New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-10-03
HEAVY GUNS vs.. ERON-CLAD SHIPS


The question, long and warmly contested in
Europe, as to whether iron-clad ships-of-war
can be made impregnable to the heaviest land
batteries seems not unlikely to be decided in
the negative. If so, it will be a great triumph
TO our naval engineers; for during forty-iiye
years wa have relied chiefly on our fortified
tons for sea.cOast defense, and have, at great
cost, strengthened our fOrtresses, acting on the
belief that " wooden walls" were less to be
trusted than deleLses of granite, aud that, how
ever invulnerable stips-of-wsr might be made,
land batteries would still have the advantage, or
could at least keep pace with them for pur-
poses of effective defense.
Our readers arc aware that two methods OF
disabling IN iron-clad ship-of-war have been
proposed, requiring two very different kinds OF
guns. First, it has been attempted to pierce
the plates by shot of great velocity aud pene-
tratiye power. For this, rifled cannon are the
best. The recent costly and elaborate expert
ment at Portsmouth and Shoeburyness with
Whitworth bolts and Armstrong shot, the most
penetrating proicctes known 10 England, were
based on this principle. The results at present
are not regarded as very satisfactory, and
second plan, which was first proposed in this
country, has begun TO attract attention. This
more promising method Of attack relies not so
much on the penetrating qualities of projeciiles
as on their ponderOus force low velocity, and
smashing effect. by using guns Of eXtraordi-
nary caliber and prodigiOus weight of metal, it
is claimed that We can give such smashing
blow as to stave in the side of an enemy's ship
and cripple or destroy him with single shot,
thus giving q new meaning TO the old French
proyerb that ga One-guu land battery Is
- match for q frigate ofi-shore."
This American plan, as it ia called, is about
to be put to the test by several European Gov.
ernments, though il is attended with consldera-
BILE difficulties owing to the large 'ize of the
gun, required The French Emperor, who
took the lead in the construction OF iron-clad
ships, is also among the first to try this new
method Of proving their powers Of endurance.
The Union states that steel gun is being
made for this purpose twenty feet long and
four tuns in weight. 1t is bound With iron
hoops, and throws a cOnical projectib. Being
easily maneuvered, it can be fired with great
rapidly, aud produces no danger. A larger
and more formidable gun u.s. however being
made for Louis Napoleon near Liverpool IN
England This gun. it is said, will throw on
elongated shot Of 500 pounds, and the trial Of
its power was fixed for the beginning Of OctO-
Der. In England, Sir William Armstrong is
engaged in the manufacture Of gun to carry
ball 800 pounds in weight. The trials with
these huge pieces of ordnance cannot fail to be
looked for with great interest, as the largest
shot hitherto used in battering iron targas is
l26 pounds, at q minimum distance Of 200
yards.
OF cour,e, great uncertainty hangs over hese
projects, and, considering the imperfect
methods of casting guns in Europe. nothing
but signal success can dispense the atmosphere
of doubt thrown around them by the adverse
opinions of the most eminent men in the pro-
fession. Mr.. Whitworlh, for instance, emphti-
cay declares that iron guns cast in s'lid
/" masses will be found incapable of resisting
/" subject: il being well known that great in.
g equaties in the physical structure of ;he
~ metal are produced during the process Of
" cooling, and that, beyond u certain limit,
&" little or no increase of strength is given to
% the gun by increasing its thickness OF meta.
However true this may be in England, and
whatever be the success or disappointment
awaiting the efforts of European engineers, we
are beforehand with them in this affair;
perfect solution Of the problem Of casting
large guns having, we think. been arrived at in
this country.
Captain T. j. ROdman, Of the United States
Ordnance Corps, is the inventor of this new
and beautifully simple method. Nor is it any
longer o matter Of doubt A gun 10 inches in
the bore mas been produced by him. and is now
ia use at Fortress Monroe. La the opinion of
experienced men, this gun is just what was
wanted to carry out tho American ideas for
the humiliation of iron-plated shIps-ofwar. 1t
was recently examined at Fortress Monroe BY
Board of United States officers, and. after q
severe and protracted series of trials, was ia
vorably reported on and warmly recommended
for adoption in our National fortresses. This
piece OF ordnance is believed to DO tho largest
cast.iroD gun in the world. But the same
method of manufacture is adapted to produce
guns of sill larger caliber without danger OF
flaws from imperfect and irregular cooling
The total weight Of the gun is AZ, 100 pounds,