The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-08 00:00:00

The Ordnance Select Committee, with whAl
William of Hesse, went down again to Shoeburyness on
Tuesday morning, and the experiments postponed
from last Thursday were resumed. Several rounds
of shell loaded with sand were fired from 13-inch
mortars, with the object of testing the concrete
roof of the Plymouth fort casemate. Half a
dozen shells, at a distance of 900 yards, with 3ilb.
of powder, were discharged before the general target,
which is 42 feet long, was hit, the missiles going too much
to the left, too much to the right, too short, or too far.
Since last week a good deal of the earth and some of the
sand bags that were piled over the roof have been removed,
the practical effect of Thursday's firing being much
deadened by their resistance. The roof of the Plymouth
breakwater fort target was entirely exposed. The shells were
aimed at this part of the roof, but several rounds were
fired before it was approached, although the sixth and
seventh fell upon the adjoining War-office casemate.
Vertical cring is a more uncertain operation than ordi-
nary gun practice, and, as Tuesday's work has shewn,
requires more patience ; but it affords a better oppor-
tunity to the spectator of watching the career of the
missile, until, having soared to the height of some
1.000 feet, it descends a mere speck, about 17 seconds
after leaving the mouth of the mortar, and either ploughs
up the ground or sends showers of stone flying from the
roof upon which it drops. The latter achievement was
waited for during the best part of three hours, and was
only realised after 34 shells had been fired, some of
which were strewed in fragments in front of the
target, whilst others bad gone into the water. Two
of the more recent missiles pitched upon the granite
basement, and took off a layer or two of rubble and
dust. The failure of the morning's work was then prac-
tically acknowledged by the abandonment of the mortar
practice without any result. The Plymouth fort break•
water target was again experimented upon after a brief
interval. A 10-inch shell from the Woolwich rifled piece
used on previous occasions, but with a 481 b. charge, was,
fired at 1,000 yards range, and aimed at a portion
of the target where there were 15 inches of iron
plating in three layers of five inches each, and the,
12-inch iron strut at the back, and where there wali
small sound space left. The shell missed the aim,
and penetrated 18 inches into another part ; but as pre.,
vious attacks had weakened it there considerably, the
effect need not be described beyond mentioning that it
increased the destruction already visible within the
casemate. Another shell was fired, with similarresult. The
next, at 200 yards range, struck above the porthole on the
section aimed at before, went clean through, carrying a
mass of armour work weighing perhaps 30cwt. inside,
and setting on fire the heavy rope mantlet. Large pieces
of plate were hurled far to the rear, and the massive bar of
the mantlet was bent. This was the most deadly of the
many projectiles fired at the target. A 10-inch shell, with
601 b. charge of powder, was next fired at the War-office
casemate. It made a clean hole through the armour plate,
went through the concrete pier behind, and bulged out the
skin that finishes the inside of the casemate. Two 10-inch
shots (4001 b.) were then fired at ranges equivalent to 1,000
yards, at the same casemate. The first buried itself in the
concrete and brick through the armour-plate, slightly
cracked it from the edge of the aperture to the basement
(two feet), and snapped off four inches of bolt ; but the
Millwall rolled iron still kept up its character for &strata
quality. One or two other shots were fired, but no mate.
tial damage was done. . _