The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-17
MUNITIONS OF WAR.

II.
From the Washington GLOBE
1t is probable that preparations will be made by
our government during the present year for providing
supply Of oid spce for ariDg Qualifications and that
further provision will be made for the fertilization OF
lew strategic points Modem Improvements in the
facture of ordnance will be awaited Of and have for
tuIaey ample mate rial o the best description for their
m nufac ture Very satisfactory experiments have been
lately made by engineers in the fabric of guns
large csibIe and great strength.
The British ordnance has been found to be very ee
fee,e The recent trials winch i. has undergone
10 the by which these detects mpy be remeiied
large number OF the mortars used Ia the htmbarden of
Sweceeg burst after few discharges The siege guns
of British manufacture employed before were
useless sitter one hundred discharges
The ity Of Britih iron shown also.
the shovels, Picks and used in the trenches and
these implements found to be almost worthless.
investigation has proved tina. the defects 10 the
FDgh iron owing TO the Of suphurous ores and
mineral coal in It's manufacture The British govern
ntnt has lately sent commission TO Berlin to inquire
into the means Of edyng the detects in these the most
important muniments cf war. has been ascertained
that the frus obtain all the iron their guns tom
Sweden and that the requisite for ordnance must be
Cur mt has exercised tie utmost care in
the selection OF the materials for and in its
sl should be charcoal IRON But the cost merely Of the
raw Of ordnance IL said to be greater than
hat ofthe flushed guns Of g eat Britain
.IeDgS Of poands fhs mean ' Of thirty sn five
MADE in 1s49 at the South Boston Foundry was 1906
density and 36,660 pounds tensile strength Expert
meDts made upon Scotch iron showed only density Of
6.s3? and tensile strength Of 10 POI lbs.
Charcoal iron Is made with great facility in Nova
Scotia and in consequence Of the reciprocity treaty
attention Of our iron manufacturers Is directed to that
source ofsupply Il is curious fact that the British
government il looking to the province the only
in all her dominions which furnishes the proper ma
tel al for ordnance.
supply offhe material for the manufacture of gun
powder subject TO which the attention of govern
ment has been lately directed Nitro or sspctre Is nov
found in natu al state in India and SPAIN and some
other regions In this country II is found in the lime.
stone of the States but II Ia said that
It costs fifty cents pound to prepare II from this SOURCE
from British India Mt eight ten cents pound In
consequence of the demand occasiosed by the large con-
sumption OF powder In the present war the price Of ntre
has been doubled and ut this time, hardly bc pro-
cured at all from any Our market Is nearly
exhausted Of the article. Tho expectation of saltpetre
om Calcutta and from England to Russia to any neu
trail port in Europe, prohibited by the British govern
ment Mt the commencement Of the war; but the article
freely imported into the United States from Calcutta
Hamburg and Holland whence Il found It's way 10 Russia
In consequence Of this the British government by re
cent order Of the Pivy Council have prohibited the or
portaticn Of sapetre to the United States from any mart
of her possessions The supply in this country is now
very limited. Russia makes most Of tie nitre that II
employed in her powder works by artificial means-tbat
H. by the artificial union Of its two ingredients nitric
acid and potash. Nitrate Of soda be found Ia abuu
dance In south America and to that source OF supply OF
the CHIEF element in modern warfare government and
powder makers look. In Of the sudden oc.
war magazines ought 10 be well stored
with this essential article without which cur ordnance
voud be auftc useleee.