The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-02-01


| more sincere repentance, or exercise a faith
more lively, thao was exampliicd in the
conduct of Mr.. Faunilrroy.
go
MIR. PERKINS EX'rR tORDINARY
STEAM GUN
A discovery has been made which will,
in all probability, adjust the account be-
tween population aud food in the most
satisfactory manner. We alladr to the
ne" Steam Gun Of Mr.. Perkins, which
promises very fair ~ send the whole race
of heroes To tilcir long homes in a very
short time. According IL the following,
which weextract from the London Mocha
nic's Register. the effects of this invention
will leave every plagne or restllence al au
unreasonable distance brhind IN point of
destruclivrness. Teu Of his gus, sup
posiog one shot in twenty only To TIL,
will sweep away 10000 men in single
day.
We were enabled on Wednesday, thro'
the kindness of Mr.. Perkins, Ia examine
min ,telv, al his mannfhctnry in the Re
gents Park. the extraordinary piece Of
mechanism called the Steam Gun II u
simply formed by Introducing ii barrel into
the steam generator of any engine, I'D by
the addition of two pipes towards tn.
chamber of he gun, introducing quantity
of balls. which, by the ection of a handle 10
the chamber, are dropped in the barred and
fred one by one. al the rate Of from four
t. FIVE hundred 10 the minnie.
The explosive force Of the steam which
rnshrs from the generator and exprls the
balls is about 100 lbs to the square inch
with this force mnsket bail fired Bg inst an
iron plate 1T the distance one hundred fret
from the gun is completely flallr, ed and
f'rte of $40 lbs. 10 the Sqasrr inch is APP
piled, the ball Is actually driven 10 pieces IN
such way that none of its fragments ean
be collected. As the gun Is nov fixed,
having direct communication lhrnugh
wall with one of Mr.. Perkins engines, II
cannot of course be removed Gtnm he
spot. the barrel merely being susceptible of
alteration bat IN the event of the in,en
ton being applied In purposes of warfare,
II would he easy 10 attach portable steam
engine of small dimensions. which could he
reno'ed with as much rapidity as any
piece of Ordnance NOW IN USE. Tie cost of
such machine altogether would he com
paraiively small, and as Mr.. = rkns il
about IL construct = 1 poundrr. e hich ran
be moved about with great facility by two
horses, the public Will hasea good oppor
tuolly of Judging of lis practical merit, Of
winch, however, there cannot b. u doubt
after the experiments already made at the
nanuidctorY.
1.-THE most extraordinary part Of the af
fair Is the smaliDess of the expense in char
gng artillery ofthls nature, compared with
that of the present system. la Mr.. Per
hins' Steam Gun, one pound weight Of
Goals Is found 10 prntince the same effect
"a four pounds weight Of gunpowder, W:
ope pound of Goals will generate sufficient
steam t" expel, with equal force, a. many
hills az four pounds OF powder. OF the
raPidlty with winch the discharges are
made, we say little after What We have
observed of the mode in when the balls
are expelled, bat there is another great al
vantage, which, on the score Of humanity,
deserves COMMUNICATION Al expl3si u
from this snu is next to impossible ; for
the greater The rapldity of illing, the less l.
the danger, ~ the stream of ydpour PUSHES
forward, without check, and finds yshi IN
the open air. How many lives, on the
contrary, have been lust by the bursting Of
our common field pieces, and how hillr
rellancr is to be placed upon the greatest
care in cleansing them 10 the heat Of battle.
Zen guns, upon this principle, would, IN a
fed of battle, be more than equal 10 200
ON the present system; and 4 vessel az gu
~ six guns wOuh be rendered more than q
match Tor II sryruty four.
" Ii any two rulers of the earth were 10
know that IN the event of declaring war
against each other, plague or p"s'ilepcr
would blast both ARMIES and sweep them
FROM the face of the earth, they would
paosc before they made such a dcclaratlun
hut what plague, What pestllrnce, would
exceed, in lis effects, tnuse ot the Steam
Gnp? Five hundred balls fired every mi
nutr, and onr out of twenty To reach lis
mark-why, ten nf such guns would de-
destroy l5U.0O0 men daily. Mr.. Perkins
considers steam discovery rs II ~ infancy,
for he SAYS he is convinced thai a steam
engine might be made 10 throw bali ot "A
ton weight from Dnser To Calais"
--.sGs~--
In the Legislature of Pennsylvania lll
has been read, Tor the protection OF q"
nestle manufacturing establishments"
which pro, dies that 40 manufacturing 10
Enlistment shall he sold by execution for
less than thee )ourths Of It's patuation by \
disinterested jury Of twelve men.