The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-26 00:00:00

7HE ARMY.

By the death of Major-Gen. C. Diggle, K.H., a
pension for distinguished and meritorious services
is placed at' the disposal of his Royal Highness the
Commander-in-Chief, Major-Gen. Diggle was one
of the few remaining officers who served with
the 52d Light Infantry, under General Sir John
Moore, and on the expedition to Gotteaburgh.
He subsequently served in the Peninsula, and was
present during the retreat and at the battle of
Corunna ; also in the action of the Coa, Battle of
Busaco, and the retreat upon Torres Vedras. Gen.
Diggle likewise served during the campaign from
1813-16, including the attack on Merxheim, where
he commanded the 2d battalion in the advance
upon Antwerp for the bombardment of the French
fleet. He was also present at the battle of Water-
loo, where, during the brave repulse of the French
Imperial Guard, he .was severely wounded. The
dates of the deceased General's commissions were—
Ensign, Aug. 31,1804; Lieutenant, Feb. 14, 1805 ;
Captain, May 24, 1810 ; Major, June 18, 1815 ;
Lieutenant-Colonel, Jan. 10, 1837 ; Colonel, Nov.
11, 1851 ; and Major-General, Aug. 31, 1855.
Instructions have been forwarded from the office
of the Deputy Adjutant-General to Colonel Har-
ness, C. 8,, Director of the Royal Engineer estab-
lishment, Chatham, directing a detachment of 22
non-commissioned officers and men who have com-
pleted their curriculum of instruction at the topo-
graphical and drawing schools, Chatham, to be
held in readiness to join the companies of Engi-
neers now engaged upon the Ordnance survey of
Great Britain. The candidates selected will pro-
ceed from headquarters to Southampton on the Ist
of October.

