The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-08 00:00:00

of demonstrating the worthlessness of their

intentions.
With a somewhat wide experience in these mat-
ters, we find it quite impassible to give any detailed
description of the target tried yesterday that would
be at all intelligible to the general reader. The
whole target was 13 feet long by 10 feet high, and
composed, as we have said,of seven armour plates,
no two of which were alike in length or width, mode
of fastening, or mode of backing. To call this ag-
glomeration of different principles one target was
simply ridiculous ; it was as distinctly seven tar-
,ets as auy seven by clifferent inventors that have
ever been tried at Shoeburyuess. One of the two
chief merits claimed for it was a new method of
securing the plates by dovetailed slots and bolt bars,
but the bolts in each bar varied in the different plates
in number and thickness ; and, to lose no chance,
whatever might happen,one plate was fastened with
through bolts in the old style always used. Another
peculiarity was the backing, the angle iron being
laid transversely, so as to form a series of cells of
iron filled with teak, pine, or millboard. :But here,
again, almost all the backings differed in filling, size
of evil, or thickness and depth of angle iron. Except
for the general principle of a backing of cellular
iron
somewebs,vertical or horizontal, and filled in with
deadening substance, it was altogether the
kindre ; e tvlor yr i tie
targets at
of
was a mass of patents of some
Shoeburyness have ever had before th
their guns. It was a mass of targets most varied compound target the authorities
muzzlesel
was intended to try this curious aggbluotm.etration of
mechanical crotchets some time ago, or other. It
comple-
tion was, we believe, delayed by a threatened in-
junction
from Mr. Lynal. Thomas, on the ground of
Mr. Clark's infringement of his patent rights.
The ordeal to which this target was intended to
be submitted was the same as that by which the
Warrior and all other targets are tried, and which
may be summarised by stating that it begins with
heavy shells filled with sand and fired at low velo-
cities, gradually increasing to live shells, then to
solid shot, then to salvoes of solid shot with small
charges and low velocities, and, lastly, to salvoes of
shot with full charges. Shells, whether empty or
filled with sand, have no perceptible effect on any
iron target ; so that this portion of the programme
was abandoned, and firing commenced at once with
68-pounder live shell. It would scarcely be of in-
terest to follow the details of mischief done more or
less by each shot, especially as, after the first three
with live shell, all the succeeding rounds until the
firing in salvo commenced were with the smooth-
bore 68-pounder gun, with cast-iron shot and the
full service charge of 161 b. of powder. The effects
these produced may be summed up in the few words
that, though the target stood better than was ex-
pected—for it was not expected to stand for long at
all—it from the first showed signs of giving way,
and to use the expressive language of the prize
ring, became more " groggy" after every round. The
rivets at the back went fast and early, and the bolt-

