The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-12 00:00:00

TRIAL OF THE NEW GUN " PRINCE

ALFRED."

The above-named redoubtable piece of wrought-
iron ordnance, which, it may be remembered, was
named in honour of Prince Alfred's visit to the
Mersey Steel and Iron Works, on the 20th of Sep-
tember last, has been so far completed as to admit
of its being tested, which was done on Saturday,
on the beach between Crossby and Hightown.
This immense gun is 12 feet long, is 35 inches in
diameter at the breech and 18 inches at the muzzle,
and measures no less than 5 feet 2 inches across the
trunnions. It is a chamber gun, on the Gomer
principle, and is 10 inches in diameter of bore, and
calculated to throw a shot weighing between 5001 b.
and 60,11 b.; its own weighvtioiussllyo
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Saturday, having been pre
truck, it was drawn to the place of trial
by seventeen horses, although it had to be con-
veyed over six or eight miles of sandy beach.
The trial of Saturday, being only a preliminary one,
was made with small charges of powder and com-
paratively light shot. The object of Saturday's
experiments was to ascertain the effect of 10-inch
140-pounder shot against a target similar in struc-
ture to our floating batteries. The target was put
up at a distance of 210 yards from the point at
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inches in thickness, and this target was strongly
strutted and kneed, and every means were adopted to
enable it to resist the impact of the shot. Notwith-
standing these precautions the first shot which
struck it produced a most extraordinary effect. As
already stated, the ball weighed 1401 b., and this
mighty projectile was impelled by a charge of
201 b. of powder. It struck just below the bull's-
eye, and completely carried away the target, Which
was driven several feet along the sands, and turned
completely over. On examination the plate was
found to be indented nearly three inches by the shot,
while only a slight crack was visible on its surface.
At present this formidable piece of ordnance is
smooth iu the bore ; but it is to be rifled, after
which it will be tested with the heavier shot already
mentioned. It is but right to add that this gun,
which is entirely of wrought-iron, was forged hol-
low, on a plan invented by Lieut.-Col. Clay, by
which the solidity and homogeneousness of the
metal are more fully insured than by the ordinary
methods in use; and it may be fairly stated that
Saturday's experiments were considered to be satis-
factory in every respect. Other experiments will,
it is understood, be made with the "Prince Alfred"
gun within a comparatively short period of time.—
Liverpool Albion.

BREBCILLOADING ORDNANCE.

A large breech-loading gun, of Sir William Arm-
strong's construction, but having the apparatus for
closing the breech arranged to work from the side,
as explained by him at a recent meeting of the In-
stitution of Civil Engineers, was last week tried
for quick and continued firing by the Ordnance
Select Committee. The weight of the gun was
little over four tons, the shot weighed 1141 b., and
the charge used was 141 b. The trial was made at
the Woolwich proof butt, and 51 consecutive rounds
were fired in 46 minutes and 16 seconds. At the end
of the 15th round the shot began to pass through
the butt, and the gun and carriage had. in., cousei-
quence to be removed to another platforM, where
the butt presented a sounder face. The time lost
by this operation was 13 minutes and 20 seconds.
At the 28th and 30th rounds a block of wood,
forming part of the temporary carriage used on the
occasion, became loose, and the time lost ,in securing
it amounted to 11 minutes. DeductinL hese stop-
pages, which were not attributable to ti:,; gun, the
time occupied in firing the 51 rounds was only 21
minutes and 56 seconds, in which time the total
weight of shot discharged from the gun was upwards
of 24-- tons.

The average rate of firing was about 26 seconds
per round, but nine consecutive rounds ware fired
at the rate of three a minute. The escape of gas at
the breech was effectually prevented.

THE COTTON QUESTION.