New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-06-10

ISSfeNAbffo
the aid Of any apparatns--but even the eorres-
ponding rocket tube, by means of which its ac-
curaGy Of flight is promoted, weighs only gfs
pounds, whereas the weight of a 12-poundar
gun is no less than eighteen hundred weight
In addition to this advantage, the flight of n
rocket is visible; whereas tbe flight Of ordinary
Wariike projectlles is invisible, and superadded
to the power of penetrating, the rocket has that
or scattering the devastation of fire. These
properties Of the war-rocket being considered,
the reader will be at no loss TO understand some
Of the advantages possessed by the missile.
Nevertheles5, the employment of the war.
rocket is not attended With chose universal adj
yantages over shot and shell claimed for it by
CongreVe. Amidst its good qualities there turks
me very bad one of irregularity Of fight, its ae-
euraey of trajectory curve not being cempara-
PIE with that OF Cannon ball or she'll. Rock
e's can be adyantageousy fred neither against
2 Wind nor across the direction Of q wind, and
iof reasons which little consideration will rem
t'er ooHious The long wooden stick affordsa
powerful lever for the wind to art MI.
rocket itself being at the same dime rJneanaIlv
aieeted hence ultimate DETECTION takes place.
The striking Of a casual object in the ceurse ~
2 rockets flight is another ordinary cause az de-
feetion; and to such an extent is detection oc-
casionally produced from this cause, that rock
ets have sometimes come back, like boomerangs.
to the spot whence they were fired
Something Of this kind once occurred ali Wool
Wich during military exhibition got up for the
gratlfeation Of Marshal soulS. Tine veteran.
amongst other displays, was shown what our
war-roekets could accomplish when one of these
erfatic missiles, striking against stone or some
thing 81 that sort, immediately departed from
ITS normal course, bounded high aloft, and final
" rushing down, plunged deep into a bank near
where the marshal was posted. 1t was on ae-
count Of this erratic propensity to which rockets
are sometimes given, that they we're never great
tdyorltes with the Duke of Wellington.
Some OF the newly inFented projectilss having
been forwarded to the Peninsula, the Duke took
an early opportunity Of trying their range and
eaects. ihe brltish outposts we're on one side
Of marah; the enemy = outposss on the other
The distance vas convenient; the rockets yvera
pointed, lighted and discharged The result was
any thing but satisfactory. Either because the
wind vas unfavorable, or because the rockets
had not been long enough In the field 10 know
friend or foe, or for some other reason, they
with common consent tarned tail to the enemy.
and came back to their friendsl The Duke en-
tertained prejudice against them from that
day forthwith. Nevertheless, they are ac
snoWledged to have saved brigade of Guards
turing the passage Of the Adoar; and st1bse
quently, at Waterloo, they made sad havoc
amongst the enemy
The original ideas Of Sir William Gongreve
relative to the best manner Of arming troops
'tti Inc n'ti@SUCASb HaJt. never DeBn Carried
out. lie advocated the distribution Of the mig
'ile TO every branch Of the service-infantry,
cavalry and artillery He objected TO the
formation of a special rocket service: however
N this matter, hisopinions have been overruled
.GongreTe suggested three methods of firing his
rockets; /. From tube, aud sngly; 2 In q
volley from many tubes, mounted on one car
rage; 3 In voley from the ground. Two
ohly OF these methods are now retained-namely,
the first and the third
The rocket tube is a pope or cylinder of metal
corresponding in size with the diameter of the
rocket intended to pass through ii, and its bust
ness, to give correct line of fight In the
earlier days of CoDgreye rocket practice, there
we're no tubes, deeply grooyed surfaces being
used instead. The rocket tube is SO contriyed
that 1t can be placed at any angle of elaYatiou,
and be thus pointed in the manner of a gun.
The proper line of aim having been secured, the
rocket IS thrust into the tube ard ignted, when,
after deliberating for instant, it rushes
through and pursues its destructive course.
Having thus made evident the construction
and use Of Il rocket o., the reader will read
lily understand the Intention OF II cenlpouud-
tuhe arrangement. Let him imagine twenty or
thirty Of such tubes mounted on one carriage,
each tube diseharging its own rocket-and a
correct notion of what is understood by the
tube-yolley will be acquired. This apparatus
IS no longer retained IN cur service. the ground
volley Of rockets beng employed instead. In
the round-yoiley, the rockets are merely
placed on the ground (Which must be mode
rately smooth, ] with their heads towards the
enemy, when they are ignited and speed away.
For the first hundred yards they oriinariiy
pursue a course of considerable regularity. sell
dom rising aboye the height of d mans head.
Ultimately, however, their flight becomes ex
eeedingly irregular, darting ahout in all direc
ions. This, in certain cases, is not disadyan-
tageous, but the revere. So impossible is it to
predict where one of these rockets run wild will
so, that it is in vain for any body to think Of
getting out of its way
a great many endeavors have been made to
avoid the necessity of employing rocket stick
Congreye never could succeed III this otternut.
but Mr.. Hale has been more fortunate. We do
not exactly know the principle on which his
rockets are made, but We believe he causes them
to assume o rotary or Tifed motion and thus
provides for their regularity Of Hight Mr.. Hale
has moreover introduced other improvements in
the manufacture of rockets. He does not fill
them by ramming in the composition but by tile
more equabie force of hydrostatic pressure, by
which means a larger amount of composition IS
introduced than can be effected hy the ordinary
method Nor must We forget to mention the
very ingenious device Of this gentleman for re-
straining the rocket during the first moments of
its propulsive ndeavors, Although the power
of rocket, when in full flight is tremendous.
yet its initial effort is very triaing; so much
SO, that one of considerable dimensions may be
held back by very small restraining ferce
New, it happens that in the ordinary course
of firing, Congreye rocket is apt to droop as it
tirst leaves the tube. thus losing much Of the
accuracy of fight it world otherwise have pos
sessed This dropping is in consequence of the
pauety of the force it has as yet acquired-for
rockets, in point OF fact, like young people, 90
astray sometimes from the circumstances of
beginning their career too soon; SO it occurred
to Mr., Hale that he would hold back his prog
ieetiles--not by the TAIL for they IRE devoid of
that ornament--hut hold them back by a soptof
spring, from which they cannot free themselves
until they have acquired a certain definite ini-
tial pressure.
We will now conclude these remarks on Cons :
grave rockets, by stating the chief occasions on
which they have been employed, The first was
in October, 1906 when rockets of very large
oalibre were brought into requisitiUn for the
bomhardment Of Boulogne. In less than half
an hour after the first commencement of attack,
the town was observed to be On fire in many
places, and the damage effected was doubtless
very great, although its exact extent was never
known, the French taking such effectual means
to guard the secret, that our ambassador, Lord
Lauderdale, whilst passing through Boulogne
shortly after the attack, was vigilautly watched,
lest he might observe the extent Of the rayage.
In 1907, Copenhagen was bombarded with very
heavy rockets; and again with great effect,
thntr cSiIy IN,