The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-03-14
Secretary Of the Nary, ad interim


Captain ISAAC Nick FEVER,
Captain JOHN II. AULlCK.
JUDGE ADVOCATE,
RICHARD S. COKE.
The precept having been read, and all the
members of the Court beIng present, the oath
prescribed by law was duly administered to the
President aud members by the Judge Advocate,
and in like manner the oath. as prescribed by
law was duly administered by the President to
the Judge Advocate
The Court adjourned TO meet TO morrow
morning al IL o'clock at Fuler's Hotel, in the
city of Washington.
FRIDAY, March Sth.
The Court met pursuant 10 the adjournment
of yesterday-present, all the members of the
Court and the Judge Advocate. The proceed
ings of yesterday were read.
The Judge Advocate having requested an op
portunity Of comforting with the Secretary of
the Navy on the subject Of the Court, proceed
ings were suspended for two hours-and, on the
return of the Judge Advocate, the Court ad-
journed until tomorrow at 10 o'clock, A. NJ.
al the same place.
SATURDAY MORNING., March OH, 1874.
The Court met pursuant TO the adjournment
Of yesterday -presenl as before.
The Judge Advocate presented TO the Court
a note addressed by hun to Captain Stockton
read and ordered 10 be annexed TO the record
marked b. Also, Captain Stocklou's reply,
which, with the enclosed letter from Colonel
George Bomford, OF the Ordnance Department,
was also read and ordered TO be annexed 10 the
record & and ID.
Francis b. Ogdtn, a witness produced by
the Judge Advocate, being duly sworn, deposes
and says
! recolect sometime in the year 1889 to have
had a conversation with Captain Stockton, then
in London, on the practicabhlty Of manutactur
ing large guns of wrought iron-that William
Young, then manager OF the West Point Found
~, and Captain Ericsson were also present, and
all agreed that, if so large a mass of iron as would
be required could be perfectly welded, gun
so constructed, from the superior strength OF
the material, would possess advantages that
could be Obtained in no other manner. The OBJ
seryations ! had made on the progress Of the
manufacture of large shafts for steamers, aud
of the great perfection to which it had been car
RED. (such masses of wrought-ron having ne
yer before been welded together,) induced me
10 believe that the junction could be made per
4 feet, and had no reason TO suspect that the
iron would not retain all lis original tenacity-
such also was the opinion OF Mr.. Young and Of
! Captain Ericsson. After much deliberstion,
and several consultations, with accurate cdics-
idtions before him Of the relative strength of
different materials, Captain Stockton eventual
| ly commissioned me 10 have a wrouQht-lron
gun forged and bored out 10 carry a shot twelve
inches IN dsmeter-such dimensions having
been agreed on as we we're all satisfied would
afford sufficient strength, namely, twenty -four
inches sbait the trunnlons, aud tspering thence
TO eighteen at The muzzle.
I contracted with the nronristors nj the Nor
sey work, for such shaft, to be forged Of The
best urkshlre iron, they waranting IT to BE-
perfectly welded and without flaw or crack in
SIDE or out On a strict examination was sat.
isfed with the work, aud shipped IT, unfinished
except IN the bore, TO n. York, whence under
stood II was sent to Philadelphia to have the
lrunnlons shrunk or, and to be Otherwise fitted
for service. | afterwards learned that, being
proved, It showed some symptoms of weakness
which induced Captain Stockton TO have other
bands, 3 IL inches IN thickness shrunk on the
after pat, from the lrunnion TO the breech. In
this state the experiments that have been made
public were made with II al Sandy Hook and
| was informed that final trial was made by
firing IT with charge Of 25 lbs. of powder and
a shot weighing III lbs, forty times in one
day, the longitudinal crack absft the truonions
being 50 open as to admit the escape of smoke
from the burnt powder at each discharge, and
even suffering water 10 leak through n. With
these facts before me-that the gun had opened
lougitudlnally, aud Of course had lost all tenac.
| ty IN that part Of its original structure, and al.
forwards depended alone on the bands, 3 IL
inches thick, was confirmed 10 my opinion
that wroughl-lron might be split, but could ne
yer be rent asunder, add l-2 inches of metal
having stood such severe TRIALS, that the new
gun, with these bands Yielded upon two inches
greater diameter than the first one measured
would be perfectly safe under any trial saw
the p ocess Of boring the new gun IN New York.
and frequently, in company with Capt. Encs-
son, examined the sbavlngs that were cut out
of II they appeared to be tough, aud of iron
of The beet quality, and so satisfied were we with
the work, ~ every particular, that we neither
uf Us entertained the least doubt Of n.
standing any proof u coUll be subjected
to. | was further confirmed in my con- |
6depce by the severe proof It underwent in |
New York with 40 40 lbs. Of powder, and in |
sinetsing its discharge twice on the day the
P,lnccloD was FIRST Visited by the President |
| stood Immediately behind II without the least
apprehension Of danger.
1t ba, been said that such guns have been