The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-30 00:00:00

EXPERT NEN? 8 WITH WELLIVO4II.I'B
RIFLED CANNON.

1, which

The official experiments with these gun
were commenced on Wednesday, the 25tt
were continued on Thursday and Friday.
The following are tables of the ranges and de-
Tiations of the shots.
12-pounder gun firing shells weighing 101 b.,
charge Of powder 111 b.
No. of Angle of
Round. Elevation.

inst.,

Range.
Yards.

Deviation from
Line of Fire.
Yards.

1 .. 5 deg .. doubtful ..
2 .. • . 2,618 .. 11 right.
3 .. • • .. 2,606 .. 4 left.
4 .. .. 2,658 1! left.
5 .. • . .. 2,616 .. .. 7 left.
1 .. 7 deg .. 3,357 .. .. 5 left.
2 .. 3,386 .. 51 left.
3 • 3,288 .. 7 left.
4 .. 3,315 .. 41 left. •
5 .. .. 3,252 .. On the line.

Charge 21b. :-
1 .. 10 deg ..

4,556 .. .. 12 left.
4,521 .. .. 19 left.
.. 4,576 .. 13 left.
4,5'5 .. 61 fel

5 .. • • .. 4,562 .. 1_ tetv.
Twelve-pounder gun firing Elliot weighing 121 b. ;
charge of powder 111 b. :
No. of Angle of Range. Deviation from
Round. Elevation. Yards. Line ots Fire.
Yard.
. 3.305 .. .. 2 left.
3,250 .. 21 left.
.4 3,192 101 left.
.. 3,250 .. 7 left.
.. 3,317 .. 3 left.

1• .. .. 7 deg ..
3
5 ;
Charge 21b.:-
1 .. 10 deg. .. 4,500 .. .. 3 left.
2 .. .. 4,523 .. .. 3 left.
3 „. „. 4,498 .. 5 left.
4 .. .. 4,515 5./ right.
5 .. 4,464 .. .. 6 left.
Eighty-pounder gnn firing.shells weighing 551 b. :
charge of powder 141 b. :
No. of Angle of Range. Deviation from
Round. Elevation. Yards. Line of Fire.
Yards.
•
1 .. 2 deg. 1,583 .. 31 right.
2 ~ .. 1,441 .. .. 3 right.
3 • • • • 1, .. 1,409 .. right.
4 „ 1,561 .. 5 left. -
5 • • • • )1 .. 1,472 .. 3,1 left.
Eighty-pounder win, firing solid shot weighing
701 b. ; charge of powder 141b.:--
No of Angle of Range.
Round. Elevation. Yards.

Deviation from
Line of Fire.
Yards.
1,277 On the line.
1,283 .. the line.
1,301 .. 11 left,
1,321 .. 11 right.
1,301 .. + right.
1,801 .. 2+ right.
1,797 .. 3+ right.
1,784 On the line.
1,758 11 left.

2 deg. "

2 •., •• ~

3 Of .• ))

4 .. • • ~
5 • . • • ~

deg.

2 .. • • „
3 .. •• ~
4 .. • • , ,

5 • • • • ~ • • 1,793 • • • • 21 left.
At the conclusion of the second day's experiments
a few shots were fired to test the practicability of
using the breach-loading 80-pounder as a muzzle-
loading gun. No special preparation had been made
for this experiment. The powder was hastily tied
up in square pieces of flannel, so as to form car-
tridges. The cartridges and shot were pushed in at
the muzzle and rammed home in the usual way. As
it was desired to observe the effect of the ricochet,
only half charges of powder were used.
The charges were fired without any difficulty ;
the distances of the first grazes averaged about 940
yards, and the shot then ricochetted with precision
to a considerable distance. As the velocity dimi-
nished they were deflected from the line of fire in the
direction in which the gun is rifled to the right.
On Friday morning a few experiments were made
with the 12-pounder and 80-pounder, fired at high
elevations. _ _

The range obtained with the 80. pounder, firing
551 b. shell, at 10 deg. of elevation, was 5,043 yards!
The time of flight, as observed by the naval officers
present, Captain Herbert, Captain Halstead, and
Lieutenant Ward), was 13.8 seconds.
The range obtained with the 12-pounder, firing
121 b. solid shot, charge 21b., at 35 deg., was up-
wards of 10,100 yards !
The exact distance to which the shot was hurled
could not be ascertained, as it overshot the extent
of dry land range that was available (9,800 yards),
and fell into the sea.

