louis of Hasse, Princess Helena,
Princess Luise, Primus Beatrice, Prince Arthur, and
Prince Leopold, assembled in the corridor at hall-peat ten
o'clock.

The baba and gsotlemen of the household in wailing were
by her Majesty's persissiou preeent, se well u the 'ornate
and gilliee who had been particularly attached to the Trines
Ooosort's service.

At her Majesty's connoted the covering was removed
from the statue by Mr. Toad, and the Queen was pleased
to expires her entire approval and admiration of it. The
statue, which Is in marble, retirements the Prince Consort h
the Higllead dress, eAlt a rifle in the left bled, the right
resting Co the heed of a favourite dog.
Uinta the pedestal is the followiog inscription selected by
her Majesty :—" Albert, Prince Consort. 186 L Hi life
sprang from a deep trier sympathy with Godh will ; sad
therefore with all that is Ira, and beautiful and right."
The Queen, meompaided by Prisms Helena sad Pi-some
Lads*, and attended by lady Churehill, drove yesterday
to Alt-seGeitbasaell, sad retested in ass evening.
BALMORAL. Ocr. 19.
-

The Queen. &complain' by Printer Eddy end at-
tended by Lady A. Braes and Lord O. Pitney, atteeded
Divine service in the with email of Crania, yesterday
afternoon. The Rev. A. Anderson officiated.

Despatches were remised yesterday at the Colonial-office
from the Governors of the Caps of Geed Hops, Natal, aad
84 Helena.