Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-04-06

In admitting that the Russian fleets
shall retire under the inapproachable
fortress of Cronstadt and Sebastopol,
they cannot be in safety from this terri
bic congreve gun, which carries to al
most any distance within reach of the
aim, and far beyond the reach of any
other gun. 1t cannot be prevented from
passing through the most contracted
straits where ships pass.
r The submarine boats are so perfected
at this moment that they can reach and
attach a burner to an enemy's ship
without running the least danger. Ex-
periments are also being made with an
asphyxiating ball, which does nos kill,
but which paralyzes an entire crew for
several hours, or until they are made
prisoners. They are embarking also a
large number of burning explosive balls,
which explode invariably when taey
strike, even in the body of horse, ior
they infame at the moment of discharge
from the gun, and fly burning like small
congreves until the moment of the ex-
plosion, when they may apply fire to
the ammunition chests and other in
hammable material, as easily and as
surely as if they were to fall in stub
bic field.
They are furnishing also two small
steamboats, of singular appearance,
which will carry only two enormous
Paixhan guns, placed on the fore part
of the vessel. The walls of these little
vessels have a thickness of six feet,
made of oak, standing upright, and
this covered with mattress of cot
ton substance a foot and half thick,
which is impenetrable to bullet, and
this again covered with sheeting of
iron and lead. Its prov has the angu-
lar form of cuirass intended to turn
bullets: the roof or deck is covered in
the same way, SO as to allow the bombs
to glide into the sea without doing dam
age.
This fre-ship, very heavy, and very
bad sailer, will be towed, and let loose
at the proper moment, to approach near
the enemy's vessels, either when at an
chor or laying-to, which it will attack
fore and aft with bombs thrown between
wind and water and sprinkling the ship
with shower of Grecian fire. One of
these burners. taking by surprise fleet
of vessels in calm, could with ease de-
stroy the whole feet, and yet it only re-
quires the labor of ten determined men
TO operate it.
The Peace Society have agitated the
question in England of how far nation
is justified in employing other and more
destructive methods in war than those
employed by the enemy. Admiral
Napier has replied to these propositions
with irony: "If you fear to hurt the
enemy, put into your guns balls of cot
ton, and into your cannon cakes OF rice. :
The English feet is largely provided
with balloons, intended to carry infam-
mable materials to scatter over towns,
villages and fleets, when the wind ia
vors such operations.
Another invention, still more terrible
than all the rest, but of which the con-
struction has not yet been made known,
except to very small number of per-
sons, is about to be sent out to destroy
the Russians. All these inventions are
highly curious and interesting in the
history of the war, but rather affecting
for humanity.
The English land force will be largely
provided with rifles carrying the Mimic
ball, which has at last been adopted in
England; while the French will send a
still larger proportion of troops carrying
the Bdlle-a-tige, which is used in the
French service in place of the MIME
ball. The Russian vessels will have
one advantage, in being more largely
supplied with Colts Revolvers than
either the English or the French, which
will be used with an overpowering ad-
vantage in boarding contests. Alto
gether, the contest will be quite differ
ent affair, as regards its killing power,
from those which were seen as late even
as fifty years ago. Already the reader
must have observed, that the contest on
the Danube the numbers killed in COM
parison to the numbers engaged is enor-
nous, when compared even with the
last general war between those two ma
tons.
We are now in the midst of the Car
nival. There is general panic on the
subject of the war, commerce is Grip
pied, and complaints are heard on all
sides; yet the Parisians cease none the
less their usual enjoyments. The Fat
Beef, called this year Prince Menschi,
koff, has Just passed our windows, fol
lowed by motley procession of cos
|, tuned knights and goddesses, who
seem none the less merry that in another
, part of the city large number of pool
soldiers are bidding farewell to theil
friends to start south for the Mediterra.
mean on the long journey to Turkey
u Public balls are as gorged as ever with
! the mad crowds of dancers, the student:
kick as high, and the grisettes scream al
loud as ever People, almost suffocatet
. with the crush at the masked balls, asl
> their neighbor at the end of every two
E or three dances, "what's the news from
e Turkey?" or, whats going on il
!. SpainF' "Have you seen the Press
, this evening?" "When do the troops
t start?" and then the dance goes OF