The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-21 00:00:00

WOOLWICH, WEDNESDAY.

EXPERIMENTS IN THE MARSHES.—CoIoneIIn..
das, C. 8., Inspector of Artillery, and Lieutenant-
Colonel Chalmer, Assistant Director General of
Artillery, attended in the Marshes, at two o'clock
F.M. to-day, to witness experiments with a new de-
scription of 32-pounder shell, submitted by Captain
Thistle, of the American army, who was also present.
Captain Thistle's shell is formed very similar in shape
to a sugar loaf, only rather more tapering at the point
into which a nipple is inserted, and grooves are made
along the cone, nearly its entire length, in a slightly
curved form, which caused the shell, apparently,
when fired, to go forward in a straight direction, as
an arrow, instead of revolving in the same manner as
the common circular shells. The first round fired
was from a 32-pounder gun, charged with
41bs. of powder, and one of Captain Thistle's
shells, and its range, when it struck the
ground, was about 550 yards. The second
round was fired from an 8-inch gull, with a charge
of 41bs. of powder, and one of the usual 8-inch shells
of the service, weighing
,about sGlbs., and its range
when it fell was found to be 850 yards. The third
round was fired from the 32-pounder gun, with 4lbs.
of powder and one of Captain Thistle's shells, and its
range was ascertained to be 950 yards. The fourth
round was fired from the 8-inch gun with the same
weight of charge and 56-pounder shell, and ranged
875 yards. The fifth round was from the 32-pounder
gun, with the same weight of powder as the first and
third rounds and one of Captain Thistle's shells, and
its range was about 550 yards. The sixth round
from the 8 inch gun, with 4lbs. of powder and 56-
pounder shell, ranged 875 yards. Captain Thistle
did net appear at all satisfied with the firing of his
shells, declaring that with 41bs. of powder, when
he tried them in America, they never ranged less
than 950 yards. The Captain previous to the seventh
round being fired, ran up to the ammunition boxes,
mad took up the next charge with which the 32-
pounder was supplied from the box whence the 8-inch
gun charges were supplied, and the Gallant Officers
of the select committee allowed the Captain to have
his own way. The result of the firing of the seventh
round was about the same, as near as possible, of the
first and second of the 32-pounder shell on his prin-
ciple, 550 yards. The eighth round from the 8-inch
with the changed charge of powder, gave the same
result as the other three rounds fired from it, about
from 850 to 875 yards. The experiments with the
shells having been completed with the results stated,
a charge of 41bs. of powder was put into the 32-
pounder gun with a 32-pounder solid shot, and the
range was found to be 1,000 yards. A second round
was fired with a similar charge and solid shot, with
the same result, 1,000 yards. All the rounds of both
guns were fired at an elevation of 3 degrees, and
showed that the service of the guns and the shells used
in the British service could le depended upon, when
Captain Thistle's shells only in one instance made a
range of 950 yards, and the three others only 550
yards, with the same advantage in every respect.

What is the difference between a law stationer and
bis clerk ?—While the latter merely engrosses the
deeds, the former engrosses the profits.—Puppet Show.