Than this experiment nothing could possibly have
been more conclusive. Not only was the armour-
plate pierced, but the piece opposed to the actual
stroke of the flat-headed shell was driven through
teak and inner lining, and, in truth, became another
shot of some 301 b. weight. In fact, this last shell
might have destroyed the whole of one side of the
target had the shell been only capable of contain-
ing an adequate bursting charge—say 101 b. or 121 b.
of powder. This latter most important requisite,
however, the Whitworth shell, from its peculiar con-
struction, is at yet unable to accomplish, and until
it is brought about nearly all the advantages gained
by its enormous powers of penetration will, com-
paratively speaking, be in a manner lost against
iron frigates. Once, however, that the shell is
made to hold a powerful charge of 101 b. of fine pow-
der, iron vessels will become, we believe, almost as
much at the mercy of these ordnance as wooden
ones now are to the terrible shells of Armstrong.
This experiment with the shell was, therefore,
considered so far satisfactory as to its penetrating
powers that no further attempts were made with it,
and the trials were continued with the Horsfall
gun at 800 yards against the uninjured plates of the
same target. The immense difference between
the powers of a smooth bore and a rifled gun,
both as to accuracy and force of its projectile,
then at once became apparent. The first shot Shakespeare compares England to a fortress, and
fired from the Horsfall with 741 b. of powder and a the Channel to a moat, but if he saw the leviathan
2751 b. round shot struck in front of and some ten steamers now coming up that Channel, he would be
or twelve feet to the left of the target, which it the first to acknowledge that the comparison did
missed altogether. The gun was relaid again, and not hold good in the present day. We do not now
again the shot struck the ground about 40 feet look upon the sea as itself giving us a defence ; it
in front of the mark, ricochetting with a slight is only our chief medium of defence. But it is
rise, and striking full on an uninjured plate. In now, as in the days of Drake, our great commercial
this case it smashed an immense hole, shattered highway and source of our strength, girding us, if
the teak, and fractured the inner skin, leaving all it does not guard us, end bearing into our havens
the elements of a fearful leak, as Mr. Whitworth's all the products of the known globe. All who
first shot had done, but, like that also, not going leave us or approach us must do so by this great
quite through. The third shot again missed the highway, which carries on its bosom in the course
target entirely, striking wide of the mark; and of one year alone, to and from our own ports no
the fourth, and last, only just saved the now less than 267,770 ships, including repeated voyages,
sadly diminished reputation of the gun by hit- and which ships have probably been manned by
ting the extreme uppermost corner of the tar- 1,600,000 souls.
get, the metal of which it smashed. The Such is the field of operations over which these dry
failure of this gun at this range was there- statistics of the Board of Trade carry us. As usual,
fore as satisfactorily settled as the success of Mr. they have been most ably drawn up and collated in
Whitworth's, and the trials were discontinued. It every possible form. Yet on nearly every page of
Yesterday morning the experiments,
----
which last was next intended to proceed with the 12-pounder this register these startling facts, in admonitory
week elicited such startling results with
the guns Whitworth against a plate of no less than four terms, face us, that 1,494 shipwrecks occurred on
and shells of Mr. Whitworth, were again resumed inches in thickness, but as at each end of the shots British shares last year, from which 884 people are
on a larger and more important scale, in the pre-
we huve described the spectators had to retire long known to have perished.
sence of a number of officers and scientific gentle- distances from the targets to the shelter of the The number of wrecks last year has unfortunately
men, at the old practice-ground at Shoeburyness* "splinter proofs," many hours had been consumed exceeded the number during any of the preceding
It will be in the recollection of our readers that and the day was waning fast. It was therefore de- nine years, and it is 260 in excess of the annual
last week Mr. Whitworth's 12 and 74-pounders tided to give up further trials, except to test if the average of the last six years.
were tried at 200 yards' range, with shell against armour plates which had been fired at were up to It is a lamentable fact that shipwrecks on our
iron plates of various thicknesses and sizes, and al- the proper standard of resistance. This trial test coasts have been of late years on the increase. Thus
ways with the most astonishing effect, the 74.poun- was made at 200 yards with the old smooth-bore during the last seven years we find the following
der shell, with a comparatively very light charge 168-pounder, and the depth of the indent made by account :—ln 1855,1,141 ; 1856, 1,153 ; 1857, 1,143;
of powder, being driven through the mass 01'4 inch i this projectile showed. at once that the plates were 1858, 1,170 ; 1859, 1,416; 1860, 1,379 ; 1861, 1,494.
iron, apparently with the greatest ease. No breach, by no
means equal_ in resisting
power to those which The wreck chart, which accompanies the register,
however, was made in the target so complete as to covered the old target. The metal was ex- clearly shows the spot where each casualty occurred,
satisfy the Ordnance and Iron Plate Committee that ceedingly brittle. br
so far satisfactory efforts, and the number of lives lost by it.
the same astonishing effects could be obtained with With these pro and con, We are told that this great increase of disasters
a larger gun when tried at a greater range than 1 the experimen
• ts of the day were brought to a close, lin 1861 was owing to the fearful gales of January,
200 yards, and against a target constructed of the Ito be, no doubt, renewed again with some much February, and November of that year, when 842
