The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-08 00:00:00

PERKLV.S"S STEAM-GUN.

The neighbourhood of Mr. Perkins'. safety steam-engine
manufactory, near the Regent's-park, was on Tuesday
morning thrown into great consternation by some tre-
mendous reports arising from the discharge of his steam-
gun. Since the fatal accident, which occurred several
months ago, where a lady threw herself from a gig in con-
sequence, as it was at the time incorrectly supposed, of her
home having taken fright at the prodigious uoise made by
the steam-gun, that terrific engine of destruction hail not
been permitted to be discharged by the respectable indi-
viduals belonging to Messrs. Perkins's concern. On Tues-
day morning, however, soon after eight o'
clock, patrols
were observed stationed on all the roads leading tuwatds
the manufactory, accompanied by men with placards on
boards, warning all passengers on horseback or in carriages
to go through' the Regent's-park, instead of proceeding by
the high-road leading in front of the manufactory. Soon
after nine, numbers of military officers, in carriages and on
horseback, alighted at the manufactory. They were soon
followed by the Duke of Wellington, and immediately
afterwards the discharges of steam, which had been pre-
viously occasional and of' comparatively slight force, com-
menced with a continued roar, resetnbling. the loudest
thunder we ever heard. The group of eminent persons
then assembled consisted of his Grace the Master-General
of the Ordnance, and his Staff; the Marquis of Salisbury ;
Mr. Peel, the Secretary of State ; Sir 11. Ilardinge,
Lord Fitzroy Somerset, the Judge-Advocate-General,
and many other military officers of the highest rank;
together with a Committee of Engineer and Artillery
Officers, who, it appeared, had been officially appointed
by the Duke of Wellington to examine into the merits of
this wonderful specimen of human ingenuity and destruc-
tive power.
The discharges of steam now became almost incessant
for two hours, during which, its incalculable force and
astonishing rapidity in discharging balls excited amazement
and admiration in all present. At first the balls were dis- ,
charged at short intervals, in imitation of artillery firing,
against an iron target, at the distance of thirty-five yards.
Such was the force with which they were driven, that
they were completely shattered to atoms. In the next ex-
periment the balls were discharged at a frame of wood,
and they actually passed through eleven one-inch planks
of the hardest deal, placed at a distance of an inch from
each other. Afterwards they were propelled against an
iron plate one-fourth of an inch thick, and at the very
first trial the ball passed through it. On all hands this
was declared to be the utmost effort of force that gun-
powder could exert. Indeed we understand that this plate
had been brought specially from Woolwich, for the purpose
of ascertaining the comparative force of steam and gun-
powder.

The pressure of steam employed to effect this wonderfnl
force, we learnt, on inquiry, did not at first exceed 65 at-
mospheres, or 900 Ib4. to the square inch ; and it was re-
peatedly stated by Mr. Perkins that the pressure might be
carried even to 200 atmospheres with perfect safety.
All present being fully satisfied with respect to the power
of the steam, Mr. Perkins then proceeded to demonstrate
the rapidity with which musket balls might be projected
by its agency. To effect this he screwed on to the gun-
barrel a tube filled with balls, which, falling down by
their own gravity into the barrel, were projected, one by
one, with such extraordinary velocity as to demonstrate
that, by means of a succession of tubes, filled with balls,
fixed in a wheel (a model of which was exhibited), nearly
one thousand balls per minute might be discharged.
In subsequent discharges or volleys, the barrel, to which is
attached a moveable joint, was given a lateral direction,
and the balls perforated a plank nearly twelve feet in
length. Thus, if opposed to a regiment in line, the steam-
gun might be made to act from one of its extremities to
the other. A similar plank was afterwards placed in a
perpendicular position, and, in like manner, there was a
stream of shot-holes from the top to the bottom. It is thus
proved that the steam-gun has not only the force of gun-
powder, but also admits of any direction being given to it.
But what seemed to create most surprise was the effects
of a volley of balls discharged against the brick wall by
the aide of the target. They absolutely dug a hole of con-
siderable dimensions in the wall, and penetrated almost one-
half through its thickness. We heard several officers declare
their belief, that, had the balls been made of iron instead
of lead, th.: would have actually made a breach through
it—the wall was eighteen inches thick.
We confess that we were more gratified with the
exhibition than with any thing we have ever before
witnessed, not only because Mr. Perkins's gun opens a
new era as regards warfare, which, we conscientiously
believe, will ultimately lead to universal peace, (for how
could any population supply the loss occasioned by such
destructive instruments as that exhibited on Tuesday ?) but
because we contemplated with delight the immense advan-
tages this high-pressure steam will produce in working
steam engines, as compared with the present low-pressure
steam. It is generated with much less fuel and water, and
is entirely exempt from all danger. On this account, it is, I
we understand, that the firm have given it the name of the
" Safety Engine." We have looked forward with confidence
to the success of Mr. Perkins'snew principle for generating
steam, but there are some, we know, who, forgetting the
difficulties unavoidably attendant on bringing an invention
of such vast magnitude and importance to perfection, have
fancied that it ought to be completed, and the system esta-
blished off hand, and who have supposed that, from the de-
lay, the difficulties in bringing it into practical operation
would prove insurmountable. Those gentlemen will doubt-
less be gratified on learning that this delay will not be
much longer protracted, as Mr. Perkins has now very
nearly completed a 70 horse engine, to be worked by his
" gun-powder steam," and subjected to public experiment. I
He is now digging a well upon his premises for that pur-
pose, and pumps of very large dimensions have been al-
ready put into it. IVe shall revert to this most interesting
subject as soon as we can obtain fuolier it:formation upon
which reliance may be placed. That which we have now
stated we personally witnessed.