The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-19
THE GREAT GUN OF ENGLAND.

EngIand-Terrible Things Threatened In
Its Nsme-Good Authorities Adverse to the
Opinion about IT'S Tremendous Entcts-sot
YET Tried In Battle-The Best English
Smooth Bored Cannon and tho American
Dahlgrcn Gun.
We have given account OF the French or Napoleon
gun, rned cannon playing its part in the Italian
campaign We have also given some account OF the
British great gum which, perhaps before tue is
may also have TO play It's part. We have given de
scrpon Of the weapon from the London Neos also
from the inventor himself-both highly euogstic but
rather conflicting We supply some critissms tho
guu examining 10 pretensions, and setting much 10
value on the Invention than has been claimed for it.
The weapon which has lately taken ssch hold of tho
public mind ia gland the instr ong gum Before now
have read Of other wonderful B sh euns-ths huge
Lancaster, !" "Wslugtrn' and "whstlng Dick at IS,
oastopo Of Sir William Pccps famous origste ordnance
Of Lord Pauerstons colossal MORTAR of General Ja,oos
battery; Of the Whisworth poygonh gun, and OF Var
aefs strious "Long Range" the Armstrong canaoa-
appears to have eclpsed all these terrible engines OF
destruction But II not satisfied with this the English
havs invented other terrible machines of sill later date,
and seem TO be falling back aso on former
The approach CT the Crmean stirred up England
The necessity of adopting the Mimic rilo, AMI board of
officers was sent out here by the to get
improvements that weapon, and to purchase machine
~ with view to the establishment: OF the great Eaa.id
factory At the same time the Lancaster rlsd cannon
was tried for the campaign, and its lauiei
10 the skies by the English papers 1t to tho
Ctmea and completely failed after costing tao country
An enormous sum OF money. 1t elpticAi bored
without grooves. 1t had great range, bat threw
sidy whatever shells did not beosk before they left
the nuzze, and several pieces burst aaaily 70
Govei from the servcc. The succeeds Of the Mimic
rifle startled and alarmed the English government. as IL
lntna- r..
she servlces of Al eminent machinst, Nr. Whisworth
giving him $l0o GOO to experiment With to produce rife
cannon and possible better musket rifle than the
Enfield MIME. According the London Times he sue
oeedsd in both objects, but particularly in the It
fs;d-
Here there is at solution OF the whole question
which has troubled the brains OF so veniors real
or pretended, for years The areryman at stride
resumes the relative position to the soldier of the
which the Enfield rifle had 50 psrOusy deprived HIN Of
mechanical country after finding horsef on the
level OF France Russia aud other European Ss,es
more, as during the Peninsuar campaigns, enabled to
as.ert her natural superiority IA the maoufacure Of
The wish father the thought for the solution has
hardly yet. If the question then solved, why,
after zach flourish OF trumpsts has long slencs
been since maintained regarding i.s and why has the
Armstrong gun eagerly promulgated the solu
tor, and The Whtwor.h "poy gonal article thgown into
the shade sinoe the developemsnt Of the Armstrong
gun Mr. Wbitworth indeed, revives discussion about
his gun, aud is making further experiments But there
ia reason to believe that be has produced nothing
aad that it merely his old Invention brushed up
,sko of the gliding of rival inventors ginger
bread.
Mr. Armstrong has been knghed for his irgeutIon,
oe7ed good government appointment and has been paid
in cssh 500 co., though gun brcsch loader kIad
OF cspncn which hss hitherto ftlec anl which the best
juoges tel us succeed
SeCreary OF War General Peel. hoWovsr
voushed for Il, and says he it dfed / 300
times without being injured-that the gun is only
ooe third the weight OF other gus throwing the
same weight OF Bhot-that the range OF go. poucder
With lbs Of powder, iitlls than 81 miles,
while its accuracy such that at 900 yards would
hit fifty times when ordinary would only
hit oace while at g. 900 yards it would hit times for
that other would hit at 900 yards We
not told however of the guns accuracy beyond
5000 yards (Which only abou; 1ss miles, that the
long range OF So miles of very little consequences the
gun tba. dstancs cannot hit the object aimsi at The
authority tells that otis destructive effect ex
ceeded anything wbi;h had been hitherto witnessed"
decided az soon as practicable to introduce the Arm
sroI gun into the naval vice. and that
new works in the old Lancaster factory com oe:cd
Mr. Armstrong will be Ia position to supply his guns as
fast as they are likely to be required
writer of the London papers suggests tina. no
all speed bat that the ordinary service gun shoul be
rhed, and Armstrong; projecte used with this nven'
ton consisting in the nature OF the shell shot. as
the gun. But the failure of wnitworths experiment
se:;.cs that point.
As in the case OF the Lancaster gum great expectations
arc formed but trial service, such took place At
Seblstcpol, liz the best test
NJ Armstrong; account Of his guns performance
given loDg since in the london Times and copied into
Work gupnery published last year. that he submitted
bis gun in 1884, TO tho Duke Of Newcastle thea Minister
Of War and with he Dukes authority, under the official
Inspection Of Colonel Wmo ne tried it on the coast Of
Nofhun oerlsndshre. The result was that at large.
Eve feet wide and ~ feet high and 800 yards distant
and degrees &c minutes elevation, eight shots success
sion bit The object without previous gauge and mean
ds.uce of the shots from vertical line through
ire, wac only u inches Toe projecte only Eve
ponds An ordinary six FOUNDER useless at 500 yards
and very uncertain at 900 yards. Next, twenty-five
shells were fred at the target and oay missed. Tho
Elects terrible. -Four Cred ut elevation Of
six degrees a. 964 yards all fell short but one which
hi. the target.
az 70 range, the inventor says--"With respect to
'apges exceeding 1900 yards, may state thst pre-
vocs occasions the gun had been tried up to GOO yards
oiSance Sach ras reached With an elevation Of eleven
degrees and the usua charge ten ounces Of powder
or orc eighth the weight Of the projecule BY augment
ing the charge the range is Increased but the scc.
racy is impaired AMI therefore adhered 70 III. ton ouncs
charge" mile is 100 yards Mr. Arms.rons thar.
crc does not claim that this gun eGs,ye b.yooi "a,
ard one seventh miles; but the gan OF larger cabro
the thirty ptrnder-may OF Accomplish NOR,
If he breech wn only sand TIE neces,1y ct1rg saa elsa
ion. Mr.. Greensr observes on this subject
The scientific world knows that higher rsts ~
speed can be attained 10 railway travelling thau ID day
prAossed but they also know only be obtAs
In tue sams way Jacob 4 Wh.worth obtained. their
rangc Eunncry, namely by excessive eKpeadurSof
iue ana wear OF the engine amounting TO comparative
eesructDn, whilst, At the came time, ths range is
much Increased that would DO folly aud recsaess TO
crsist 10 such q course.
The great gun ofCommodors Stockton which burs. near