The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-11-15
NnvnI Gnnner,,-

8
ON Naval Gunnery has furnished the London
that subject, in the of which il makes this
candid admission in regard to British experience
during the Last with the United States:
when came into collision with the Ameri-
cana, our equals in scamanship and courage, and,
at the period alluded to- our superiors perhaps in
gunnery, and certainly in ships, we speedily dis
covered that headlong, uncalcuatng courage was
not alone sufficient to insure SUCCESS"
The advantages acquired by the United States
commanders are attributed by Sir II. DOUGLAS to
the superior facilities of their long guns, and to
their skill in employing that superiority in Grip
ping the enemy with distant firing, while keeping
beyond the reach of his short carronades. In H.
lustration OF this he instances the action between
the United States and Macedonian. Decatur, con-
scious OF the superiority of his long "a FOUNDERS
over the l2-pounders of the Macedonian, pelted
the enemy at long shot distance for an hour, and
the Britsh court martial on Capt. Garden found
"that the Macedonian very materially dam
aged before close action commenced"
The New York Journal Of Commerce, reviewing
the reviewer, remarks
''Thc great disparity of oss in killed and wound
ed, Cwelve American to one hundred and four
British) together with the fact that when the enc
my struck the United States was in comparatively
good condition, Sir Howard Douglas admits, re-
gunnery. The triumph achieved by the Ameri-
cans on Lake Erie, i'll 1913, affords another illus
tration of the superiority of the long "a and 80
FOUNDERS over the British carronades. A like nd
vantage in respect of armament, unfortunately in
this instance on the other side, determined the re-
suit of the encounter of the Essex with the Phoebe
and Cherub of Valparaiso. To this point Commo-
dore Porter's testimony is upequivocal
1.-The Phoebe, by edging off, was enabled to
choose the distance which best suited her long guns
and kept up tremendous fire, which moved
down my brave companions by the Dozen Again
'Ihe enemy, from the smoothness of the water, and
the lmpossbilty OF reaching him with our carron-
AIDES, was enabled TO take aim as at target;
his shot never missed our hull, and my ship was
cut up in manner which perhaps never be-
fore Witnessed
'.Sir Howard Douglas regards with distrust, the
Introduction into British ships, TO the extent to
which in some instances it has been carried, of
Paixhan and other French sbelguns, as yet I'M
tried in actual combat in broadside batteries.
This description of guns he considers not we'll
adapted for action, either at great distances or at
close quarters and s of opinion that ships chiefly
30 armed will stand little chance against distant
cannonade of solid shot guns, owing TO the supe-
rlorlty OF the latter IN respect to power of range,
accuracy in distant firing, and penetrating force.
These, after all, are the great requisites, particu-
larly for steam warfare; and commendabe eau
ton is exhibited in our own service in restricting
the number OF Paixhan guns to proportion hav-
ing reference 10 the probable occurrence of the
exigency in which they may be used with most
efficiency
''The ship of the line Pennsylvania carries four
eight-inch shell guns, of 63 cwt., on each of her
three decks, lower, middle, and upper; and on her
spar Deck the same number of same calibre, each
weighing 55 cwt. All other lineot battle ships in
the United States navy carry four of the heavier
Paxhans on each of the lower and upper decks
and four OF the lighter on the spar deck Frigates
OF the flrst class carry four Of the heavier the
gun deck, and same number of the lighter on the
spar deck. Frigate5 OF the second class carry four
OF the lighter on the gun deck only. The arma-
ment of steamers varies with their size We think
Sir Howard Douglas is msinformed in regard to
the estimation in which the American navy holds
the shell gun. Intelligent officers express the
highest opinion Of its efficiency; except at
point blank range, they aver that shells can
be thrown with much accuracy as solid shot,
and are preferable for their greater destructive
ness. II may be that she'll guns not the best
adapted for the bow and stern ornaments of steam
ers; but we have no information that any change of
existing arrangements is contemplated, except
what Is contained in the following paragraph from
Sir Howard Douglass Treatise:
"'Tho United States shell gun called Paix-
hans gum, of 63 cwt., is only the old 42-pounder
OF 10 cwt bored up to the cabre of Ga FOUNDER to
fire hollow shot of Abb. which, when filled with
sand, are increased to 46b. These shell guns are
incapable of firing solid shot; four only of them are
placed each deck Of line of battle ships and two
on the main deck of frigates Trey have been
found greatly wanting both in range and accu-
racy two points moot essential to steamers bat
terry; and accordingly we learn that new ordnance
is being prepared, which there ia every reason to
believe will be guns for solid shot, combining
racy with an extent of range to enable a
steamer to reach lincof battle chip with effect -
The London Times states that the nature of every
new species of ordnance introduced, and every i'm
portant alteration made in foreign ornaments is
efficiently tested at Portsmouth. The Worlds
Fair brought together several specimens of both
large and small arms, of "most formidable appear
ance, and of awful alleged destructiyeness." OF
the former the ron-r illed cannon TO be loaded at
the breech, for the purpose of firing cyndro conf
cal and cylindro- conoidal shot, invented by Major
CavalIi, n Sicilian, and Baron Wahrendorff, q
Swede, attracted most attention. Sir Howard
Douglas gives the results of experiments made last
year to test the comparative merits of these and the
ordinary British 32-pounder gun. In respect of
range, the former had greatly the advantage at a
high elevation.
"At the efficient service elevation of five de-
gres with charges OF Slb, the ranges, and also the
reflections of the different projccles, were nearly
equal to one another, and the like is true with
charges of lob. At elevations of 10 degrees the
ranges of the foreign guns exceeded those of the
English 81 FOUNDER, with charges OF Slb., by $50
yards; and with charges of l0b, by $50 yards; and
at elevations of Is degrees the excess was, with
charges of Slb, about 100 yards; and with charges
of lob, about 100 yards. The deviations were
always in the direction of the rotation of the pro-
Jectles; but they were 30 variable in amount, that
no allowance could be made for them in laying the
gun with respect to the object.
at must be admitted that the Wahrendorff gun
has considerable advantage in respect of range
over the English 32-pounder at high elevation;
but ought to be observed that the practice is in
that case very uncertain Such guns cannot en-
ter into the armament of ships of war, but they
may be used with advantage for fanking de-
fences in case-mates in coast batteries for firing
at objects at great distnnces.''
The Journal of Commerce observes that there is
no novelty in cannon being loaded at the breech.
The Chinese artillery is 30 constructed, and many
old pieces of similar fashion are to be found in
Europe.
Prussian rifle, exhibited at London, can kill
at eight hundred, and even one thousand yards.
Sir II. DOUGLAS suggests the use of spherical
case shot; and it appears, from statement in the
Times, that the French are now testing a new
weapon, called botiets dsphiridnfs which develope
gas fatal to all within it's immediate reach. This
French invention is designed for naval warfare.
UNITED STATES BANK STocK.-A variable for
tune appears to have attended United States Bank
stock. few years ago, before the failure of the
ha,L L,c.h IOc