The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-16 00:00:00

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Cue to purely exceptional mum 1,0140
containing the copper vent-pi , - $
worth's guns. is such a goodci<p,
capable, as was proved by its Ge oiler s
day, of such comparatively easy adjustment, that it
would be a loss to the service if in practice it was
found a failure. Only time and the test of rapid
firing can show 'whether it is a failure or a success.
After the piece was re-vented and returned to the
committee it was found that advantage had been
taken of the gun's rest to give it a thorough clean-
ing. This the committee at once detected, and to
act fair between the competitors ;ordered Sir Wm.
Armstrong to have his guns cleaned also. We may
add, while on the subject of cleaning the gun, that
Mr. Whitworth's is fired with an oil lubricator in
the charge at each round, whereas Sir William uses
no lubrication whatever with his shunt gun, which
is only dry sponged.
A great deal of nonsense has been written about
low trajectories and all the other scientifio slang, if
we may so term it, of gunnery. However, as the
Question of trajectories—or, in plain terms, the
flight of the shot—is likely to become an important
matter of dispute, we may venture on explaining to
our readers what the whole thing means, which can.
be done in a very few words and without the use
of technical terms. All shot when they leave the
gun incline steadily down by their own gravitation
towards the earth, so that when objects are aimed
at at a considerable distance the guns have to be
given a corresponding elevation to overcome this
tendency. The line, therefore, which all shot take
in their passage through the air may be described
as a segment of a circle, rising from the gun's mouth

till it descends with the shot on the object aimed at.
In proportion as this segment of a circle rises high
in the middle, or is a flat ellipsis, so is it called a
high or low trajectory, and in theory the gun which
has the lowest trajectory—that is, which sends its
shot in the straightest line to its object—may be
said to shoot the best. But, in actual fact, a low
trajectory is valueless, except at short ranges, when
it can be got from any and every rifled gun. A low
trajectory at 1,000 or 1,500 yards makes the greater
part of the shot's flight about the height of a man
from the ground, and is therefore certain in war-
fare to take off the heads or legs of any troops in-
tervening between the gun and the object aimed at.
This, as we have said, any rifled gun will do, At
long rangee this is useless, for then such elevation
has to be given to the gun that the flight of the shot
is always considerably above the ground, and whe-
ther it be 15fr , as in a low trajectory, or 20ft,, as
in a high trajectory, is of not the slightest con-
sequence, as in either case the shot injures no one,
Such, in plain language, is the real meaning and
value of these high-sounding terms, to which we
should not have thought it necessary to allude, but
that it is stated that there is a permanent error
in the sighting of Mr. Wbitworth's gun, which
is in its favour to the extent of 41 minutes ele-
vation above what appears to be its level. We
give this, however, as a mere on dit, for though
the attention of the Committee has been drawn
to it, no decision has been come to. If the re-
port should turn oat, on examination of the gun,
to be unfounded, Mr. Whitworth may justly claim
all the merit that attaches to a low trajectory at
short ranges. If, however, 41 minutes have to be
added to his elevation, it will leave the question of
superiority in the same state in which the whole
contest still remains—namely, that in accurary and
range there is really nothing to choose, and for
destructiveness and endurance we must wait the
issue of next week's competition.

Vacancies, Promotions, and Appointments
in the Civil Service.

(From the Civil Service Ga:ette.)

WAR-orrict—Mr P. Gaskell and Mr D. Overton
M‘D.armid have been appointed temporary clerks in the
Adjutant-General's Department.

EDUCATTON-OFFICE—Mr P. De Page Itenouf has been
appointed an inspector of schools.

POST-orricE—The postmasiership of 'Wolverhampton
is vacant—income, £34S, with an office, &0., provided by
the Crown. Mr X. E. Blake has been appointed a tempo-
rary clerk, and Mr H. Massey a clerk, at Chester—Mr W.
H. Carr has been promoted from the 2d to the Ist class
Account Branch, Dub!in.

CUSTOMS—Mr W. Cairi, dell; Ist class, has bzen pro-
moted to be a principal clerk—Mr B. Howson from the 2d
to the Ist class, Mr A. Easton from the 3d to the 2d class,
Mr G. Ellice, from the 4th to the 3d class, Mr J. M. New-
man from the sth to the 4th class of clerks, and Mr W.
Smith from the Gth to the sth class of clerks in the 'ware-
housing and general duty department, London—Mr W.
M'Callum from the 2d to the Ist, Mr G. Middleton from
the 3d to the 2d, and Mr J. Rodgerson from the sth to the
4th class of out-door officers, Shields.

