The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-05-28


persons ho know any thing about the matter than
s the hour on the Horse Guards clock TO passer by.
Is said the French Emperor secret is wei kept 10 the
FIST place, s there secret, merely mysterious
OF methods known elsewh II there be secret
would not be secret long after fifty twenty guns
bad been cast Let however take the alternative that
there secret and that nn6 IL out; still
heD does it hehoove us TO do all as vigorously
lies 10 our power TO provide ourselves with equally
effective weapon.
THE GUN FOUNDRY AT WOOLWICH.
IMMENSE RESOURCES FOR THE SUPPLY OF ORD
NANCg-ExTRAOBDlNARY RESULTS FROM THE ARM.
STRONG GUN.
From the London News, May 1O]
At a time ike the present when some Of the most
powerful States of Europe launched into perhaps long
and culinary war, into the Of ,uich oe
knos hC,o soon ms country may be dracn the interest
OF the public is naturally awakened to the consideration
Of the efficiency OF the various departments employed in
the manufacture and preparation of materials. The
occasion therefore favorable again TO advert to
subject which occupied columns some months back,
namely The royal factories recently established az Wool
wch for the manufacture Of ordnance and warke stores
is not the object Of this notice 10 enter into the question
whether these works established legitimate
basis whether they likely prove saving of the
pubic money, but merely to show the vast quantities.
Of ordnance, shot, she and other warlke st5res which
in the event OF war, could be produced from the royal
arsenal alone.
Since the commencement of the present year the
greatest activity has prevailed throughout the Ordnance
Department Of the Arsenal and though for the past few
weeks the operations in the iron gun foundry have beer
suspended during the repair OF the four old furnaces and
ing and shipment Of the contract guns have proceeded
with the greatest activity the average number of heavy
guns despatched from the gun wharf per week being
less than one hundred This great demand has been
created By the ay,ng Of the pessels lately
pat into commission and the changing at the various coast
and ether deences Of the old unservceabe "a Founders
for long 80 and g. FOUNDERS Notwithstanding this
usual shipment the contracts for the supply Of guns for
the present year are smaller than those Of last year. while
but 800 peces heavy have been ordered from
the new foundry during the present financial year.
me store OF cannon OF Gil calbres now in
for years 10 come there being between Is 600 900
pieces of serveabe ordnance on the various wharves
phch could be prepared and despatched any part of tbs
world at The rat, Q 200 sek With the furnaces which
will shortly be in working operation the gun foundry
When the whole of the ten furnaces are erected the
foundry will be capable of producing twenly new guns
The contract entrusted to the Gospel Oak Low Moor
works, would be sufficient to supply all ordinary peace
demands for cannon very large series of workshops
now course OF erection close TO the foundry for the
manufacture Of the Armstrong guns The works will
take in the old Lancaster shell factory, which contains
thirteen furnaces and nine steam hammers, 60 that with
out going to any very great outlay for plans, Mr.
Armstrong who will superintend the factory, will,
as me works are completed be in post on to supply his
guns as fast as they are likely to be required.
great deal OF mystery has been thrown round this
most destructive weapon, and government certainly
and construction from TRANSPORTING The jealous with
which the drawings and modes have been guarded has,
purpose the gun having been publicly manufactured in
Newcastle on Tyne and openly used for practice in Wool
wich 1t is waste of time to try to prevent those who
are Interested in obtaining the information from becom
ing acquainted with every particular connected with its
construction. Much has been said about the dan ger to
which England would be exposed if any adverse Power
were enabled to construct these weapons but IL should be
emembered at the time that kno Wedge of the
Pncples upon which The gun is made will not Of itself
description OF our machinery, engines and small
arm rifles has been kept concealed from the world
and yet the chanical skill necessary for their manu-
actnre has been found in foreign countries. The
Armstrong gun is a piece Of mechanism which would tax
the sk Of English artisans when directed by the
inventor. Row little then need fear that foreign
nations would be able to manufacture it, even If supplied
with descriptive plans and drawings. The principles
upon which the advantages possessed by the weapon
depend are not novel even as applied to gunuery Ia
external appearance the gun differs very little from the
ordnance commonly in use, except in being little more
tnan nail The diameter in proportion to the weight Of
carried, and not quite hall the weight n may be fami
iarly described as hollow tube the bore extending from
from the chamber to the muzze, along which proecte
passes s red by about 80 grooves In Cd vide
complete in Is feet The other portion of the
bore from the chamber to the extremity Of the breecb
through which the charge Is introduced, is smooth,
and rather wider than the rned part Immediately be-
hind the chamber in which the charge is exploded and
about foot so from toe breech there square SLOT
come four or i've inches across which extends from the
surface Of the gum and cuts right the bore
When the charge has been inserted through the breech
solid piece Of iron dropped into the SLOT and BY
placed in the breech s firmly forced against the conica
base Of the chamber forming eectual break which Is
capable Of resisting the explosion To the projcce how.
gun. ID formed OF iron, elongated in shape like the
MIME bullet. Two grooves cut at different places
along its length, into which cast belts Of lead which
project about quarter Of inch beyond the diameter
Of the shot, Tho proectle and the charge Of powder
are, as we have said before, introduced through
the breecb. The plug which fits into the slot is
then dropped and screwed into its place, 80 az
edectualy TO prevent any lateral escape of the
explosion When the Charge gnited the concal spot Is
driven forward into the red portion of the BORE which
being rather than the diameter of shot, the
leaden belts firmly forced into the grooves and the
whole bore 30 ehectually wedged up during the pas
of the shot that there Ia absolutely wndage
escape Of the explosion until the shot has left the
Thus the whole II the poptsive po,cer Of given charge Of
po'oder utilized, and range obtained The
Of the body Of the gun itself s Ingenious
though not perhaps quite novel, Ia entirely of wrought
iron. In the original plan proposed by Mr. Armstrong
massive cylinders Of wrought iron welded on while at
high temperature and firmly fixed 10 the steel by the
consequent upon cooling. This plan has been
altered, and the cores are now either made Of
wrought cast ron The wrought iron cylinders are
made like the twisted steel barrels Of fowlng piece by
winding red hot bars Of wrought iron sprally round
polished metal drum Of the required diameter These
successive spras then pressed and welded together
forming tube whose greatest tensile strength s In d.
rection transverse s length These tubes In
OF one or two feet welded on TO the In of
iDcandescence and contracted firmly to their places
cooling. Outside this second covering of the same
description OF wrought iron cylinders ia welded which
completes the gun. This peculiar combination OF iron
cylinders the tensile Gbres OF which run in different d.
reccns has the effect Of preventing the expansion the
bore during firing stops the vibration 40 destructive
TO the strength Of ron and renders the piece consider
ably stronger tRan the cast iron gun Of the cabre