The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-19 00:00:00

VfIRIDGE.

et lb
J. C. Hawkshaw, Trinity (bow)
E. V. Pigott, Corpus .. 11 10
H, Watsnn, Pembroke
W. W. Hawkins, St. John's
It. A. Kinglake, Trinity
G. Borthwiek, Trinity

F. Stevenson, Trinity
J. R. Selwyn, Trinity
G. H. Archer, Corpus, (cox.)

Hundreds have visited the locus in quo to witness their
exertions. The Oxonians were a couple of days in advance
of the Cantabs, and the following may be deemed a sum-
mary of their work :—They rose early and took walking
exercises—had first what is termed a paddle, in their boat,
and then took to exceedingly hard trials over the course

against a picked crew of London watermen, who had to row
all they possibly could to keep anything like pace with
them. With the advance of training speculation gradually
became more important and significant. From the com-
mencement of our observations several important changes
have occurred in the betting. It opened at 6 to 4 on Oxford,

advanced to 7 to 4 And 2 to 1, and then as the pretensions
to equal merit on the part of the Cantabs were discussed,
declined to 5 to 4, and sank in many cases to equal betting,
but the result of the Oxonians' race against the picked
witertnen on Thursday immediately after the Cantabs' trial
with them, irr3sistibly led to the conclusion that the
Oxonians were the better crew, and in support of that view
the betting In their favour again ranged upwards from 6 to
4t02t0 1. Throughout the whole of the fluctuations in
the odds which we have described, there were plenty of
takers, and consequently very large sums of money, exceed-
ing the amount generally laid, depended upon the result.

The distance was altered on this occasion in order to
afford the whole of the steamboats an opportunity of being
ranged in a line behind the competitors instead of lying in
ambush at ditfarent points up the course and harrassing and

impeding the rowers by their wash. The start was arranged
to take place by the joint concurrence of the crews from
barges moored nearly opposite Putney pier, the race being,
as heretofore, from Putney to the ship at Mortlake, and it
had been posit,vely declared that if any of the steam boat
captains violated the conditions laid down the race should
be deferred till the ebb, On Friday arrangements were
made for the start to take place at eleven o'clock, J. W.
Chitty, Esq., Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, again
undertaking the onerous alas of umpire, and Mr. Edward
Searle, of the firm of Messrs. Searle, the eminent boat-
builders, the duty of starter. The Oxford crew rowed in
their old boat of last year, and the Cambridge in a new one,
built expressly for the occasion by Mat Taylor, of New •
castle, and the clews had received and accepted an invita-
tion to dine after the race with the Thames Subscription
Club.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales honoured the
race with his presence on board the "George Peabody,"
chartered by the Thames Subscription Club. His Royal High-
ness, who was accompanied by the Prince Glucksburg, Gene-
ral Knollys, Colonel Keppel, and two others of his suite,
embarked at Pimlico pier, whither he had been conveyed in
a private carriage, and was received by the Hon. G. Den-
man, M.P., President of the Thames Subscription Club,
N. Z. Phellips, Vice, and Messrs. Walter, Draper, Bobes,
Alderman Rose, and Mr. H. P. Smith, the Honorary Sec-
retary of the club. The august party were then conveyed
to the head of the boat, where a portion of the bow had
been specially roped off for their exclusive accommodation.
During the whole of the 20 previous races the competitors
have never been so honoured. The Prince of Wales who
with his party appeared much gratified with the trial of
skill and manhood, debarked on their return, after the race,
them.
at Hammersmith -bridgo, where their carriages awaited

The competitors rose early and ste a good breakfast ;
after which they had some
slight exercise until shortly be
fore the necessary preparations to get into their boats. The
various steamboat piers ail up the river had been thronged
with gentlemen anxious to get on board the steamers—of
,which there were nearly twenty—to accompany the race,
while at Putney everything betokened bust'e, anxiety, and
excitement. Betting was brisk at 6t04 on Oxford.
The day was just such an one as the best judges of such
matters would have selected for a 'University race. The wind
was easterly, without being severe,
tide, the surface of the water was as smooth as a well-kept
bowling green. and, being with the

