The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-04-07
THE WHJTWORTU CANNoN

IHE MI OkIH CANNON.
we quote the following extracts from an account
of some late experiments with these new guns, as
detailed in an English paper:
"Fhere are two great points as to which Mr..
WhitwOrth's barrels differ from Sir William Arm
strongs. In the first place, they are not as his
are, provided with a chamber in which the charge
repOses but rifed throughout from breach to
muzzle. The great advantage of this is, that any
amount OF loading and any length of proectile can
be employed, whereas, in Sir w. Armstrong's the
charge had to be invariably accommodated to the
size of the chamber. Mr.. Whitworth saws that
there would not be the least difficulty in firing a
projectile half the length of the barrel should occa
sion require it, and he actually contemplates firing
a two-hundred pound shot out of his eighty-pound
gun, when it it duly furnished with the carriage
which is now being prepared for it. In the next
place, instead of being fluted with a number of lit
tie sharp-edged grooves, the new barrel is a simple
hexagon, with its sides made perfectly smooth so
as to offer the least possible resistance to BODY
passing over their surface, and thus obviating the
dangers which might otherwise result from so con-
siderable pitch of rifling as that which Mr. Whit
worth employs. The pitch of rifinv in the three
FOUNDER is one inch in forty and thus the proiec-
tile makes one and a half revolutions before leaving
the barrel, and the most intense rotary motion and
consequently the greatest accuracy of flight are
thus obtained. Notwithstanding this violent twist
In the BARREL which some people have imagined
must lead to frequent explosions, Mr. Whtworth
has contrived that there shall be extremely little
friction. This is managed by the proiectile fitting
tHe DaIfel, ana Delng allowed to slip its
faces instead of being made slightly larger than the
barr e, and being thus forced to cut into its edges
In the Armstrong gun, the projectie, in forcing its
way out drives its leaden coating into the grooves
of the barrel. In the Whitworth gun, the proiec-
tile gdes the surfaces of the barrel and
passes out with very nconsiderable degree of re-
slSance. The form of projectile which is found to
answer best, and with which the great distances
have been accomplished, is an oblong conical bolt,
rihed as to fit the barrel In the three-pounderit
is about inches long, and in shape like little Gu
cumber with ofits round ends cut off and six spi-
raj slices cut ongitudinalv in its rind-these being
ocourse for the purpose Oftng the hexa gonal bore
The length Of the prOecile, however is not an es-
sena point, and so long its rifle exactly fits the
barrel through which it is to pass it may be longer
or shorter, or perfect sphere, as convenience or
fancy may suggest. When the gun is to be loaded
the treech of the off and the bolt is
pushed into the brrrel Al its back is placed a
tin cartridge similarly rihed, and so arranged as
to protrude slightly from the barrel till the can
mons breech is again screwed on; so that when
the gun Is fastened up, the cartridge lines that
part oft at which its breech and body ioin, and
prevents the possibility Of the slightest escape of
air or powder through any interstice that might
be occasioned by an imperfect fitting of the screw
1t has also the advantage Of coniining the powder
at the moment of explosion, and saving the guns
metal from the full strain of pressure to which it
must otherwise be exposed But the cartridge has
still a further At the end where it touches
the proectile, it is furnished with little lump of
lubricating matter, which is dispersed bv the ex-
poson over the interior Of the barrel and cleans
it for the next discharge, besides efectually pre-
venting the least windage. Two hundred rounds
can be fired without the barrel fOuing; and the
great inconvenience of having to sponge out the
barrel after every shot, and of being Obliged to
carry water with the gun for this purpose is alto
gether avoided. What the full capabilities of the
elghty-pounder may be-hOw far it will shoot, and
how much it will shoot through we as vet know only
by conjecture. Mr.. Whitwort looks forward with
the greatest confidence to the impending expert
mens at Sheerness and expects to be able pierce
and shatter the soutest iron plates at six hundred
yards distance. On Wednesday and Thursday
week, however, the eighty FOUNDER, at very low
elevation, performed in a manner at which all com
petent judges acknowledged their astonishment.
