The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-11-19
A New Weapon of Defence

lhe London Daily News describes new
WEAPON Of war, which, it fancrs, will ena.
oie England to defend her coasts effectively
against any INVASION. After u hasty skctcl,
OF modern improvements, in various kinds
Of arms, it says:
Seeing that wo cannot rifle our cannon
because of the mass of metal we have to
deal with, Sir Charles Shaw--thc author OF
! the invention wI,ic, we now proceed TO de.
scr'br--purposcs to divide our cannon itsel,
as well as the shot. lie replaces the field
P'ce' cannon or h"witzer, by row of rifle
barrels, twenty-five in number These are
accurately placed on the same level, each
barrel d'verging slightly from tho central
one, SO that the volley Of rifle bullets dis
charged 10y the barrels will co,era width
| OF about five yards ut a distance Of eight
hundred yards. Sir Charles Shaw's rifle
battery is indeed IL reproduction Of Fieschi's
internal machine, placed Oh wheels and
made far lighter and far more manageable
Than light brass nne.poundcr gun.
ms implement may, therefore, be re-
Carded rs Il ritl.L cannon, divided into
twenty-five portions, rs destructive AS grape
or canister shot at 300 yards, or shrapncli
shell at 500 yards, with its deadly aim cx-
tended as Ear rs tho rifle can reach Con.
ctive Il battery Of horse artillery Will, four Of
Sir &. Silaw's internal machines substituted
for their guns. What battery Of field a,tii.
lcry what troop "f horse, what battalion of
infantry c"uil withstand their deadly show
er of Mimic balls The cannon or howi,zr
requires nine men ut least to serve it, aud it
must he dragged 10y four or six horses; the
rifle battery requires but two men to loa,! it,
and one to fire. 1t ,an be fired bv one pull
OF the trigger, OF in sections Of twelve barrel>
at time, AS may be cxpedicn'.
The best method Of r"nceiviny the power
OF tins new weapon is TO rcgarl i! as the e(
iectlvc firing power Ola company vi soIiels
standing two deep. When 3 company of
men, formed two deep, arc firing, tie tall
men arc Ill front, the small in the rear, both
are III heavy marching or'lcr, encountered
with knapsarks, l'avrc~ack<, aud all sorts Of
gear. The little rear men have to level their
rifles between the front raIkS ; in the nidst
ofpushins and jos,iing how can steady
aim y" attained Now if we suppose one
company tiIing at Il company or regiment
OF infantry, ut Il range OF some nine or ten
hundred yards, we ncel no military sa!is.
ties "l the average value oi shots, To convince
us that ten per cent, Of effective shots is
ilr>t rate firing for 4 crack regiment. The
rifle battery is equal in effect to % rifles de,
libcratclv aimed, not from mans shoulder
but from Il fiXe,l rest. 1t is no cxaycera-
ton, therefore, to regard one rifle battery,
manned by three riilcr:cn, as II fair cquiva-
lent Tor Il company OF soldiers firing from
tho ranks.
1t seems to us that Sir Charles Shaw has
done for the rifle what the first Napoleon
dill for his artillery. IL, made his field ar
tllIcry tell, 10y massing it and concentrating
It's effects. Sir Charles Sllaw masses aud
concentrates the rifle, making it as deadly in
Its ELECTS. at Il range of 100 yards, AM, far
more certain OF aim, than shower Of grape
shot at 800 yards. These rifle batteries can
be applied to boats, to the poop of YES
St! of war, or its yards. Three or four men
can thus be male equal in power to COM
pany of marines.