The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-15 00:00:00

THE ELEk;TitIC GUN.

A series if interesting experiments with phis powerful
apparatus were performed on Wednesday. in King-
street, Westminster, by Mr. Benningtield, its inventor.
The machine has on former occasions Is' en described in
the pubic journals, so far as its external appearance is
conceraed, hut as the principle remains a secret wiih its
inventor, nothing beyond conjecture can be known of its
construction. Its efficiency as a military eegine was
amply demonstrated in what we witnesses: of its powers.
whilst its susceptibility of being adapted to the purpose
of modern warfare, hate been expee-sed in strong lan-
guage by Sir Frederick french, Sir Edward Cothington,
Sir Howard Douglas, Sir Charles Napier, and many
other disinguished officers of both services. The
electric gun, as it was exhibited to us, is mounted on three
wheels, the third being placed accross the direction of its
1-ngth, so as to swing it round in the mann.-!r of a tra-
verse or swivel. A target of a clearer-inch iron plate is
placed at a distance of about 30 yards from the gun,
which was directed against it, and charged will small
leaden bullets. Single stints repeatedly followed one
another at imperceptibly small intervals of time, and
apparently without the smallest effort en the part of
tho-e who ‘. manned " the machine. The discharge of a
volley from this gun is a matter of the greatest sim-
plicity ; nor does it appear to be more difficult to lire a
hundred volleys successively than one. A continued
volley was frequently poured upon the same spot of the
target, with an accuracy and effect truly surprising.
Of the initial velocity of the shot it would be difficult to
speak correctly, as it has not yet b'en tested by the bal-
listic pendulum, or other instruments employ ed to de-
termine the momenta of projectiles. That a consider-
able velocity is easily communicated to a shot by
the machine, there can be no doubt. The bullets flat
ten tip immediately on touching the target, and frag-
ments broken off bury themselves deep in the wooden
frame. A piece of dry Scotch fir has been penetrate.i
by one of the small bullets to a depth of two inches ; and
two of them were shown us, which, from the one. having
been fired directly upon :he other, were completely
welded into one mass. The correctness of the aim is a
peculiar feature of the apparatus ; for the barrel can
easily be adjusted to any practical angle of depression or
of elevation. In the short space of four seconds it eau
be brought to bear upon any two different points, and a
tremendous quantity of lead showered upon the spot.
For ricochet firing it seems to be admirably adapted, and
there appears little reason to doubt that as an ab- ,
solute concentration of infantry, which it in fact:
is, it would be found invaluable in either branch'
of the service. The fatal havoc that a machine of
the kind could create in an ambuscade or in an
intrenchment, can he easily conceived. Its rapidity
of execution in clearing any curtain of a fortified place,
a drawbridge or bridge of pontoons, in cutting down a
marching column, or in defending a breach or mountain
pass, is taco a matter on which no doubt can be reason-
ably entertained. In attacking a fortress the machine
appears capable of doing great service, by a simple and
elegant manoeuvre. Guns of this kind being drawn in
the rear of the advancing party, the files immediately
before it have only to separate sligotly, in order to allow
a few volleys to be discharged, which would certainly
unman the guns of a bastion, curtain, or breast-work.
Its great lightness, the certainty of its aim, the tre-
mendous quantities of metal it is capable of discharging
within the shortest time, and the extreme risk and diffi-
culty of taking it, must render it alike the treasure of
the service which employs it, and the terror of the enemy.

