The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1844-03-21


The following particulars respecting
the firing and management Of the i'm
mensc guns on board the Princeton will
be read with increased interest al this
time. They are contained in letter Civ
ing an accom-, Of the excursion which
the Princeton made. with large party Of
visiiers. on the 20lh nf February, just eight
days before the fatal event Of " ednesday
ersning;
A shnr, distance below Alexandra, The
Captain gave orders To load The "psGce
maker" with powder and ball. This gun
is stationed in the bow Of the ship. on a
revolving carriage. 50 ,hs, i, may he fired
from either side. An ordinary charge Of
powder for il, is thirty pounds I. ear.
rles a ball weighing two hundred and
twenty-five pounds; and such is the pre-.
cision with which il may be fired, As an
certained frcm actual experiments. that
the Captain will guarantee 10 hil an OBJ
ject size Of a hogshead in The water. nine
times in ten. al distance of halfa mile.
! he gun being loaded, the first thing 10
TO ascertain the precise dlstan,e OF The
objec,to be fred at. This is done by means
of al instrument. CONSTRUCTED upon tEigo.
nometrical principles, The scale on which
indicates the distance at a glance. The
next thing il to give the gun The proper
elevation. Ibis is done by means Of a
self acting lock, on an arm Of which is a
scale which Indicates the precise eleva-
,ion which is necessary to reach given
/ distance with The ball. spring on the
top Of The lock is then brongh, up To the
point indirsted, The hammer is pulled
back, and at the very point Of time when
by the ships motion the gun reaches that
point. and never before MIR afterwards,
| The gun is "fitselfdischarged. The pre-.
else means by which this is effected, arc
known only III the Navy Department and
the inventor; but the fac. is indispuiable,
and The value Of The invention seems 10
! me 10 be incaleulable.
All the preparation for firms, with The
exception simply of putting Tue powder
and ball into The gun. was made by Cap
lain S;ockt,D personally. by means o
a tackle kged to The breach, a motion
!, was given to the gun similar To that i'm,
parted by heavy swell. and when i
reached the point indicated il was dis
charged. The ball in this case travelled
about two miles before il hit the water
land then bounded several times. The
Princeton wen, down The river as far a,
Mount Vernon. In going down. the
=. peace-maker" was discharged three
times, and in returning twice.
Il On the fourth fire the ball struck OF
ihs land, and its effect was lost sight o
by those on board so the party demand
/. ed another fire, and respectfully request
ed the Captain 10 put in little NOR,
powder this time. Before firing for tn,
| fifth and last time. the Captain said hi
should take the sense 81 the company
j . All those in favor of another FIRE vii
say, Aye" The air resoundei; will
.sAye!' "All those opposed to anothe
fire will say, No." Not a solitary voice
"fhe Ayes have it." said the Captain
/ al have the assent Of Congress, and III
I go ahead" AS before, the gun was firet
by the Captain himself I he ball wen
probably, four mile. before il struck. |
bounded fifteen times on the ice, in .hs
course Of which it performed half cir
i Gle. <4 H. Fl