-Four shots were fired at ten degrees of elevation
and with ninety-pound bolt The best of these
was $500 yards in range, and no one of the four
more than ten yards in lateral deviation from
any of the rest. The next day it fired seven
degrees of elevation, and it ranged between $500
and $3.50 yards, throwing every shot within one
and half yards of the line of fire. The three
poundeT, which looks more like an elegant teles-
cope than deadly instrument of destruction, was
fired first at three degrees of elevation, and its
shot then fell somewhat short of a mile VARYING
from 1000 to 1900 yards, but in no instance deyia-
ting more than two yards from the true line of
fire. Two shots out of nine actually fell on the
line, and five only half yard on one side When
the three-pounder was raised to twenty degrees of
elevation, its range was about $500 yards and
out of twelve shots fired two setts of three fell
precisely two parallel lines, each within six
twelvepounder equally remarkable. At
twenty degrees of elevation it ranged from 6Sl8
to 6339 yards; at five degrees of elevation, it
averaged 2300, and threw all its shot within
two and a half yards of the true line of fire.
AFFECTING INCrDENr.-The Albany Express SAYS:
On Sunday morning several young folks were
baptized at Rev. DR.. Magoon's church. The first
person who was baptized was Young Girl perhaps
sixteen years Old in the last stage of consumption
She was literally arrayed in her gave clothes it
being understood that the white robe in which she
was baptized was to be worn by her when she was
placed IN her coffin. She obtained her mothers
permission to be baptized, and then acquainted her
pastor with her desire. She was brought to the
pool in the arms of her uncle attended nv her
mother, and lifted in the arms of the pastor, who
gently immersed her head, after repeating the usu
al words. The very affecting causing
some of the spectators to sob with emotion She
so far gone that it was feared she might ex-
pire during the ceremony, yet after it was per-
formed she expressed a wish to be brought to the
church in the afternoon, to partake of the Lords
Supper, which was granted After the supper,
when IN another room, she sang the doxology,
"Praise God" and when in her carriage Dr. Ma
goon asked her how she felt, she whispered: 81
have fought good fight"
The African Civilization Society Of New York il
preparing to send pioneer company of colored
persons, to commence the formation of industrial
settlements in the 1oruba country. in Africa The
Society desires to send company by the bark
Mendi, which will sail from that port in a few
weeks.
LARGE AND VALUABLE CARGo.-The ship Ocean Mon
arch cleared at New Orleans on Saturday, with one
OF the largest and valuable cargoes rephed in
one ship present season. She had on board O56
bales of cotton weighing 1897, ,7s4 lbs the freight
amounting to $40 l5S.40. The cargo is valued we
understand, at S32S $3.50
A correspondent in Ducktown, Tenn, writes en-
Enthusiastically concerning the copper mining car
ried on there or in that vicinity. 1t appears that
about 500 persons are employed in the mines, and
that the wages Of Cornish miners are from S32. so
to S35 per month. Laborers receive from rs cents
to 81 per day.
manufactorv of friction matches has just been
put in operation at Cincinnati by two wealthy cti-
zens of that city. The cost of the building and
machinery has been $3.50, 900, and it is the most
extensive match factory in the world, except one in
Austria.
A letter from an officer of the African squadron
saws the discovery of coal in LIBERIA all the hily
ranges Astounding with it, will bring not only
wealth but civilization to Africa The only draw
back is the want of proper harbors for vessels along
the coast.
Simon Calm, of Albany, boy IA wears of aoe
was convicted on Tuesday, of an assault and bat,
terry on his sister. Rather than make friendly with
her and promise never to do it again. he preferred
to go to Jail.
The Roslne Association of Philadelphia has dur
ing the twelve years of its existence rescued and
restored to their friends six hundred and eighty