The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-22 00:00:00

EXPERIMENTS WITH PERCUS-

SION SHELLS.

WooLwicx, Juir.v 20.—At half-past one o'clock to-day,
notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather, the rain
occassionally descending in torrents, a detachment of the Royal
Artillery, under the command of Major Belson, attended in
the marshes to make further experiments with the percussions
invented by Mr. Wilkinson, Mr. Napier, and Mr. Reece.
Major-General Drummond, C. 8., Director-General of the
Royal Artillery, and Lieut.-Colonel lundav, C. B. and Major
Chalmer were present. Captain Belson having charge of the
guns, Lieutenant Dalton was directed to see that the river
was clear, and to report on the effeet of the shells at the bulwark.
No. I. A 32-pounder shell, invented by Mr. Wilkinson,
struck the bulwark, and went through the second erection, ex-
ploding and entering the earth of the butt, immediately behind
the object aimed at.
_ _ .

No.-2. A 68-pounder shell, invented by Mr. Napier, on the
word of command being given, and the hammer being pulled,
missed fire. Mr. Reece's 32-pounder shell was then fired, and
entered as No. I. On this occasion the shell appeared to ex-
plode about 80 yards before it reached the bulwark, and it was
filo opinion of Lieut.-Col. Dundas that the shell burst in the
air, and of Mr. Reece, and others, that the shell had grazed the
ground before it exploded.
No. 3. Mr. Napier's 68-pounder shell, on being fired, struck
the bulwark and exploded betwixt the two erections, scattering
the fragments eastward and westwards to an extent of several
hundred

No. 4. Mr. Wilkinson's struck the bulwark and went through
both erections, and burst on entering the earth of the butt after
it had gone some depth.
No. 5. Mr. Napier's struck the bulwark and went through
both erections, and entered the earth of the butt, but did not
burst.

No. 6. Mr. Reece's gun, in compliance with his request,
was elevated considerably in its range, to such a degree, in the
opinion of Major Chalrner, as would cause the shell to go over
the butt altogether, and proceed onwards into the river. On
being fired the shell went through the first bulwark, exploding
immediately afterwards, and scattering the fragments in the
interior betwixt the two, tearing the wood to pieces, and lodg-
ing deeply in the erectirm in the rear, exhibiting a very satis-
factory proof of the force of the explosion and certainty of effect.
No. 7. Mr. Wilkinson's shell went through both bulwarks
and exploded in the butt.
No. 8. Mr. Napier's shell went through the bulwark and
exploded betwixt the erections.
No. 9. Mr. Reece's shell exploded in the butt after having
passed through both erections.
No. 10. Mr. Wilkinson's shell exploded almost immediately
on emerging from the month of the gun, the pieces spreading
over an immense range, several fragments having passed
within about fivo or six yards of the spot where Lieutenant
Dalton and the gunners and drivers who attended tonotice the
effect of the shot were standing, and the distance could not
have been less than from 180 to 200 yards to the eastward in
front of the bulwark.

No. H. Mr. Napier's shell passed through both erections
and entered the earth of the butt without exploding.
Mr. Reeve having no more shells, did not fire at this round.
The experiments with percussion shells having been con-
cluded for the present, the result has been such as to afford
this country great cause of satisfaction, so far as oar su-
periority as a nation possessing the most powerful engines
of destruction in a military point of view is concerned, as
it has been proved that we have the means of defence or
punishment to those who might attack us. When the experi-
ments with percussion shells were made last year in. France, it
was ascertained that, under the most favourable circumstances,
not one in four exploded ; but, by the experiments made in
Woolwich Marshes, it has been demonstrated that under every
circumstance the shells invented by Mr. Reece have ex-
ploded without fail, although they have been about eight
months lying in the Royal Arsenal, the same period as Mr.
Napier's and Mr. Wilkinson's. Out of Mr. Napier's seven
'five exploded, and out of Mr. Wilkinson's seven, three or
four exploded, one being doubtful on the previous occasion.
The result of the experiments to-day render it probable that
from some variation in the marking of the degrees of the ele-
vation of the guns from which Mr. Wilkinson's shells were
fired, they might have grazed the ground, and caused the ex-
plosions as they have been reported.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
COUNTY OF GLOUCESTER (CHELTENHAM)
RACES.-TUESDAY.

The Greenaway Stakes of 20 snvs. each, h ft, with 50 added.
About three-quarters of a mile.
Mr. Isaac Day's Executrix, 3 yrs (Conolly) 1
Mr. Griffiths' Hereford, 3 yrs

The Southam Stakes of 5 sovs. each, with 30 added. Two miles.
Mr. I. Day's f, by Nimrod, out of Busk, 4 yrs ... (Conolly) 1
Mr. Griffiths' Tupsley, 4 yrs
Mr. Bristow's Sterne, 3 yrs
Sir C. Cockerell's Beelzebub, 4 yrs...
The Gloucestershire Stakes of 25 sovs. each, 15 ft, and 5 only
if declared ; the second saves his stake. Two miles.
Duke of Richmond's The Currier, 5 yrs
Captain Pettat na Broadwath, 4 yrs
The following also started, but were not placed :—Mr. Col-
lins's Isaac, aged—Mr. Collett.'s The Dean, 5 yrs—Mr. I.
Day's Tamburini, 5 yrs—Mr. Knox's George, 6 yrs—Mr.
Goodman's Mungo Park, 4 yrs—and. Mr. W. Sadler's Speci-
men, 5 yrs.

Won by a neck.

CROYDON COMMON RACES-TUESDAY.

The Hurdle Stakes, twice round and a distance, were won in
two heats by Mr. Bennett's Commodore.
The Croydon Common Cup and Sweepstakes were won in
three heats by Mr White's Susan, 5 yrs (Sly), beating Lord
Huntingtower's f, by I angar, out of sister to Portrait, 3 yrs
(won second heat) ; Mr. Higgins's Roulette, 4 yrs; Sir Bal-
chin's Clematis, 4 yrs ; and 3 others.
The Trotting Races were won by Mr Gray's Lady Dark, beat-
ing Young Confidence, Alexander, and 2 others.