The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-11 00:00:00

EXPERIMENTS WITH THE MACKAY GUN.

Yesterday some interesting trials were made of
these guns against armour-plated targets, the practice
being on the beach between Crosby and Hightown, to the
north of Liverpool. Most readers are aware that Mr.
Mackay claims the invention of the windage system of
shooting elongated projectiles. Preparatory to experi-
ments with heavy artillery, he carried out a laborious
practice, extending over two years, with shoulder
arms, the result of which was so satisfactory
that he determined to carry it out on a large scale
with heavy guns. Mr. Mackay's projectiles are smooth
cylindrical bolts, the interior of the guns are furnished
with spiral grooves, and the gases escaping up these
grooves communicate a rotary motion to the projectile. The
advantages secured are that with leas strain upon the gun
and less weight of charge there is a greater initial velocity,
and greater penetrative power and range. The projectiles
are made of one hard metal incapable of expansion on the
bore of the gun. They may be cast and afterwards
turned or not as may be deemed necessary, and the ab-
sence of studs, buttons, or bars; for the purpose of giving
• rotary motion, renders them cheaper of construction than
other elongated projectiles. Mr. Mackay ooutends, and
citeshis experiments in proof, that an elongated projectile
proceeding from the windage gun at the initial velocity of
1,400 feet per second is immensely more destructive than
• similar projectile, without rotation, with a flight of
1,600 feet per second initial velocity. He believes it is
not possible to obtain she advantage of such a rotation
upon the fixed projectile system, because the strain on the
gun would be so great as to destroy it with • heavy
charge, and even if the rifled gun stood a few rounds, the
penetrative powers of the projectile, after it becomes
disentangled from the fixed screwing process, would be
very slight. He claims that his experiments have esta-
blished that the force or striking power due to rotary
projectiles and the quantity of powder used for the
charge can only be obtained when the mean of rotation
is imparted to it to coincide with the initial velocity.
The experiments yesterday commenced at one o'clock,
and the weather being bright and fine the attendance of
spectators was very large. There were three guns ; one
8-inch, one 6-inch, and one 3-inch. The targets were four
in all ; No. lan 8-inch target, solid iron-plating, resting
on two flat balk, of timber, 14 by 14, kept in its posi-
tion in front and rear by two pieces of battens nailed, and
supported at the top by a 14-inch balk, which took in the
head of the plate. No. 2 wasthe Agincourt target, a 54inch-
plate of rolled iron, backed with 9-inch teak, iron skin,
resting on 14-inch balks, and kept in position by two
other balks being braced to them. No. 3 was a five inch
plate, supported on both its edges by 14 inch balks. No. 4
was a 24-inch plate. The first shot fired was a solid cast
iron ball 0f.701b5., which was fired eta distance of 75yards
from the 6-inch gun, with a charge of 2216,., against the
5-inch plate The velocity may be estimated from the fact
that it peened clean through the target, making a circular
hole. Portions of the broken shot and a large piece of
the target were picked up at the distance of a thousand
yards in • direct line from the target. The next shot fired
was from the 8-inch gun at the same target,
with a spherical steel shot of Gdbs., with 301bs. of powder.
It struck the target low down to the right. but the
penetration was complete, and a large portion of the back
of the plate surrounding the aperture was carried away.
The third shot fired was a cylindrical steel bolt, of 74 lbs.
weight, which was fired from the 6-inch gun against the
Agincourt target, with a charge of 22 lbs of powder. This
shot struck the target in its strongest part, and had it
remained whole there is little doubt that it would have
made a clean penetration. As it was, the shot broke into two
parts, one of which dropped in front of the target, and the
other, though it went through the plate itself, lodged in the
backing. The fourth shot was a castiron cylindrical bolt of
70th,., with a charge of =lbs. of powd. r, from the 6-inch gun
against the Agincourt target, The penetration in this
case was not complete, but extended for 2-3rd, of the
width, cracked the plate, and seriously damaged the
backing. The experiments were proceeding when our
parcel left, and will probably be resumed to-day. Amongst
those present on the ground were General Sir John Jones,
Colonel ',reeling (Ordnance Select Committee), Lieutenant
Marshall, lt.A., Captain Osborne, Captain W. Lock, the
French and Spanish consuls, Captain White, H.N. Com-
mander Horner, R.N., Captain Clerker (Swedish em-
bassy), &o.

FIRE ♦T DALHOUSIE CASTLE. EDINBURGH,
THOW‘DAT NlGHT.—Dalhousie Castle, !called by Mr.
Rutherford Clark, advocate, was partially burned this
morning, and damaged to the extent of upwards of 3,000 f.
The tapestry was destroyed, but the family portraits
were saved.

Mr. Frank L. Dowling, barrister-at-law, the
editor of Bell's Life, expired yesterday morning, at Nor-
folk-street, Strand, after a lingering illness. Deceased
would have attained his 44th year this (lay, and had
been connected with All's Lice since his earliest days.
He resided at Addlestone, near Chertany, but his strict
adherence to duty brought him up to town on Wednes-
day, which doubtless accelerated his death.
A letter dated Florence, the 6th inst. , in thei ?vie-
pendanee Berge, sayi:—." At the date of the latest news Ga-
ribaldi was still closely watched at Caprera. There aro no
fewer than five men of war in the waters of that island.
It was the Scala which arrested Garibaldi the second time.
But the party of action does not despair of seeing their
general land one of these days upon the Roman coast from
an English or American ship."
CALCUfrA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS.—
MALTA, IFIRINIIMAY, Ocr. 9.—The Reorder° left at 9
p.m. yesay, and the Pere leaves at 8 p.m. today. The
former mayteggbe expected at Marseilles on the 11th, and the
latter at Southampton on the 18th inst.
THE CUNARD SERVICE AND THE BOARD HT
TRADE.—Testarday the Liverpool Local Marine Board
presented to Captain Hockley, the commander of the
Cunard steamer Chats. a valuable silver mounted sextant,
which had been forwarded to the local board by the Board
of Trade. in recognition of the services rendered by Captain
Hockley and hiscrew, in saving the lives of the crew of the
ship Achilles, of Liverpool, in March last. It transpired
daring the proceedings attending the presentation that
Captain Beckley bad applied to the Board of Trade on
behalf of the officers and men who went to the rescue of
the crew tbe Achilles for the Albert medal, but his
request w fused. At the time the crew were taken off
the Achill e sea was fearful, and the men who im-
perilled lives to 'eve *there ars surely worthy of
some recognition from those who instituted the Albert
medal as a testimonial for saving lite.