Oxford won the choice of station, and took the side near
the. Bishop of London's grounds ; soon afterwards fol-
lowed by the Cambridge crew, indeed the latter were afloat
first. The boat carrying the Prince of Wales and suite
was next to the barge when the start was made, the
umpire's boat, Citizen C, being close alongside. At
a quarter to 12, and without any loss of time the start, was
effected admirably. Both crews went off at a fine pace,
Cambridge with a slight lead, which was held for a few
seconds, the rowing being very fine and very rapid in
both boats, 40 and 41 strokes being male per minute.
Directly after the start, the majestic sweep of the Oxford
oars and the thorough-paced Oxford swing began to tell,
and the boats wero for a few seconds strictly level, the
rowing, although amazing in pace, being remarkably
clean; but it was obvious to those who were near, within
two or three minutes of the time of starting, that the
Oxonians were beginning to take a slight lead; but so gal-
lant was the rowing of the Cambridge that it was not until
their arrival near the Craven that the Oxonians got clear of
them, and there had been in the doing of this much praise-
worthy and plucky labour on their part, for the Cambridge
were a strong crew, and not easily to be denied. The die•
tance to Craven was done in 3 mm. 35 secs., and after that
the Oxonians gradually drew away, and the number of
strokes per minute decreased to 37, and in some cases
to 36 strokes in the Cambridge boat, while the Oxonia ns
were doing one more. At the Crabtree the
Oxonians had increased their lead to two lengths, and the
time was 4 min. 26 sec. In the shoot over to Hammer•
smith-bridge the Cantabs made a desperate spurt to en-
deavour to better their position, but failed, and the Oxonians
passed through Hammersmith-bridge four lengths ahead.
Time here was variously taken from 7 rain. 40 sec. to nearly
8 min., but the pressure and collisions here were so
great that men wero looking to safety rather than time, and
the royal party and umpire were both shut out from any
sight after this. The Oxonians went on moving,
and arrived opposite the Ship at Mortlake first,
ofceompanied by the
a f\teVral eas repeatedlym oments
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itout
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sonzecdlni
ai ltneondr
visitors.
t rhos
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applauded both crews during the race, joining in the gene-
ral expression of congratulation upon their success, and
showed the pleasure he experienced in the rowing on the
return. The general company, upon descrying the royal
ensign, recognised the Prince, and he was welcomed with
hearty cheers, which he duly acknowledged, The time
occupied in the race by the winners was 22 rain. 23 sec.

[AnytnirstmENT.]—Holloway's Pills. Hysteric and
other Fits.—'These pills exert the most beneficial influence
over the brain and nerves, and therefore are the safest and
surest remedies for all disorders of those vital organs, Few
diseases were more unmanageable than hysterics, convul-
sions, and similar fits, until trial was made of Holloway's
the patient steadily on
to health and strength.
pills, which proved able at once to control the morbid irrita-
tion, and very rarely failed to carry
Epileptic seizures, springing trom
scrofulous taints, are especially
amenable by this treatment,
which eradicates their cause. The pills should be taken in
doses, calculated to act cnerg, tically on the bowels ; the die,
should be digestible, nutritious, and plainly cooked ; pastry
and spirits thould be altogether avoided.

