New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-11


marks of this description is throwing ammun'
ton away.
A nerfect weapon may be considered almost in-
dispensable to precision of fire, and as precision
of fire, by rapidly disabling an enemy economies
ammunition. so these great desderata are united
in the perfect weapon. What that IL, II wouid DC
difficult to say. The Crimean war proved the
range of the Enfield rifle so superior TO that OF
the Russian small arms, that the Russians ireely
admitted its tremendous power The brl'lsh
Government calling for large numbers, found the
Birmingham manufacturers unable to supply them,
and abandoning the contract system, proposed es-
tablishng mandatory of its own at Enheld.
But the whole body of English gunmakers OPP
p0sed the project, whereupOn a select committee
was appointed to investigate the matter, and the
result was volume of over 500 pages, embracing
no less than nearly 5000 questions. Among the
witnesses examined was Mr.. Whitworth, since
celebrated for his rifles and cannon, and from INN
more really practical information was derived 'nan
from all the others. He proved that the correct
performance of gun barrel depends on the ac-
curacy of the interior; that it was possible 10
measure sizes, mechanically, up TO the miliionth
of an inch; and that up to that time no steps had
been taken to test, by means of different gauges
the accuracy of the interior Of gun barrels. lie
asserted that until that plan was adopted no con-
illusions on which any dependence could be placed
were attainable for determining the true form OF
bore. and that if a Government factory were es'
tablished without this knowledge, the results
would be illusory and unsatisfactory. Among
eunmakers there was no unanimity on this sub
iect. Mr.. WhtwOrth volunteered to conduct gra-
tuitously series of experiments for the sole plr-
pose of calculating this question. Accordingly,
SGT, 900 were furnished to defray expenses, and
gallery 500 yards in length was erected on DR.
Whitworths premises at Manchester, so contriyed
that a series of experiments could be carried on
and registered under precisely similar circum-
stances.
The ball in its fight was protected from atmos-
phcric currents, and its exact course from the gun
to tho target was accurately observed by its pass.
ing through succession of paper screens. Other
very nice arrangements were instituted in relation
to recOil, and every other condition likely to intu-
cnce the result Taking the regulation musket as
his standard, be brought into requistion an extra
ordinary accuracy of mechanical execution, and
made series of difference gauges representing
successive variations above and below this stand
ard, each stage of increase or decrease beng ex-
actly the 5,0O0th part of an inch. A degree OF
precision in the bore was TINS acquired exceeding
anything before known. The best gunmakers for
Government lad never reached a higher standard
than the 35Oth of an inch. lie thus proved that
the most highly finished gun-barres were devoid
of all truth, and contained inequalities which
could not but detract largely from their precision
when fired. In some the bore was found to be
conica in one direction, and cylindrical in the OPP
posite-all were more or less irregular. Repeated
trials in his shootng-gallery showed the evidence
of his gauges to be fully confirmed by the uneer-
tainty in the flight of the projectile. These ex-
periments turned Mr.. Whitworth's attention more
closely than before TO the construction Of small
arms and artillery, for which he took out several
patents, all which he placed at the disposal OF the
Government.
! His rifle is celebrated for extraordinary range
and accuracy but it is probably too costly to be
generally used in any army, as II cannot be made
for less than 800. Its peculiarly consists in the
polygonal form of the bore, which causes the bull
let to make nearly two complete revolutions be-
fore it leaves the muzzle The interior of the
barrel is bored and rled with a precision alto
gether unexampled in gun making, and the exact
citing of the prcjecte is secured beyond the pos
sibility of error. The efficacy of this rifle, when
compared with the Enfield rifle, il estimated as 20
to l. At $50 yards it drove Its bullets into the
target, when the Enfield made no hits at ,44O
In point of accuracy, Whitworth's, at 100
yards, was nearly equal to the Enfield at 500,
aud when both had range of 500, the superiority
of Whitworth was as 3 to ]. 1t then drove
bullet through 33 haf-inch elm boards, and the
ball was then only stopped by solid block of
oak behind The Enfield, at the same trial, peue-
trated only ~ OF these boards.
The amount of science, skill, and ingenuity
which have been applied to discovering the true
theory of rifle firing, is almost incredible. Able
men have spent half their lives in endeavoring to
remedy It's defects. Governments have spent
mns of money for the same object. All appear
to have acted on the idea that if perfect weapon
were produced the work would be done, and in
fantry be made absolutely inyincible. This i'm
plies that the accuracy of the weapon was every
thing the skill of the soldier nothing: in other