The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-28 00:00:00

INCENDIARY SHELLS FOR WARFARE.

TO THE EDITOR. OF THE SUN.

Sin,—Perceiving that Captain J. Norton has replied to
my. letter of the 17th inst., which you kindly gave insertion
to in your number of the 19th inst., I hope you will permit of
the followinc, appearing in your valuable paper, trusting
that Capt.aaJ. Norton will at last perceive that an honest
courtesy is always the best policy. I here quote the fol-
lowing from the "Military and Naval Intelligence" of tho
Times, under date February 11, 1859
Yesterday some experiments took place near the Field
Works of the Royal Engineers, at Chatham, for the pur-
pose of trying some new descripions of missiles which have
been invented by Captain J. Norton. The experiments first
made were with a new descriptions of rifle shell, called by
Captain Norton the ' liquid-fire rifle shell.' The results of
the experiments yesterday proved that the shell in question
is one of the most extraordinary projectiles ever introduced
into the art of warfare. The interior of the shell is filled
with a glass (a small vial) in which is contained the ' liquid
fire.' This chemical substance is prepared from a secret in
the possession of Captain Norton, but the chief ingredients
are phosphorus dissolved in bi-sulphate of carbon, and her-
metically sealed. The Engineer officers present expressed
themselves in satisfactory terms at the result of the experi-
ments made with Captain Norton's INVENTIONS."
From the above quotation it is evident that Captain J.
Norton claims the invention of the "liquid fire," or incen-
diary shell, and that " his secret," although not exactly
fully known, is composed chiefly of the ingredients of
"phosphorus dissolved in bi-sulphite of carbon."
Since the above period, and until the present time, Capt.
J. Norton has been making experiments with his "liquid-
fire" compositions at Chatham, and as he has not denied or
corrected the above quotation from the limes, and several
subsequent erroneous statements which have therein also
appeared, and from thence copied into the leading and other
papers of the day, Lieut.-General Sir William Napier and
the public generally, believe that Captain J. Norton is the
"real and original inventor of such incendiary compounds,"
—as, if not, wuv should Sir William Napier write to Capt.
Norton a letter of congratulation ? Besides, how can Cart.
Norton explain the fact of his having himself sent copies
of this letter for publication to the newspapers, and
thereby still further lead the, public mind into error :
With respect to Captain Norton's statement, as contained
in the last paragraph of his letter of the 23d inst., viz., that
during "My recent experiments at Chatham I only used
my ‘. own' shells, charged with the liquid-fire which Dr.
Scoffern gave me about three years ago, and Mr. Went-
worth Scott filled a few of my rifle-shells' with his ' own'
liquid fire."
• Now, as'the compo'sition, as quoted from the Times, not
having been denied, and consequently having been used by
Captain Norton during his rocent.experiments at Chatham,
and that, while using such compounds, he has not lued.the
frankness of denying-that he was the inventor of such incen-
diary ingredients, and has led the public into error, I hope,
Mr. Editor, you will oblige me by giving due publicity to
this statement, as so erroneous an impression is very injuri-
ous to Mr. J. Macintosh, who is the real inventor and
patentee of the same. - •
I beg to add that all the experiments which Captain J.
Norton has recently carried on at Chatham, and reported in
the Times,'are "not ggicial," neither are they sanctioned by
the military authorities, who, I understand, have sent in-
structions to the Commandant at Chatham to prevent any
further experiments taking place on the Government prac-
.-tice ground, unless previous permission had been granted
by the Military authorities.—l am, sir, &c.,
April 27, 1859. " JUSTICE."

THE POLICY OF FRANCE.