EXPERIMENTS AT SHOEBURYNESS,

Another theoretical novelty in the way of targets
was tested at this practice-ground on Wednesday,
and, like most of the extraordinary novelties that
are brought there, was proved to be utterly worth-
less in two shots. The target was one composed
of compressed wool, made after Mr. Nasmyth's
plan, that gentleman, and a very large number of
others also, entertaining a confident opinion that a
good thickness of wool when pressed tight would
offer an amount of resistance to shot which, if not
sufficient to keep it out altogether, was, at least,
certai❑ to be enough to justify the Government in
making experimental inquiries on the subject. We
do not know, even if the discovery had been success-
tul, how it was proposed to utilise it—how, for in-
stance, to recoat our ironsides with 10 or 12 feet of
pressed wool, or how to apply so bulky and cum-
brous an appliance in any way. Fortunately there is
no necessity for considering such embarrassing
speculation now, inasmuch as the experiment of
Wednesday proved the wool to be rather more per-
meable to shot than almost any other novelty that
has yet been fired at. A very few words is suffi•
cient to tell the result. The target, if we may so
call it, was a wrought iron tube, like a boiler or iron
funnel, open at both ends, loft. in diameter and about
Ilftt long. The wool part of the target was con-
structed by tilting this on end and filling it with wool
as tightly as men could trample it down till thecylin-
der was full. It was then laid on its side fronting
the gun, so as to present the appearance of a large
white circular target or drum, 10ft. in diameter and
lift. thick of solid wool. The first shot was fired
from the Armstrong 100.pounder:with a 101 b charge,
and this not only passed through the target from
end to end, but buried itself in the earth behind.
A second shot was fired from the 68-pounder, with
the usual service charge, and this also went through,
burying itself in the bank, and as a means of re-
, sistanoe the target was such a palpable and utter
failure that even Mr. Nasmyth was satisEed with
these two shots, and concurred in the uselessness of
firing any more. The result exactly fulfilled the
anticipations of the Iron-plate and Ordnance Com.
mittees, who, however, concurred in the propriety
of trying the experiment, for the sake of exploding
and putting an end to the theory for ever. One
would think, however, that the extensive and ex-
pensive experience the Government have had of the
value of these new theories would by this time have
given them sufficient confidence to say " No" to
experiments with any further crotchets except at
the inventor's own expense.
Au infinitely more curious and important ex-
periment took place at Snoeburyness last week, to
test the powers of the greatest gun yet forged

by Sir William Armstrong against one of the
thickest plates which Messrs. John Brown and Co.'s
eminent firm have yet produced for actual armour
plating. The gun was the celebrated Big Will, the
600 pounder, about which so many canards have
been in circulation as to its having given way at the
breech, &c., fur all of which th, re has not been the
slightest foundation. This magnLficent piece of ord-
nance has only been fired 20 times, each time with
the most prodigious result, and after the Jreat ex-
periment of Thuriday it was as perfect inside
and out as the day it left the factory at Elswici-.
The mass of iron, for it can hardly be called
a plate, against which it was tried on Thurs-
day, was no less than eleven inches in thickness—
a sample of one of the many of the samo enormous
strength made by Messrs. Brown and Co. for the
Russian Government to plate the sea faces of some
of the most important and most exposed of the
Cronstadt forts. According to the theory of the
Iron-plate Committee, that the strength of an iron
plate increases as the square of its thickness, the
11-inch mass tried on Thursday was equal in
strength to no less than six plates of the famous
Warrior target ; yet, before the experiment com-
menced not the slightest doubt was entertained
that the 600. pounder would utterly smash if the
fired with a 6001 b. shot. The real interest of the
experiment consisted in ascertaining—first, whe-
ther the same destructive result would be gainEd
by using the gun as a smooth-bore with a steel
shot of half the weight; secondly, how the gun
would stand the tremendous charge of 901bs. of
powder; and, thirdly, whether the fracture of the
plate would show that even Messrs. Brown could
manufacture one of 11 inches in thickness perfect

