Richmond palladium., 1843-08-26

a 4 E .Au
oE2etI,3.At made last week with this enor-
nous piece OF ordnance, that carries 2i2 lb.
ball. ii lis station near the Light House, below
Sandy Hook, point blank shot struck line
on target lhsoe miles distant, and penetrated
through and through the target, which was COZ
structej oi iron bars ami wood combined render
ing II more strong and solid than the hull of tho
largest seventy tour. The gun made of
wrought iron, and IS of ifnmenso SIZE. Export
mants will be made again this weok.-Ne,c York
Sun.
Capt. Stockton's gun here spoken OF, together
with his improvements connection with il, ma v
be classed among tho great improvements of tho
age. The gun itself Is curiosity. Ii ia made
entirely OF wrought iron, highly finished, and IS
+ some twelve or fourteen feet IN length, with
ball bore Of twelyo inches diameter, sufficient in
capacity for eadon ball of three hundred lbs
weight or iron ball Of the weight above men.
toned, and chamber somewhat smaller in diam
eter, calculated, we believe for cartridge of
twenty five pounds Of powder; enough in power,
itTightly confined, 10 produce young earthquake.
II was calculated by It's protector TO carry ball
point blank, for certain execution the distance of
threo miles, as the experiment above mentioned
proves it to have done Being of wrought iron,
1t is Of course much lighter in weight of metal
than would necessarily be required for of
the same capacity If made OF cast iron, If indeed
one Of its capacity could be cast and being light.
er, IL of course opposes less resistance to the
active force Of the explosion upon tho ball, and
would be likely from tha, force to mako a greater
rebound. To obyiate this difficulty or inconveni-
enco, Capt s. has so contrived a couple of heavy
! timbers in connection with tho carrage as .hut
tho rebound tself forms them in 10 q double incliR-
ed piano, the inclination being made 10 increase
gradually III proportion US the momentum dimln-
lshes.
For deck service, Capt, S. has introduced an
Improvement, simple in itself, and yet calculated
for mathematical precision and certainty in tho
SHOT, well upon n rough and rolling vessel
as during n cnim |. consists in the application
Of lock for firing, TO bo worked by plum, which
latter is brought 10 bear upon il by the very roll
motion Of the vessel, when such motion shall
have brought the gun 10 the right pos tion In
connection with this is very fno and exact, an
gular instrument, for measuring distances; SO
that when the exact powers of the gun shall hnvo
become learned, in case of firing over the dis
tanco above mentioned the required elevation
Of the piece be decided upon in q moment.
In the old mode Of gunnery-sghtng by tho
eye and firing with match-tho roll Of the YES.
sol, the distance of the shot, the time Of applying
the match, the powder burning, The bull passing,
sc, &c, had all to be calculated and adjusted
IN tha mind OF the gunner, aud ihere could then
be but little certainty upon rough sea, with
the most thoroughly practised gunnors, while
ma b ema lcal certainty IS obtained by the i'm.
provemen.s Of Capt. Stockton.
We uolhIng TO prevent a small fast
sailing vessel carrying one or two guns Of this
description, and tho Improvements connected with
II, proving itself successful against the largest
II, ii not indeed whole fleet of them. Whilo
il could be KEEP, entirely of the reach Of their
guns, II could bring constantly TO bear upon them
these instruments Of terrible destruction Bali.
SuH.