The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-12-27
New and Wos ,derful Inventions In the a RI
OF War

The present poe iuon OF the country, In respect te
its foreign relation rs, naturally directs the minds o
men towards the est methods of putting the coun
Try in defensive situation, should any difficulty
grow out of our r. lations towards any foreign ma
lion.
Within the last f w years, we have heard much
OF various improve ments in every thing connected
with art, in naval and military affairs The mex,
war between any two powerful nations, will be
quite dheren. from any thing which has heretofore
been seen in the W. rid Since the termination OF
the last war, steam h rs been introduced into naval
operations, and This alone would produce perfect
revolution in military and naval tactics.
There are, however, certain statements made re.
lang to an nventio lately discovered in this neigh
borhood which we lave no doubt will asto aish the
world, and will satisfy every one that we are on the
eve of n greater rev, outon, in military and naval
affairs, than even the most sanguine mind could
ever imagine.
During the last few months a series OF expert
ments have been made with new invention, origi-
mated by Mr.. McCartey. a gentleman connected with
the Navy Yard az Brooklyn. These experiments were
ordered by the government, and witnessed by dis
tinguished persons, and considered by them
be most novel, most original, and most startling,
in naval and military point OF view. Commodore
Stewart, it Will be remembered, spoke of a project
by which il wcud be possible to defend the whole
harbor of New York against the combined fleets of
all the powers of the world. This may appear to be
gasconade, but from information which has been
communicated TO us, we ara fully assured that Com
modore Stewards assertion is perfectly correct and
literal.
The scientific gentleman alluded to, Mr.. McCar-
ley, who is now connected with the Navy Yard has
invented new species of artillery, which Will DIS
charge thirty balls in minute, or one every two
seconds, for hours together in succession and this
by mechanical power alone, without gunpowder,
chemical substance, or any other preparation. II is
effected by merely putting the balls into hopper
and letting the ordnance throw them out with i'm
mense momentum, at the rate OF one every two
seconds On one occasion, Mr. McCartey exhibited
the operation of this invention IN the Navy
Yard, before nuinber OF naval officers, who
all astonished By the force and power exhibit
ed, as well as By the great simplicity OF the machine.
About twelve 10 twenty pieces Of solid timber
Against this piece OF wooden breastwork, Mr.. Nc
Cartey opened the battery OF his piece of ordnance.
and IN less than ten minutes, the whole solid breast
ters py the powerful and rapid succession of dis
charges upon IT.
The simplicity OF this invention rs one of its most
singular features; in when respect it much resent
bles the anecdote told of Columbus and the egg.
Scan you make this egg stand on end7' said
Columbus to the Spanish grandees They tried
and failed. Columbus instantly took the egg, in
denied end, and then cas- lily made il stand erect
op tha fab Theu ed fou farc
from its simplicity, whereupon he observed, GO You
think it now so easy, after is DONE" II is exactly
so with this wonderful invention. The secret o!
it is known and recorded in history from the time
when David went forth with sling and stone to COM
bat the proud Goliah The principle of this new
invention is simply modification of the prin-
ciple OF the sling, applied to machinery in con-
nection with a tube or gun, throwing out
a discharge of balls. The machine is so
constructed that on putting IN at one end the
balls TO be discharged, a rotary motion is produced
by means of a crank, and, by few rapid revolu-
tons, each ball receives force and momentum
equal TO that communicated by any quantity of gun
powder When this has been done, slide starts and
allows each ball to escape in succession from the
chamber into tube, when they thrown TO almost
any distance, and with unerring aim.
This ingenious invention, for which patent has
been taken out at Washington, and which ought to
be purchased, is worth $500, 00O-nay, even millions,
to the American Government, in the present crisis
of its affairs. BY means Of such machines, placed
in the forts at the Narrows capable Of dscharglng
any number OF balls Of any calibre, the whole COM
bined fleets of Europe could be torn in pieces and
annihilated before they could reach the Battery at
New York. When We reflect upon the astonishing
revolution in the arr Of war, which such species
Of ordnance is calculated to produce, and the means
OF defence which it is capable Of supplying it is to
be expected that the President and Congress will
take up this matter, and have armament pre-.
pared this principle, which, by its cheapness its
efficiency and power a means of defence, is be.
yond all that has ever been conceived or seen in
the world hitherto. II is revolution at once.