throughout. Those were the three points really at
issue, and the solution of these was looked forward
to with kern interest by all the officers on the ground.
The first and only shot, we are happy to say, settled
them all in the most satisfactory manner, and proved
the enormous advantage of steel shot, the strength
of the gun, and the excellent manufacture of the
plate. The plate or slab of iron was four feet long by
three and a half wide, and was unimpaired in its
strength by a single bolt•hole or fastening. It was
held up vertically against two 12 inch beams of solid
oak, to which it was fastened by railway iron passing
up its face on either side. Behind it, and in support
of the oak beams, was the Fairbairn target of 5
inch plates and a 1 inch inner skin, with the usual
massive framework of iron rib beams. This target,
however, did not support the plate to be fired
at, but only the beams of oik which held it in
its position. There was an interval of 12 inches be-
tween the plate and the Fairbairn target, which was
left purposely that the former might do its own
work if it could unaided.- The proceedings were
commenced by firing two cast iron round shot of
3001 b. weight, levelled at 200 yards' range, against
" dummy" target placed close alongside the 11
inch plate, for the purpose of determining exec,

degree of elevation to be given to the gun. Both
these were fired with the enormous charge of 90ib.

of powder. Such charges even with 600 puunders
would not bo used in actual warfare, and for
experimental purposes like that of Thursday were
objectionable, as it seemed to mke it almost as
much an effort to destroy the gun as the target.
To load " Big Will" with a sack of powder, such as
two men could scarcely lift into the muzzle—such

a sackful as it was never built to withstand,
and such as it would not be loaded with in

service—seemed, as an experiment, almost childish.
The gun stood it perfectly to all outward seem•
ing ; but thou) conversant with the nature of
wrought iron know very well that the piece is so

much the worse for the ordeal through which it
has now been forced, and that they have, if any-
thing, less confidence in "Big Will" after such a
straining than they had before it was tested at all.
Our system
of testing wrought-iron guns is con-
demned without an exception by the Artillery

officers of all other nations in the world. The pre-

cise range having been ascertained " Big Will" was
again stuffed with a sackful of powder, but, instead
of a cast-iron projectile, was loaded with a steel
round shot of 34416. weight, and levelled against
the target. This shot struck the very centre of the
plate with a terrible crash, at a velocity of 1,660
feet, and at one blow closed the experiments of the
day. Nothing further remained to be accomplished,
for the target was gone. Never, probably has a more
tremendous blow been struck by human agency.
The mass of steel driven by the tremendous charge
of powder must have struck the target with a power
inconceivable, for everything went down before it.
The solid oak beams behind the plate were crushed
into splinters, and the plate itself hurled bodily back
against the Fairbairn target and split into two
pieces, one huge piece being flung away to the r;ght
and the other to the left, and all this before the shot
had time to penetrate to a greater depth than 41
inches. The 11-inch plate, in fact, had not suffi-
cient stability even to receive the blow aimed at it;
it was torn apart by time tremendous force with
which it was jammed against the FAirbairn target
behind, and an examination of the fracture showed

that its manufacture was admirable. Fourteen feet
in front of the target lay the steel shot, much
flattened and cracked, but evidently as good meta!

of its kind as Mr. Brown's plate itself. A close
examination of the gun was next made by
the Inspector of Artillery, and it was found
to be wholly uninjured. Notwithstanding
the use of steel round shot in a rifled

gun, the grooves of tho rifling remained as
sharp and fine as ever, and only one feeling seemed
to be entertained on the ground as to the strength

of the gun and the excellence of the plates.
Our readers may, perhaps, ask what further modi-
fications or charges are denoted by this.experiment,

