Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-06-20
Experiments with Ordnanee-Rnect of
Eroiectilea ON Iron PlnIea.

GEcJectiItH Oh iron IIuleo
A late issue of the Pittsburg Chronicle
says; .
Some very Interesting experiments, 90
ing to show the effect Of projectiles upon
cast iron plates, were made at the proving
grounds up the Allegheny yesterday. A
twelve FOUNDER gun was loaded with
charge of six pounds of powder aud
twelve pound bail, and discharged at a plate
of iron, furnished from the works of Mr..
Shoenberger, nearly FIVE inches in thickness,
and about two feet square. The plate was
made up Of SIX distinct plates, all bolted to-
gether, AID manufactured from excellent
iron. The effect of the shot was almost
incredible. The distance between the gun
and target was not measured, but was prob
ably nearly one hundred yards. At this
distance the tW elve pound shot penetrated
thee plates Of the Shoeuberger plate, dished
the whole mass several inches and partially
broke through the remaining three plates.
The bail was crushed to fragments and the
front hemisphere evidently half fused. The
same effect on the ball followed every shot.
The second plate tested was solid, and four
inches thick, of the best Juniata iron. The
ball penetrated about one inch and an eighth,
and dished the plate less than in the pre-.
ceding experiment. The third experiment
was with two-inch plate, which the ball
so nearly broke through that lighthammer
would have removed the fragment. The
plates in all the experiments we're simply set
on edge, with no other support than was
sufficient to keep them in that position. The
six.pounder was proved by two charges of
solid shot and one and one, fourth pounds of
powder.
While the experiments were going on,
gang of men had removed the columbiads
from the cars, and set the entire lot-teu in
number-in order for proving. Two of these
guns were trained by the same gunner, with
the same lack of means, on a fourth plate of
iron, solid, about eighteen inches wide, three
feet long, and nearly FIVE inches thick. The
guns were loaded with twelve pounds of
powder, solid, strapped shot, aud wad. The
cartridges are carefully picked, fuses affixed,
and the lot touched off together, the heavy
reports following in rapid succession. A cloud
OF smoke covers the muzzles, aud shower
of sand the bank where the balls strike, and
when these clear away, one or two heavy
trees are found to have been knocked down.
The lower half of the iron plate is half i'm
bedded in the bank, with the alffused por-
tion of the ball beneath it. The upper por.
tion of the plates show an indention of about
twoinches and fracture completely through,
further up the hill, The result of all the
firing proves that at short range no ordinary
or practicable iron sheathing would resist
the power of columbiad shot. The second
shot was fred with fifteen pounds of powder
and shell, the guns were cleaned and in
spected, and the days work was done. In
firing the columbiads, the breach was sunk
in slight excavation, in order to level the
bore; yet such was the force of recoil that
several of the guns jumped backward five or
six feet. The work of inspecting and prov.
ing the guns on behalf of the Government is
now in the hands of Captain McNutt, who
has been stationed for some time at the Alle-
gheDy Arsenal.