The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-03-02
From the London Times.
Perkins Steam Gun.


Perkins Steam Gun.
The uelghbourhond Of Mr.. Perkins safety
steam engine manufactory near the Regent S
Park. was on TUESDAY thrown into great con-
sternaton BY some tremendous reports, aris-
ira from the Discharge Of his steam gun
Since a fatal accident, which occurred few
months ago, whtre lady threw herself out
/ Of A ftg. in consequence. a it was at the time
fincnrrectlv supposed, Ell her horse having
t ken fright II the proaigious noise made by
the steam gun, that terrific engine of ccstruc
,tion had not been permitted to be dlscharg-
ell bv the individuals belonging to Mr.. Per
kins' concern. On Tuesday morning, how
ever, soon after o'clock, patroles were OBJ
served station d on all the roads leading 70
the manufactorY. accompanied by men with
placards on boards, warning all persons on
horseback or in carriayes, to so through the
Rerent's Park, instead of proceeding by the
air'a road leading IN front 0t the tpanufactory.
Soon after nine, numbers of military officers,
IN carriages and on horseback, alighted at
the manufactorv. Thcv were soon followed
/ by the Duke of Wellington, and immediate
| iv afterwards by the discharge of steam,
which had been previously occasional, and Of
comparatively Slight force, commenced with
| a continual roar, resembling the loudest
thunder we ever heard. The group of emf
nent persons then assembled consisted of his
Grace the Master of the ordnance, and his
Staff. the Marquis nf Salisbury, Mr.. Pell, sir
II. Hardinge, Lord Fitzroy Somerset the
Judge Aavocate Genrral, and many militia
nv officers of the highest ran,, together
with a committee of Artillery and Engineer
officers, who had been officially appointed
~ the Duke Of w, llington to examine into
,his wonderful specimen OF human ingenuity
and destructive power.
The discharge Of steam now became al
most incessant for two hours, during which,
its inralcula5le force and astonishing rapid
ltv in discharging balls excited ama2ement
/ ! admiration in all present. At first the
balls were discharged at short intervals, in
init ,tion Of artillery firing. against an iron
t,rstt, at the tlist,llec Of thirty FIVE Yards
such was the faree with which they were
driven. that tnev were completely shattered
to ,totns. In the next experiment the balls
were discharged at a frame Of wood, and they
actually passed through il one inch planks
or.he hardest deal, placed at the distance Of
inch from each other. Afterwards they
were propelled against an iron plate, / of ar
inch thick, and at the very first trial the ball
passed through it. On all bands this was de-
ciarcd to be the utmost effort of force that
gunpowdcr could exert. Indeed we under
{ stand that this plate had been brought spe-
cialy from Woolwieh, for the purpose of as
ccrtainlng the comparative force of steam
and gunpowAer. The pressure of steam
employed to effect this wonderful force, we
learnt, on inquiry. did not at first exceed 65
atmospheres, or 9O0bs. 10 the square inch
!, and il was repeatedly stated by Mr.. Perkins
f that the pressure might be carried to 600 at
! mosphcres with perfect safety. Mr.. Peri-
ms then proceeded to demonstrate the rapid
, ity with which musket balls might be pro
lccted by its agency. To effect this he
screwed on to the gun barrel tube, filled
| with balls, which falling down by their owi
gravity into the barrel, were projected, one
by one, with such extraordinary velocity, a,
to demonstrate that by means Of succession
/ of tubes, filled with balls. fixed in a wheel
"a model of which was exhibited,) nearly
1000 balls per minute might be discharged
In subsequent discharges or volleys, the bar.
rel, to which is attached a movable Joint
was given lateral dieecton, and the ball.
v perforated plank nearly twelve feet il
# length. Thus, if opposed to regiment ir
). line. the steam gun might be made to ac
: from one of its extremltes to the other.
$ similar plank was afterwards placed in
e perpendicular position, and, in like manner
g there was stream OF shot holes from tht
i top to the bottom. 1t is thus proved, tina
: the steam has not only the sorce of gunpow
= der, but also admits of any direction being
i given to it. But what seemed to create mos
:, surprise was the effects of vollcy of ball
o discharged against the brick wall by th
If side of the target. They absolutely dug
! hole of considerable dimensions in the wall
j and penetrated almost one half through it
IN ard al off Iac cl,,
l. their belief, that had the balls been made G
n iron instead of lead, they would have actu
is ally made breach thro' 1.-THE wall was
l. inches thick
:, hendicity in the Nctherlands.-Accord
), Ing to report presented to the Governmerl
~ in 1914, there were then nearly 700, 900 pau
pers living scattered about, which in a pop
ulation of S 500 900, is more than 12-10otf
L. or l in 8. At the end of 1925, there were
Hat,