either in our ironclads or our artillery. We fear that,
as far as a pratical result is concerned, the experiment
is absolutely worthless, except as showing that
Messrs. Brown and Co. can make an 11-inch plate
as perfect as their plates, and that the 600
pounder will utterly destroy the most perfect 11 inch
plate that can be made. Unfortunately, howeve3r,
11-inch plates are not wanted for our ironclads, be-
cause they cannot carry them, and still more unfor-
tunately, the 600 pounder which can destroy them
is not in our service. The 600 pounder at Shoe-
buryness is only an " experimental" gun—so called,
we presume, from the fact that no experiments
worth speaking of have been undertaken with it,
and that, though it has been rusting on the beach
at Shoeburyness since last April, only 20 rounds have
been fired from it in a year. What the gun will de-
stroy is pretty well known, but what the gun will
endure before it is itself destroyed no one seems
to know, or care about knowing. And it is this very
question of the life of these large guns—that is, the
number of effective rounds they will fire, not the
number of destructive charges which they can Da
made to take before breaking, which the country
ought to see solved. The stereotyped answer of the
Government to all complaints abut the want of effi-
cient artillery is that more of these great guns can-
not be ordered till their powers of endurance are
known. Yet this 600 pounder—their best gun—has
been now a whole year at Shoeburyness without
even an attempt to ascertain the number of rounds
it will stand. It is the same with the 300 pounders.
Where are the big guns which have alone proved
really efficient against thick iron plates ? Where
are these 300 pounders, one shot from which hao
never failed to smash the strongest experimental
naval target at Shoeburyness, against which even
salvoes of 68 pounders and 110 pounders were fired
in vain ? There are two on board the gunnery•ship
Excellent at Portsmouth, one or two at Shoebury-
ness, another on board the Roya: Sovereign cupola
ship,and about eight unrifled, and without even car-
riages, in store at the Arsenal. It cannet be ima-
gined that the Admiralty really believe in the po-
tency of their old guns, or even in the Duke of
Somerset's 100 pounder Armstrong smooth bores,
for the successful attack of iron-plated vessels such
as now exist. One 300 pounder is to be preferred
to a whole broadside of such guns, and one 600
pounder is vastly superior in destructive effect lc
many 300 pounders. These powerful guns are good
for something or good for nothing. The public
urgently desire to know the truth with respect to
them, and very properly complain of spending large
sums of money upon experimental machines which
hitherto have been merely employed as bugbears to
frighten our enemies and lull the British nation into
false notions of security. We have monster iron

clads, and so have other Powers; but what are they
good for without suitable guns ?
It is important that the public should know that,
in the event of the necessity arising for large ord-

nance like 300 and 600 pounders, a considerable
period must elapse before they can be supplied. It
the powers of endurance of the big guns are still
_ _

doubtful, who is responsible for the—delay in the
decision of this question ? It can hardly be attri-

bated to the responsible advisers of the War office
in the matter of artillery—the Ordnance Select

Committee, for they must clearly have reported
;:t favour, at least, of the 300 pounder, as otherwise
theSo guns would not have been formilly intro-

clued into the service. Is economy the cause ? I

so, we may yenture to suggest that-, as the price of
iron has risen considerably of late, the acres of ob-

solete east-iron guns at the Arsenal might now be

disposed of with advantage. The uninstructed
Englishman, in surveying this endless ea.-ray of old

and useless guns, may, perhaps, consider tho scene
as peculiarly impressive, and felicitate himself that
his country possesses such inexhaustible stores of
ordnance. No greater or more serious delusion can
well be entertained. With the exception of the

Armstrong field artillery, we are now without any
recognised gun, and have none whatever of large

calibre for army or navy. The experiments at
Shoeburyness are very interesting, and would be

valuable if they were anything but experiments

But the important results which have been elimina-
ted there have been ignored in turn by both Admi-
ralty and War-office, and at the end of four years'

experimenting, and yearly two millions of money,
we are still dawdling on at trials like that of Thurs

day, when it is the plates which are tested, and not
the gun which knocks them to pieces, and then rust!.
till John Brown sends up a stronger and a thicker

plate. A plate sent up to Shoeburyness one week is
tried the next. The 300-pounders were sent there

in May, 1862; the 600 pounder in April, 1863 ;
and here in Mirch, 1864, the Government state
that they are not yet acquainted with their powers
of endurance. Experiments at Shoeburyness are
very costly ; as far as acting upon their results are
concerned, either in targets or guns, they seem ut-
terly worthless. Both the Ordnance and the Iron-
plate Committee know this well, and, what is worse,
know that they are powerless to remedy the evil.