same strength of the broadside of the renowned 1 thicker and stouter kind of target,. which in its turn wrecks took place, principally among our rotten
Warrior. It was to set at short-lived victory over
gain a s . . the collier class of vessels. Gales, even of a moderate
rest whatever doubts may perhaps
Week to week public opinion, character, existed in the minds of those who thus disbelieved guns. Thus, from viT are always destructive to these ships ; or,
in the powers of Mr. Whitworth's gun and its fiat- and even the opinion of our scientific authorities, is in
other
words, they are doomed to certain destruc •
fronted shot and shell that the most important of kept vacillating between the comparative merits of tam under • circumstances in which a ship if sea-
the trials of yesterday were made in the presence of the resistance of plate and the penetration or shot. worthy, and properly manned and found, ought to
Lord Clyde, Sir
W. Armstrong, Mr.
Whitworth, What, it may be asked, practical result be able is to be the
to
keep
the sea. The best harbours of to-
the members of the Iron Plate Committee, and a of all these experiments ? e world Are we at last to dews- fuge in the
d would not, therefore, prevent a 1
can send its shot tithe of these •
very large assembly of artillery and naval officers. lope a really good gu n which
sin the
in day? often occur disasters, which unfortunately too
Theigun used on this occasion was a gun whiehic our
through any armour, or is armour to ga
.. where neither the lifeboat nor the rocket
difficulties. apparatus is •
recent notice of these experiments we ventured to The whole of this question is beset with available to succour their unfortunate
think would be found the most formidable assailant The iron men believe that they can so coat a ship as crews.
W
tho ; e regret to find
armour plates have yet had to encounter—namely, to practically render her invulnerable to any s that the number of collisions is
manufactured at Wool- firmly also on the • increase.
an ordnance muzzle loader, while, on the other hand, artillerists are as No calamity is more fearful
with on Sir W. Armstrong's wrought-iron coil prin- of opinion that they can make guns wine
• h shall also than that of a collision at sea during a dark stormy
iron
ciple, but with the beautiful hexagonal bore of Mr. be practically equal to crippling any frigate
night. Its destructive
effects are instantaneous,
Whitw oith's mode of rifling. Its weight was 7 tons that ever floated. Who is to decide this disagree- and frequently a large number of persons go down
8 cwt., its length about 12 feet, and its calibre a went of the doctors, especially when the results of with either ship. The
collisions
in British waters
120-pounder, though, in fact, capable of and quite these Shoeburyness experiments vary every week, .
were in 1859, 349 ; in 1860, 298 ;and in 1861 323
equal to thowing shot of at least double that and are almost equally strong alike for ships and But what is very remarkable in regard to these'.
weight with perfect safety. It was placed on a guns ?In our humble judgment we venture to think fearful collisions is the fact that, during the past
platform at a distance of 600 yards from the that, in the end, gun% must carry the day, for, s-1 years,
; 750 collisions have taken place in clear
s ction of the Warrior target, a longer range ss bile there is no limit to the size and weight of the and fine weather, 378 from bad look out, 264
by 400 yards than any gun has hitherto been laid ordnance w hich fortification% or even ships can carry, from
neglect of rule of road at sea, and 61 from sc-
atShoeburyness to penetrate such a formidabledecided
there is a most limit to theseamanship. The
want of gross total of colli-
weight of armour tual
sof iron and teak. At a distance of 800 yards which seagoing frigates will support—a limit we sions during the past six years having been 1864,
Inas
Horsfall or Mersey gun was also levelled have fully reached, if indeed we have not overpassed, A natural sequence of the increase of vessels
the great H
target. This gun, it will be remem- in the 51-in. armour vessels now building As far as wrecked is the increase of precious lives lost. The
at the same
ds' range sent its shot through the regards this blacksmith's method of defending ships number of persons who thus 'lost their lives in 1861
bared, at 200 yar .
884, while in 1860 it was
last occasion making a huge ragged is concerned, we have not much advanced upon the was, as previously stated,
target, on the
of the plate, and crushing unwieldy floating batteries that attacked-R.
—inbn
rll, only 536.
hole in the very centre
The admirers of this now or those still more hideous o lumps" of the %Mon Thisremembered, is not a casual loss ;
is, let it be
through all beyond it.
maintained that
smooth-bore gun and " Trusty" class, which were with difficulty kept it is a continual if not an ever-increasing one. The
very old-fashioned
it would do again 1 from foundering as they were towed with chain drain on our sailors and fisherman goes on year after
-what had been done at 200 yards .
logly, after the I cables up the Baltic. The Russian 32-pounders year, notwithstanding all the benevolent and etre-
'with the same ease at 800. Accord

THE TVRECK STATIST ICS AND CHART
FOR 1861.

The order from the Horse Guards authorizing
the augmentation of the corps of Royal Engineers
by the formation of two additional companies to
that branch of the service was read to the officers
and troops of the corps at a full-dress parade held
at Brompton-barracks, Chatham, yesterday, under
the command of Lieut.-Col. Browne, C.B. The
augmentation will raise number of companies of
Royal Engineers to 40, six of which will be the
depot companies for the supply of well-trained men
for India and colonial service. The augmentation
of the corps will take effect from the Ist of October,
when the additional companies will be formed at
head-quarters, Capt. R. B. Rimington having been
appointed to the command of the 39th, and Capt.
W. S. Boileau, to that of the 40th company.

IMPO.RTANI RXPE.RIMEIVIS AT SHOE-

B Ult YNE SS.