The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-04

tioDa Union party in the election Of our next
President.
Terrible New CannOn-Tho Groat Guns OF
Europe-England's Peacemalker.
TIE new cannon, recen ly invented in France
and England, are creating considerable excite
ment just now, especially as Europe is thought
to be on the eve of great war. The re-
cent improvements are of such decided
character as may well excite extraordinary in-
terest, not only in those countries, but on this
side of the Atlantic. The experimental trials
are truly astonishing The London Times as
snres Us that with these I" arms of precision"
there will be few chances of escape 10 battle
and that modern warfare will be so completely
revolutionized that ait seems hard to say how
armies are in future to be man9uvred." The
weapon which is producing this sensation is the
rifed cannon.
We learn by the Persia that General Peel,
the British Secretary of War, made an
astounding statement to the House of
Commons Of the success Of the Armstrong
gun-a breech-loading wrought iron rifed
piece which had been tested under the eye
of the government, and whose performances
he had himself seen. The great advantages of
this gun were its extreme ightness, the extent
of its range and its accuracy. An Armstrong
cannon throwing projectile of 1slbs weighed
only one-third as much as the ordinary 49,
FOUNDER. TWAS adapted both for shot and shell
for land and sea. Its destructive effects exceeded
anything which had hitherto been witnessed, and
it was impossible for any one to predict what
would be the effect of the general introduction of
that weapon into the British army. A 32-
FOUNDER, with charge Of 5lbs of powder, at-
ained range of ouer Jfre miles and quarter, and
could hit an object at 1000 yards every shot
which! an ordinary gun could only hit once in
ffty-seven times; while ut 5000 yards its
accuracy Was as seven to one compared with
that Of common artillery at 1000 yards
AS to its durability, he had seen the
gun fired 1900 times without the slightest inju-
rous effect. The manufacture of some of the
larger Of these guns was now being proceeded
with by Sir y. Armstrong; late partners 1t
was also the Mention of the government to make
some of them at Woolwich, under the direction
of that gentleman; and when they had got some
of the largest size, they would be tried against
masonry and earthwork, till which was done it
was impossible to say exactly what effect they
would produce upon Notifications. One thing he
might predict, and that was that sooner or later
they would supersede the whole existing arma-
ment Of the country. So well they may when
the greatest range which we know upon good
authority ever to have been obtained in Eng
land, or in Europe, was three and a quarter
miles and in this country three and third
miles. Such guns will also diminish the fire.
quency Of war, the effects of the new arm being
tremendous. In reply to question, Gen. Peel
further said that 1857 500 had been applied
by the government to the manufacture of this
terrible weapon, and measures had been taken to
turn out as many as possible in the shortest
possible time
The French papers throw doubt on the pro-
misses made in behalf of this gun, because the
British government are making such mystery
about its construction, and shrewdly refer to the
failure in the Crimea of the Lancaster gun, also
rined cannon, which had cost the government
an enormous sum- and to which wonderful range
and precision had been attributed at the time of
its experiments. One of the Paris journalists
thinks the Armstrong gun is merely bugbear
TO fiighten other Powers and compel them to
keep peace. rnU
Since the miserable failure of the Lancaster,
the government gave Mr.. Whitworth SlOODOO
to produce riled cannon. The London Times
declared the problem had been solved But it
seems its solution remains for Mr. Armstrong. to
whom another 100000 has been given by the
government, besides the honor of knighthood.
The Mechanics Magazine says the Napoleon gun
cannot compare with the British invention.
That, however, remains to be proved by service
on the field.
The success of the Mimic rifle at the siege of
Sebastopol suggested q new idea to the EN-
peror Of the French. "The queen of weapons.n
as the London Times truly remarked, "saved the
fight This set the astute mind of Napoleon to
work. He saw that rfcd cannon. if practica-
bic, would be as much superior to smooth. bored
pieces as the MIME rife proved superior to the
ordinary muskct in accuracy, range and de-,
ctr,ot;xrc Tho