The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-06 00:00:00

EXPERIMENTS AT WOOLWICH.

Some experiments on an extensive and inter-
esting scale were performed on Saturday at
Woolwich-marsh, in the presence of the Duke of
Cambridge, Lord Panmure, the Marquis of Bread-
albane, the Earl of Ashburnham, Rear-Admiral Sir
Maurice Berkeley, K.C.8., Vice-Admiral Sir Geo.
Sartorius, Rear-Admiral Peter Richards, Captain
Alexander Milne, Sir Baldwin Walker, Major-
General Sir H. Storks, Captain Caffin, C. 8., R.N.,
Storekeeper-General of the Ordnance ; his Excel-
lency Feruk Khan, the Persian Plenipotentiary,
his uncle, and suite ; Col. Sir H. Rawlinson, C.B. ;
Capt. Lynch and Mr. Lynch, of the East India
Company's Navy ; Major-General Sir W. F. Wil-
liams, K.C.8., attended by his aide-de-camp and
the garrison staff, &c. The Commander-in-Chief,
before proceeding to the Marsh, conducted the
Lords of the Admiralty to the Royal carriage
square, in order that they might examine the equip-
ments prepared for the Chinese war. His Royal
Highness, on a former occasion, had expressed his
approbation of the 3-pounder batteries, in which
their lordships readily concurred, and, to verify the
facility with which the ammunition waggons are
convertible for the easy transport of the wounded,
the Doke desired an attendant to enter one of the
Highness, having wheeled
paces, again repeated to Colonel
admiration of 't
Tivteolilio vehicles,
forwardes,
hi
s some
when his Royal
its compactness
and efficiency. They thence proceeded to
the marshes in Plumstead, where, notwith-
standing the incessant fall of rain throughout the
day, the proceedings commenced, as arranged, pre-
cisely at 2 o'clock. The first experiment was with
several wrought and cast-iron shot from 68-pounder
guns, fired at a wooden butt faced with sundry
sample plates of sheet-iron three-quarters of an inch
in thickness. The guts were directed by a party
ot gunners told off from the let Battalion of the
Royal Artillery, and were aimed with precision.
Colonel Tulloh, Major Vandeleur, and Captain
Boxer, officers of the Royal Artillery Corps in
Woolwich Arsenal, superintended the proceedings,
which were watched by Liutenant.Colonel Picker-
ing and Captain Campbell, R.A., secretary and
assistant secretary of the select committee. The
first shots were over a flight of 1,200 yards, which
was ultimately reduced in proportions of 200 yards,
and they were finally fired at a proximity of 400
yards from the target. Attention was then di-
rfoecrtetdhetoptuhrepsoc:en scantling
Martin's shells (con-
taining a charge of 'gtecsltinag36-gun frigate, erected
281 b. o molten iron) in the
destruction ot ships of war. The point of attack
showed a perfect broadside, resembling a ship at sea,
into which a number of shells and red-hot shot were
alternately projected, over various ranges varying
from 1,200 to 400 yards, giving ample time between
each discharge to observe the effect. It was remarked
that the ignition produced by the liquid iron was
considerably more speedy and effectual than by the
agency of the red-hot shot. The time required to
dissolve the metal and the means now employed to
effect the purpose, are more available than those
necessary for heating shot, and the advantage wag*
therefore, pronounced to be in favour of Mettle's
shell