INLAND REVENUE—Stamps and Tax Branch— Messrs
F. R. Meynell and C. Riskman havo been promoted from
the 3d to the 2d division, 2d class, Messrs. F. H. Freer, and
R. A. Long from the 4th to the 3d class, and Messrs. T.
Lordan and R. W. Thornby from the 4th to the 3d class in
the Accountant-General's Department—Mr W. Smith,sur.
veyor of taxes, has been transferred from Stafford to Yeovil •
Mr J. B. Watson, surveyor of taxes, from linaraaborough
to Beverley--and Mr IV. Maher, surveyor of taxes, from
Richmond to Haverfordwest—Mr S. Smith, assistant sur-
veyor of taxes, has been promoted to be a surveyor, and ap-
pointed to Knaresborough—and Mr F. Smith, assistant
surveyor, to be a surveyor, and appointed to Richmond,
Yorkshire.

THE EAST INDIES.—Mr E. Jackson has been appointed
to officiate as Puisne Judge of the High Court of Judica-
tare at Fort William, in Bengal, during the Hon. H. V.
Bayley's absence--Mt C. F. Vaughan has been confirmed
in his appointment to the Public Works Department as an
accountant, third class, and posted to Oudh—Mr F. A B.
Glover has been appointed to officiate as Civil and Sessions
Judge of East Burdwan--Mr H. G. Paynter to be assistant
to the magistrate and collector of Patna, and to exercise the
power of a magistrate and deputy collector in that
district—Mr H. B. Lawford to be a magistrate and col-
lector of the second grade in Furreedpore--Mr H. W,
Alexander to be a magistrate and collector of Midgapore—.
Mr T. E. Ravenshaw to be a magistrate and collector of
Patna—Mr T. Twedie, deputy magistrate and deputy col-
lector of Narail, to Dinagepore, in which district he will
exercise the full powers of a magistrate—Mr. V. Irwin to
be assistant to the magistrate and collector of Jessore, ant
to have charge of the sub-division of Narail, exercising the
powers of a sub-magistrate of the Ist class; Mr R. Porch
to be assistant to the magistrate and collector of Nuddea,
and to have charge of the sub-division of Meherpore, exer-
cising the powers of a sub-magistrate of the Ist class—the
Hon. R. S, Ellis, C. 8., sanitary commissioner at Madras
—Mr J. G. Thompson to act as judge of the Court of
Small Causes in the Zillah of Telicherry—Mr J. W. Reid
to be head' assistant to the collector and magistrate of
Tinnevelly—Mr J. H. Garstin to be bead assistant to the
collector and magistrate of_ Malabar—Mr A. C. Trevor to
act as second assistant to the coliseum and magistrate at
Kaira—and Mr H. E. Jacomb to officiate as under-secre-
tary to the Madras Government in the revenue, financials
and general departments.

Fearful Collision and Loss of Life at th.
Mouth of the Thames,

GRAVESEND, FRIDNY, April 15.
Early yesterday morning a very alarming collision took
place near the Mouse Light, a few miles below the Nore,
which resulted in the immediate foundering of a barque
called the Enterprise, Captain Hitch, and the loss of three
of her crew. The unfortunate vessel was bound for St.
Vincent with a valuable cargo. She went down the river
on Wednesday, in charge of Mr. Speeding, a Trinity House
pilot, and anchored near the Mouse Light, about half••past
8 o'clock, for the night, the weather being clear, with a
sharp breeze from E.S.E. The ship rode safely enough until
a quarter-past 3 o'clock on the following morning, when a
vessel, since ascertained to be the schooner John, Captain
Lister, from Newcastle, stated to have been under full can-
vas, came into collision with the Enterprise, striking her
on the port bow, just before the cat-head. So severe was
the shock that some of the crew were thrown out of their
berths. All hands were soon on deck, and it was discavered
that the barque was rapidly sinking. One man succeeded
in getting out of the hole in the bow, and scrambling on
board the schooner. 'Within three or four minutes of the
Enterprise being run into she sunk, in several fathoms,fellow
four of the crew going down with her. One .
poor
ror help
was observed struggling in the water ;
were most piercing, but at the moment assistancenhois
be rendered. Another of the four, a namedyoutht,hevessel sunk.
Lock-
hart, took to the foretop gallant masthead as
au hour he was
His cries were heard, and in the course ofve
by the fishing
ciles
could
taken off and rescued from a water
yegsZack then remained
smack Express, Grover, master.
The
and in a sinking state,
by the schooner,
and on board whiwchhitchhowpaileodt
in anchoring her
of the Enterprise had got•
succeededThaenytithe pilot went cut in the
near the Black Tail 8u0.Y..n
lasumdaatht e remainder of the crew
hands, but nothing could
smack in search of the
gmisstiesgt difficulty was experienced
and for a time, it
be Fcen of them.
schoonerr would go down with the
in clearing the vessTehlsef- °rmea each other,
was feared, that
the
tug having been fallen in with, she
barque. The Victory
her up th 9 river to this
took the schooner
the coal hulk, the crew of the smack assisting
place, alongside
ehe names of those who perished were Slater,
in pumping. - -.TT -e, a lad.
and John Grant, seamen, and iry ..parrow,
aged 49,
in tow and brought . .