The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-05
Experiments with New Rifle mis-.
stlcs.

On Thursday, the 10th, soma experiments took
place The field works of tie Royal Eugi.
ueers al Chatham, for the purpose of testing some
new descriptions of missiles which have been ill.,
vented by Captain j. Norton. an officer who had
already made some valuable inventions in con-
Gezi0u with the rifle The afternoon was eycee!-
iugly wet and uBfavorable for carving on the
operations, but notwithstanding this drawback q
number OF officers of the Royal Engineers were
present. The experiments first made were with
II description of rife shell, called by Captain
Norton, the liquid f-e ride Shelf The object OF
;ha new missile is to set fire the sail, rigging
aud even tito hull Of any vessel against which the
shell is thrown, and certainly the results Of the
experiments proved that the shell in question
is one Of the most extraordinary prtjectiies ever
intrC9uced into the art Of warfare. The shade is
about three or fonr times the size of au ordinary
concai ,te bniet, but is hollow the interior be-
ing filled with glass in which il contained the
"iiquid fire" This chemical substance IS pre-
pared from a secret in the possession Gf Captain
Norton, hut the chief ingredients are phospho.
dissolved in si-su phate of carbon aud herne-
tIcaily sealed. Immediately on this she'll strikipg K
any equitable matter, the glass is broken: and so
powerful 10 the liquid, that it almost instantane.
ousy sets the object in hlaza. During the expe.
riments, a member al large sacks we're suspended
on poles, to represent the sails CT ship and these
were soon soaked through with rain. SO as to be.
come completely saturated Captain Norton then
took heavy three grooved rifle, which he loaded
with one Of his shells, aud fired at the canvass
NOL"it nstaEdiuE tnAt the sackIpg vet,
the elect was surprising. the liquid spreading
through the canvass, which began to s!uou!der and
shortly to burst forth into fame. entirely cousum
ing the whole. Had the sacking been dry. the eff
feet would have been instantaneous. Captain Nor
ton can undertake, with the same description OF
shells, but OF larger size. to set fre to any lne-Qf-
battle ship In the navy. The neytexperirsents un
derteken were with new description of ribe shot
which has been named the 'Spiusfsr' This bullet
when eau be hred by Captain Norton, at distance
of DO less than 500 yards, is intended for blow
lug up ammunition wagons, bags of gunpowder,
or setting hTe to the camp of an enemy. Tie
bullet, which IN shape and size resembles the
Eniied fifle bail, has chymicai substance at
tscaed to its base, which becomes isnited the
instant it is fired, remaining burning long enough
10 do the execution far whichit 10 intended. A
bag, containing about two pounds weight of cen-
powder, mixed with great quantity of sawdust.
was placed upon the ground; The powder being
soon we:ted through by the rain. Que of the
''spnster" shots were fired at the mass by means
OF Captain Norton's gossamsr seamless bags but
owing to the powder being wet, no immed late
result followed, as the guupowter was SO mixed
ever, the powder was igni;ed and blown uu-
Captain Norton afterwards exhibited some of bis
fractional igniters," which are "a kind cf hand
grenade, ard can be made to explode when throwu
from e'acis in the face of assailants The en-
gineer officers present expressed themselves in
satisfactory terms at the result of the experiments
made with Captain Norton's inveations-L London
Times.