heads, the main fastenings of the plates, gave way
also with a rapidity much greater than is usual in
any but bad targets. Six had gone before the sal-
voes commenced; the plates were deeply indented
and buckling up, and one or two ribs at the back of
all were bending outwards. The plates, which were
rolled at the Al illwall Ironworks, were of admirable
quality, and, though dented and bent, showed no
signs of cracking, nor, strange to say, did they give
any marks of yielding where the deep slots had
been cut in them at the back to hold the bolt-bars.
The last of the 68-pounders fired struck on plate No.
7, and broke through it. This plate, however, was
only three inches in thickness. .A salvo of three 100-
pounders with 141 b of powder and two 68's with 161 b of
powder, was then fired simultaneously, but only
four of the guns went off. The united blows of
these four, however, shook the whole target most
seriously, and cracked its largest plate almost com-
pletely across. It was evident that it was pretty
well on its last legs, so the Armstrong 300 or 150-
pounder, according as it is used with spherical or
elongated projectiles, was loaded and laid to give it
its coup de grace. This most formidable piece—
which no target, not even that of Mr. Chalmers, has
ever yet entirely resisted—was loaded with 501 b. of
powder and a round shot of 1501 b. weight. The
effect of this was instant and tremendous. With a
terrific crash it smashed through the thickest (51in.)
elate of the target, through cells and backing and
inner skin—shivering into matchwood one after the
other two of the massive beams which shored up the
target from behind, and, ploughing into the earth
beyond, glanced and went up into the still, hot air
with a roar that was audible for many seconds.
Beams, bolts, and plate had all alike been scattered
into fragments far and wide before the passage of
this tremendous missile, and one could only look
with wonder upon the wreck it had made, and think
with something like terror on the effect which such
a shot would have upon the ships it struck, and
above all upon the crew that happened to be inside
it when such a thunderbolt of war came in. It was
er
constructedward s,. that
ohne had
thea
s
prolonged flight its sound showed it
theho
shot
ehnaedr a l
inflictedopinion,afterjudging
iits
frompa
ss
atghee smashingthrough
target, and the prolo .
been behind the first
would in all probability have gone through both.
it
hadsecond made
targetth through
thegh same
ahrue
eaikr i
nee
def afterwards,
b Would have gone in at one
side and out at the other, making the same ruin of
both. One more shot
plnrinotohiperlewoofrtdhsi,shtaadrgaets,hiti
was fired from the same gun
with a 151 b.
with a reduced chaghrgeraelpollfat3theselbofr.e4osftinpocofhwtehdser, but with
hhgta hethrs
stood
lasto ns ho o t fired, of
e reduction3oolb .
o f weight,fi r iloadedcharge, went as
eafsaibt
fabric,
i cp,r eadned-
cessor had
a steel shell
done through the sf-inch, the explosion
of the shell shaakniont
knocking up the uppermost plate about six inches.
This inches.
it to the grouud. It was the last shot
for the poor target
hw!loneTavuranehlbuddti
brought
trirlhwoggaruavolseuht
more—another blow would
fired, and we may _ .
venture to express a hope that it
is the last time we shall have to lay before the public
the demerits of the long series of inventors' costly
targets, for the
the construction and destruction of all
public have had to pay.
Only one target has
fulfilled all the requirements of strength so needed
and so long sought for—the Chalmers target. This,
we believe, has been repo
authorities at Sho b
terms to the G
existing in favou f • '
rted upon by the proper
e uryness in the most favourable
overnment. With such a report
r o an ironside target, and there-
fore in favour
of a method of constructing our
future iron frigates,
it seems a sheer waste of time
and money to continue .
firing
at targets like that of
yesterday, which, if experience is worth anything,
[ was known to be little better
than worthless before
r it was put up.
.h _____--

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A MURDERED CIIILD.—On Monday evening
lad, digging in the garden of a florist in William-
street, New North-road, Islington, came upon the decapi-
tated body of a child in a state of decomposition. It was
buried a little way from the surface of the earth. As there
were many persons in the garden at the time the news soon
spread, and the assistance of the police was called. The
remains were inspected by a medical man, and declared to
be those of a little girl, and a close examination of the re-
mains of the clothing has led to the belief that the body is
none other than that of the poor child who was stolen about
15 months' since, within a couple of hundred yards of this
spot—Elizabeth Hunter—whose disappearance caused ee
much excitement, and for whose discovery her Majesty's
Government offered £lOO reward. The grounds for tais
belief are stated to be that the description of the missing
child's boots corresponds exactly with those found, and
that earrings were found with the head, which was discovered
buried at a short distance from the body. It is stated fur-
ther that the head was found some months since and re-
buried without any notice being taken. An immenbsoed crowd
of persons gathered round the place where the y was
discovered, and remained there till past midnight. The
body has been removed to the dead-house, where it awaits
a coroner's inquisition.
HENRY V.—A very magnificent life-size portrait
model of this monarch, attired in the curious cos-
(1413), has been just added to Mad
in Baker-street.Edwa
eAdgiinneaourcotstly suit of , The effigy of rdte Black
roost attractive sights in. the fpisertoiriodcal Gallery
gained the Henry,sur-
memor-
ablePrince,onTt
nua u
se r
am
of
ab
dfsout fl:etif,netesohen
outh, invaded France and gain n
Ilona
se
armour, continues to be