Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-11


Experiments Win tho ArmatronG Gun.
The following extract from an editorial
in the BsOhaHiss' Magazine may not be un-
interesting at the present time;
On Wednesday, the 20th instant, (Feb-
ruary) = twelVe-pounder Armstrong qua
Was placed in position on its carriage, oppO-
site the proof batt at WoolWich, and niae-
pounder brass gum told off fAfor the purpose
of firiEg at 1t. The fret shot, fted at the
Armstrong gan was so arranged that the gun
hIed NJ should occupy . position Of fifteen
degrees fp0n the axial. line Of the nine.
poundep service gun employed, against it.
The distance selectedH was one hundred
YARDS. The hrst BhotSstruck, the Armstrong
gun Immediately in font offths- trunnious:
the effect was to completely destroy the gun,
breaking thTough both coils, and, causing the
gun to dToop twelve, degrees. The pecond
shot struck it behind.thar trunniOns; the
effect OF this shot was to cause the whole of
the gun in front Of the .trunnions to fall to
the ground, and tocompletely break up the
gan behind the t-nnnions- The third shot
struck the gun in the. thick part of the
breeeh, utterly breaking. the gun mp in its
thickest part, b1eaking the, bFeech-screW,
and proving beyond all cavil that either OF
the three shots was fatal, TO the gun, and
that 1t was not calculated, for the purposes Of
| European warfare.
| OhJCthOA NAhcu uiol uuQer the HNr10
| condition the, service nine FOUNDER Run
would likewise be destroyed; therefore lie
committee In eqpity, dstermined to put the
matter TO test. A service nine e-pounder gun
was, on Monday last, placed in position in
front ofthe proof bntt and was fred at By
another nina ponndeI gun at the distance OF
htty yards. The shots were fred under pre-
cisely the same cor ditiOns, striking the gun
fairly, one on the chase and two behind the
trunnions. As this trial did not destroy or
materially iniure the gun for service pur-
\ poses 1t was turned round, and thpee mora
shots were fred, striking II in the same 90.
sition on the other side of the gun, After
this severe test the gun remained iafact, the
only pepeePtible injury being slight inden-
taiion OF tee pore on one side ofthe chase or
The conclusions to be derived from these
experiments are very important It shoWs'
in the hTst place, that the Armssronsx sVsaens
is not yet perfect or fit for Euronean warfare :
it entails the necessity of the condemnation
OF the held guns on the Armstrong principle
yet produced and it giyes rise IA grave
TOO precipitate in giving % the use Ofsbronze
for field artillery. Fi eos ~ = u =
There is another serious objection 10 the
Armstrong gun for field service, which was
developed in China. TAe proiaetile for this
gun is coated with lead, which aies of In q
tangent after the ball leaYee the gun. This
proved SO fatal to tha outlying ridemen at
tacbed 70 the British. corps, thai the gun was
Withdrawn from segEiee. h1E
/ The missile tOr JameSs riaed eaan0n q
also coated with lead, and, II 4 believed, is
open TO the sama ebiectiol- Its friends aay
that they are SC constructed that the pacllnR
is thrown on At Q very short distance lfom
the gun, and that no infantry wonld ever be
required 70 stand 20 near 10 the cannon that
they could be exposed 10 danger from this
source. But Of this we have doubts.