Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-08-14
EXPERIMENTS WITH TIE ARMSTRONG GUN.
The london Times Gays.

The london Tunes Gays.
The following has been hand to as an accurate 70.
port Of the a.e experimental firing With Armstrong guns,
at Snoeburyness upon the ronplaGs forged u5dCr the
SCAN. nIaer in the snitts shop Portsmou dock.
yard The trials took Ilsco b. ordsr of the Lords Of
the Admiralty, and in the presence Of the lyou-pl
Committee. IL is important 10 state that each plate,
when fed a., placed in vertic.l poso1 against
wooden fran work tut without any cki e. sulh
the plates receive which have been bo'teo sbips
.de as in the instance Of the Truty aud Srrs and 9TH
ers Toe plates forged from scrap iron aud the
chief interest in the experiments consisted the results
assisting greatly solve the problem the superior.
y of forged rolled plates for irpcl4d ships
The first plate tried siI and half Gch feet In
length by three in breadth aud weighing ortynne cw
one Or The weapon used sganst it i. the ARMSTRONG
.hunt gun, with one hundred and twsuySI pouad pro-
jeeus.
The rang. was 400 yards. The trs: .aos discharged
made an iDdentson Of iva inches, With slight frse.
turs. The second made slight ndsntstion abops six
inches from the preceding shot, and fractured the plata
On lie reverse Toe third sHd fourth shrs CIT pieces
out Of the plates edge and the fia struck tho plate
absut fee! from IL lower edge and broke it where
IL had been fractured BY the second shot. The next
plate put up 4.uoh Of the length and breadth
as the 8 l.sinch, and weighed s. c=t qrs Tbs Hss
shot discharged from l00-pounder . range OF 400
Yards partially mbeided itself in the plate ard remain
ed there The succeeding shots at this plate were made
with the lss pouad prcece Which fractured the plate,
tho CrsCkt FhuA.nR, kIAT'ukt, ltSu tue CeuIc.
Taree.nch plates also tested by 40 pound guns
at 100 yards range, and were not penetrated 2inch
plates wthslood rs pound shot a loo range but were
penetrated by 40 pound shot at the same range Two
inch plates fractured by shots from IL FOUNDER,
and penetrated by shot from 40 FOUNDER.
IL our informant be correct-that the officers the
ground declared the plates In the present instance be
the best samples Of iron for armor plates that have been
as yet tested neutrality-suspicious. cannot be very much
Gou5t the superiority Of forged over rolled iron
arm r for iron.cssed ship, The trials Of plates forged
in Portsmouth backyard when such tests first began
tbs sides Of the Alfred target fs,e, led many TO ex-
poet 'he results which have been obtained while Others
on seeing the extraordinary resistance offered spher
cal shot by Besles plate lately Portsmouth, thought
even forged plates could not excel that instance.
UssISEABLE IRON SHIPS.
On the 9Th, q hhdsome iron steamship, constructed
upon novel but simple pan which the pstentee sf ms
renders entire submeron impossible whatever accident
or damage may besl her, launched from the yard
Of Er. Luuglsy, at Debtordgresn. She 10 divided into
compartments BY transverse iron bukhesd, bu. In ad
dition to this precsuien which the experience OF ths
Connsught and some other iron Steamships tina, have
been lost during the last two three years shows BY
10 means efectual safeguard under al circumstances,
sbs built 10 three distinct decks each being 10 effect
ship in itself
The advantage OF this arrangement ID, tina. II plate
we're removed hole knocked In the eide in either
deck, or her bottom were torn away altogether,
she viii hoat, there being no communication between
either Of the lower decks each Of which communicates
with tho upper deck by separate shsf' or bstchway-
Not only the danger Of water thus guarded against
but the frequently serious at Of hre IL
brought completely under control. Were fire TO break
out in the hold in either OF the compartments, IL
would be only neceesary 70 close the communicating
shaft aud leave II to die out Of ITSELF which, Is no air
could get to it. the several decks being srght II must
soon do, or any quantity Of water may be pumped
down. even to the entire filing Of the spacs between
decks where the fire existed Her engines and furnsce,
are of course placed high 10 the vessel that no
amount of water In the lower decks would interfere with
their free action The Of the vessel which Is
the srst that has been built upon this patent Is the B.
ton, and che is Destined fof TIE Cape rail service.
An IrcIprrr.-As the Poythress Volunteers, Captain
Norris were leaving the depot at Waynetboro, Ga, on
THURSDAY negro girl, belonging to Msjor Poythress
named Bends stepped up to Captain Morris and said
"Msssa William, here Is some money that want you to
give to the poorest In your company" at the came
time offering him Is 80 In small change, which she had
saved up contribute to the Capt Morris CRATE
fully accepted the donation. and promised to make the
disposition required This little ncdentls only parallel
to hundreds more exhibiting the patriotism Of the slave
population. -
soUrHrRs LIrEHAruRE-J. W. Burke, Book Agent
Macon, Go proposes publish complete catalogue
Of Southern books and requests authors who have
books printed In manuscript to send him at once the
title Of their books their full name their address and the
terms on which their books eau be bought, ETC. They
are expected TO enclose one dollar to assist n desying
the expenses Of publication, f0g which they will receive
the value In catalogues, when printed II the work /,
not pub shed the money will b. refunded This propo.
ston should NEE: With favorable response from South
ern authors and publishera -a,s .
UNFORTUNATE DrsL-Ws learn .ha. pirate de-
spatch has been received in this city, st,irg hs. duel
took place ate. the battle Of Manassas between Capt
George nooauslsnd aid to Biyadier General Ewel and
vaptAn NIT, oil the Texas Tiger hes. The cause Of
the duel Is not stated The parties fought yith a.s
and ssems thas Captain Whis aho Art dra inn III,