Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1861-05-25
srodcrn Means of Destroo,Ion.

TIE DAHLGREEN GCN, is used for ship service
a I'd naval batteries, and is the most perfect ma
val gun ever invented. Its inventor is Com
mander John A. DalgreGn, of the U. S. Navy,
to be used for shell or solid shot Its merits
consist in reduction Of the proportion of met
al between the muzzle and trunuions, which is
found in guns Of common pattern largely in ex-
cess. The greater part Of the metal in the
breech OF the gun, instead Of the muzzIe, not
only gives greater strength at the part where
dagger OF fburs'ng is the greatest, but also tends
tO diminish the force OF The recoil. They are
3 and u inch calibre in the ship guns, aud those
for boat service are of IL and "a pound caHbre,
and are used Tor firing shell, canister and schrap-
nell shot. SO satisfied have been the Ordnance
Board with this gun, that the two smaller bores
have been used Tor all our new steam sloUps aud
gun boats. They are similar to the CoIumb-
ads, and their weight, range, charge and weight
OF shot are nearly similar. they have stood se-
we're tests Of trial and proof aud are doubted
y the best naval gus used in the world.
CoLUMBIAD GUN.-Thc Coumbiad is a
recently invented gun of great range, com.
biniug the essential qualities Of the ordinary
sea coast gun, h0wilzer aud mortar. They
are Of eight and ten inch caliber, and are
capable Of projecting a solid shot or shell
with large charge Of powder at an angle
OF from five deg, below TO 80 degrees above
the horizon. In outer appearance, the CO.
lumbiad is similar to the ordinary sea coast
cannon, but in internal shape more like the
howilZ4r. Its full range is about tw miles,
with an extra range OF three miles. The
eight inch weighs about 5000 lbs. and the
charge of powder used is 10 lbs. The
weight Of the sold shot is 46 los, the shell
38 lbs The ten inch gun weighs $4,000
lOS and the charge used is l6 los. OF pow.
der--the solid SHOT weighing l2S lbs, and
the shell 100 lbs. Iu 1859 there were 9,
5l9 eight aud ten inch CclumOladS and sea
coast howtzerS in use in our Publications
Of which over GOO were ColumbadS, and
we were informed 10y officer Of the ordi-
nance, that up 10 the present time, there
were over !, 900 in use, and new ones being
manufactured daily Most Of our heavy
lortGcations, from Maine to Florida, have
in use these terrible guns
LANCASTER GUE.-This large and flee
tive sege gun was invented few years
previous to the late European war, by Mr..
Lancaster, an English gentleman II is of
great weight, and is constructed on the prin-
ciple OF the application OF rotating shot 10
guns Of eliplical bore, which causes the ball
TO proceed like that from rife. They are
for either solid shot or SHE'LL but are more
successful with the spherical solid ball.
Their range is from AZ TO miles, and they
are said TO be the most effective gun in use.
At Inkerman aud Balaklaya they did ter
rible execution, and also at the Redan made
terrible breeches in the works, aud no Tor
ti6calion could stand against them, Ihey
are however, not always to be relied on Ior
accuracy and strength. Some have burst
| in the most destructive manner; but
| whether it was owing to lhllr being too
lgbt for their charge aud weight OF ball, or
no tbe tendency of the ball 10 go straight
forward, aud thus wedge itself IN attempt
ipg TO pass the very gradual curve OF the
rife bore, is undetermined. One great OBJ
lection 10 them is their great weight, which
is a serious mpedunent III the trunSporta.
tion of siege or field gun; aud another
disadvantage is the cost OF sustaining them,
for each charge costs at the lowest calenla-
tion G20, or 500. Tue average cost Of a
Lancaster gun complete is about $4,000, or
$4,000
TEE JAMES RIFLED CANNON This new
invention was patened by General james,
OF Rhode Island, in 1858, aud is brass
field piece for light batteries, rited, aud
slllptteal 6ore, with conlcal shot Of curious