The time of fight, as observed by the naval offi-
cers, was stated to be 40i seconds.
This is the greatest range and the longest fight
that has ever 3et been recorded for any projectile
fired from any gun.

It ought, perhaps, to be stated in justice to both
the gunners and the gun, that in many cases the
differences in range and deviation that are observ-
able in the published tables have been, no doubt,
fairly attributed to the fact that different qualities
of powder were used on the first day, and, in some
cases, the sight was put by mistake at wrong ele-
vations—a circumstance not to be wondered at,
when it is remembered that the cannon were for the
first time handed over to the Royal Artillerymen
and naval gtnners, who, though they worked the
guns admirably, had never fired a Whitworth gun
before. It is not too much to say that the guns
have maintained, as far as their practical working
goes, the high character they had previously
earned with regard to precision, power, and extent
of range.

7HE 211ET1 OPOLIS GAS BILL.

As this bill now stands, it contains, among other
provisions, the following :—The Gas Work Clauses
Act of 1847 is incorporated with it, but it is pro-
posed to be enacted that "it shall not be lawful for
any gas company, by the application of any of their
profits or funds, to make up to the prescribed rate,
or the rate of 10 per cent. where no such rate shall
be prescribed, any dividend which shall have been
payable more than six years previously." The dis-
tricting of the metropolis by the companies is pro-
posed to be sanctioned, and coloured maps of the
several districts are to be deposited with the respec-
tive clerks of the peace of the counties of Middlesex,
London, Surrey, and Kent ; and should the con-
sumers be dissatisfied with the manner in which
such districting is carried out, on a requisition signed
by twenty consumers, the Secretary of State for the
Home Department shall be empowered to appoint
parties who shall investigate the cause of complaint
and report thereon, and such report the Secretary
of State has power to see enforced. The same autho-
rity will have power, on the requisition of any local
board or vestry, or on a memorial signed by twenty
householders, to appoint inspectors to inquire into
any complaints that .may be made as to the distri-
bution, the quantity, and quality of the gas. Any
company disobeying
any, order of the Secretary of
State for the Home Department will be liable to a
penalty of £5O for every offence. By the 15th
clause the companies are compelled to lay down
pipes and supply any consumer with gas, provided
his dwelling door is within fifty yards of the pipes
of the company, and shall also be bound to supply
him with a meter, for
which the company will not
be permitted to charge more than ten per cent.
pany fail to supply
rental on the net cost of the meter ; and if the com-
within fourteen days from the application, they
will be liable to a penalty of 40s. for every day's
gas after being required,
delay. Clause 25 regulates the amount of illuminat-
ing power of gas. It is proposed to be enacted that
gas taken one thousand yards from the works
shall be of such quality as to produce from an
Argand burner, having
fifteen holes and a seven-
inch chimney consuming five cubic feet of gas an
hour, a light equal in intensity to the light pro-
daced by not less than twelve sperm candles of six
to the pound, each burning
one hundred and twenty
grains per hour. Clause 27 provides that local
authorities shall have Power to appoint inspectors
or examiners, for the purpose of testing the quality
and quantity of the gas, and to investigate com-
plaints, and give these bodies power to pay these
examiners for their services. By the 40th clause
it is proposed to be enacted that the companies shall
be permitted to charge 4s. 6d. per 1,000 cubic feet
for gas; but that they cannot increase the price
without giving a month's notice to the consumer,
in order to allow the consumer to appeal to the
Secretary of State for the Home Department, who
will be empowered to institute an inquiry as to
whether there is any just reason for raising the
price, but in no case shall any company, under any
circumstances, be allowed to charge more than
ss. 6d. per 1,000 cubic feet for common gas, and
7s. 6d. for cannel gas. Such are some of the chief
provisions
of Lords. The delegates and Sir John Shelley have
it t been able to obtain all that is required on the
part
oftheof
consumers, the bill
but they have compelled the
companies to grant infinitely more than was ex-
pected when the opposition against the companies
commenced.

FAMILIES OF SOLDIERS SERVING IN INDIA.—
Her Majesty's Emigration Commissioners have given notice
of their intention to receive tenders to-morrow for a vessel
to convey the wives and families of soldiers serving in
India from either Liverpool, Plymouth, or Southampton,
on the 27th proximo, to Calent a. Fifteen superficial feet
of space will be required in the between decks for each pas-
senger over three years of age, and half that space for each
child between one and three ; children between one and 12
are to receive only half the rations of an adult.