Smyrna times., 1858-11-18
SELECT ARTICLES.
A Destructive Weapon.

A UeSLruCL1Ve W6dpOn'
1t seems a paradox, but it is nevertheless
fact, that the more deadly and destructive wa
is made, the greater the economy of human life
the more certain the missile, the fewer The
number on the death roll. Gun-powder, will
musketry and cannon, destroyed the use of de
fensive armor, yet battles are now gained with
l.ss loss of life than in the days of the long
bow, cross bow, and the deadly hand-to-hand
encounter.
These considerations must be our excuse, on
the ground of humanity and true patriotism, for
a,lIng most forcibly the attention Of govern
me It to a very important implement of warfare.
We do SO the more earnestly as we believe it
will afford US means of improving our coast
defenses.
The failure Of the Lancaster shell makes it
doubtful, if we succeed in manufacturing rifle
cannon, whether they could be applied to any
thing but the propulsion of round shot. To in
crease the deadly nature of our round shot,
with the same instrument we divided our shot
into parts, or contrived to burst it into frag-
ments among our adyersaries. Seeing that we
cannot rifle our cannon, because of the mass of
metal we have to deal with, Sir Charles Shaw
the author of the invention which we now
proceed to describe-proposes to divide our
cannon itself as we'll as the shot. He replaces
the field piece, cannon or howitzer, by row of
rife barrels, twenty-five in number. These are
accurately placed on the same level, each bar"
rel diyerging slightly from the central, and so
that the volley of rifle bullets discharged by
the barrels will cover a width of about five
yards at a distance of eight hundred yards.
Sir Charles Shaw's rifle battery is indeed a re-
production of FieschI's Internal machine, placed
on wheels, nd made far lighter and far more
manageable than a light brass nine pounder
gun.
This implement may, therefore, be regarded
as a rifed cannon divided into twenty-five por.
tions, as destructive as grape or canister shot
at 500 yards, the Shrapnell shell at 500 yards,
with its deadly aim extended as far as the rife
can reach. Conceive battery of horse artl.
lery, with bur of Sir C. Shaw's internal ma.
chimes substituted for their guns. The rife
battery is equal in effect to twenty-five rifles
deliberately aimed, not from a man'e shoulder.
but from a fixed rest. 1t is no exaggeration,
therefore, to regard one rifle battery, manned
BY three rifiemen, as fair equivalent for a
company of soldiers firing from the ranks.
London Ne1s.
Boys going out of Fashion.
1t ia the remark of every English traveller
who comes among US that there are "no boys
in America" Our gentlemen smoke and
sport frock-coat and walking-stick at fourteen,
while in England they turn over their collars
aud wear jacket and trousers till they are TWEEN"
ty.one. So far, very wells Ours is d" fast -
country. But we were not prepared to see the
principle recognised in the action of our gov"
ernment. BY the following paragraph in the
Times, we see that midshipmen are 10 be left
Out--boys jumping at once to lieutenancy, that
is to say =" Ever since we had navy the mid.
shipman has been regarded as an indispensable
institution on board our ships of-war, and our
old commodores would as soon have thought oil
going to sea without a biunacle, or bobstay,
as without the usual number of young gentle.
men, Inc ml0oy mas oeen Ieso'o0u 10 AONSS
cary to the creation of the highest grade OF off,
Ger, az The egg is to the fowl. He has become
naval necessity as well as political institu'
tOn and members of Congress have looked
upon the gift of midshipman's warrant as
much part of their perquisites as the books
they vote themselves every Congress. There
have been some bold innovators who have had
the courage to declare that the midshipman was
useless aud aristocratic sPpendage to the SER
vice, which we had borrowed from England
and that such an anomaly as young gentlemen
on shipboard should be abolished. The late
Fenimore Cooper and Commodore Stewart were
among those who entertained such radical NO
lions, aud avowed themselves in favor of maxi
ing promotions directly from the ranks and
doing without the midshipmsn altogether. NC
attempt TO produce such reform in tbs service
his ever been made, but a practical demonssrs'
tion has been offered OF the possibility OF dls-
psnsing altogether with the services OF young
gaallenlsn in onr ships of-war. The Sabine