THE WEATHER AND CROPS IN SCOTLAND.—The_
on Saturday
heavy fall of rain which accompanied the thunder storm or
manyroads
la.zit -Friday, was followed, as alrea*.y etated,rneeing
i the
forenoon by a further outimuring of the clouds,ee
deluge to which the crops had so recently been
again laving a large portion of the
were torn up ; bridges swept?'
dwtn intro and gravel brought down
Much damage has been suswtaalynedthiensocioinwsrasquheendcoeff;
fields, and others covenres.
d The crop was quickly laid down,
from the higher gyuavuing
breezy,
dry, neighbourhoodand mild, and in
ni
rut
sprung up on Sunday, much ()Lit
On Monday morning reapers were at
but a brisk wilidl
was again raise
mwaisn thi
work
East Lothian.
on a!rnost 4
the whole a good harvest day. Every hand was at work,
every farm
and evening showed, in the numerous well stooked fields,
that the most had been made of the favourable opportunity.
Hands are more scarce than usual, and wages high, with a
tenvency to go still higher. Fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen
shillings a week, with vi'tuals, have
and eve:; at this high rate hands are not abundant. Of the
quality and 3 ield of the crop it would be premature to give
any decided opinion ; but the small quantities which have
yet been brought to the tiara floor, are a fair average, both
as respects yield, weight, and quality.—Caledonian Mercury.
FEARFUL SITUATIoN.—A Mr. Gray, of Providence,
painter of the congregational meeting-house, in Kingston,
Rhode Island, last week ascended the steeple to take off the
vane for gilding, and having left the ladders, climbed the
iron spire to the distance of twelve or thirteen feet above, re-
lying upon the hall, half-way up the spire, to rest his feet on,
and from which position he could take the vane off with his
right hand. While he was in the very act, the ball on which
his feet rested gave way
and ran down the spire. At this
moment he was raising the vane over the end of it ; as he
did so, the spire growing smaller, made a convenient place
for his thumb to keep the balancer in the gudgeon bore,
when the hall gave way under him and sank. The vans
falling back with his thumb in the gudgeon bore, held him
. d
fast, with his feet dangling in the air. He remained
in this perilous situation until a man ascendedspire,
and placing his shoulder the
under his feet, at once relieved
' an
big. The awe was terrible to behold.—Anterrc Parer.

HAMBURGH MAIL.
STurrGanD, AuG.l.—An address to the Assembly of the
the Estates of Holstein was ioiwarded from this city yester-
day evening.
ILANovxn, AUG. 7.—The General Assemblage of the
.states of the kingdom was prorogued to-day, till the Ist of
November, after a session of more than five months.
FRONTIERS or GALAcza, JULY 26.—The harvest is al-
ready begun in the eastern s„•-ircles of Galacia, and the cheerful
countenances of the peasants and the nobles prove, that
happily for this unfortunate country, there will be a most
abundant harvest. In some circles, howe;'er, they look for-
ward to the harvest with fear, because the peasants threaten
not to suffer the nobles to have the whole produei, Most of
the nobles pass the summer in the towns, and the magis-
trates of the circle has given the strictest orders that no one
shall be injured in his right, and that every excess on tbe
part of the peasantsseverely punished. It is natural that the
great fear of the nobles iccreaee the insolence of the peasants.
However, as there is nothing to give occasion to further per**
secution their threats may, perhaps, be as a milder interpre-
tation, conformably to the Polish character. Everybody is
anxiously looking for the arrival of Count Stadion, the impe-
rial Commissioner, who is• daily expected. It is generally as-
serted at Cracow that Mr. Von Shindies, formerly President
of the Senate, will shortly return and take part in the Go-
vernment.
VIENNA, AUG. I.—lt seems to be worth mentioning that
the Amsterdam Observer communicates to its readers, with-
out curtailment, the address of the Estates of olstein
against the letters patent.
KIEL, AUG. 7.—lnstead of the members of the Estates of
Holstein, who withdrew from it, the substitutes are,
summoned to meet at Itzehoe. It is estimated that
the Assembly of the Estates cannot be sufficiently
completed to come to any resolution, since there must be at '
least three-fourths of the total number present (that is 36 el
the 48), and it is supposed that, under the most favourable
circumstances, the Government will not be able to bring
together more than 30, or at the most 32 members.
VIENNA, Ansi. I.—lt is said that Sir Robert Gordon, the
English Ambassador, is to be succeeded by Lord Moira. -
Much is here said, in the higher circles, of the visit which the
King of Prussia paid to Prince Metternich at. Konigswarthr
It is -aid that the Prince had a conference with the King
respecting the question of the Prusifian Constitution.
GAL'CIAN FRONTIERS, AUG. 2.—Count Stadion passed the
frotniers last week, and avoiding the usual road throußb
Cracow- and Lemburg, took that through Myslewios.
has declined all. visits front the authorities; but in all
towns in which he passed visited the prisons, in which the
many political pri,ouers are confined. It is said that he will
make a tour through all Galicia, by which he will meet
ea-ily convince himself that the peasants in certain circles
refuse to perform the services which they owe to the noble, ,
laittiewners in the ,approaching harvest. It seems strangle.,
that the Jews, undei These circumstances, should buy corn ca
these peasauts.— Hamburg,. Papers, Aug. 11.