The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-20
PERKINS, STEhM GIN

The London correspondent of the New York
Herald, under date OF June 81, speaking of this in
vention, which is old, saws:
! A committee of the British army and navy sat
| upon the merits of Perkins steam gun and a ma
JorltY, save one in favor Of adoptiny II and
those who opposed, or were unc0nvinced had moth
ing to rely upon as an except the report of
whom! why, OF certain steamboat or army engi-
| neers, who did not believe Mr.. Perkins coula do
what he said he could, because he had never seen
1t accomplished. Steam can be worked practically
ana safely up to 5000 lbs. to the square inch and
is worked up to half that every dav in Mr. Perkins,
steam orks, IN Regent square, London The the
ofetcai engineer, or artillerist will tell YOU that
gunpoWder has q pressure far greater at the time
OF ignition than steam has, but be for cts that al
most the entire momentum of the ball from a fire
arm Is given 1t at the time and in the snaca that
the powder takes to burn, while steam il avartir,
an equal force the whole length of the barrel while
the missile is being projected. Mr.. Perkins de-
ciares that he Is able, aOd will willingly undertake
TO throw solid ball or she'll, with steam Gun
from an ordinary war ship into a fortified town
five miles distant N'"-
|. The Perkins steam gun will fire from ten to
sixty balls minute, and can be kept going night
ard day, as long the ammunition holds out, or
during the pleasure of the engineer.
2. The steam gun will have effective range
equal to that of the most efficient Armstrong or
Whitworth rifed gun, throwing balls accurately
from four to six miles.
3. Any rined barrel, the most efficient in use or
that can be made-Armstrongs, Whtworth's
Wheatleys, James', Parrots, or any other-with
any description of bullet that be used in fire
arms, can be connected with the proper steam
boiler and used a steam gun.
The expense while in uSe is less than one half
that of ordinary artillery, the saving in ammuni-
tion during twelve hours shooting Of a twelve
FOUNDER being at least fifteen hundred dollar, or
two or three times the cost of ordinary cannon.
D. Twelve OF these guns and one hundred men on
board steam vessel of moderate size will throw
more shot. and with equal effective range than can
be thrown by hall dozen seventy four gun ships,
and carrying 1000 to 200 men each
6. From two to four men, besides the ordinary
fireman OF the ship, are only required to man one
of these guns, whatever its size, together with the
boiler and steam apparatus
Z. The ordinary boilers of steamer, ifconstruct-
ed or adapted to the use of this gum spare the
steam and work one or two guns while the ship is
IN motion, and without any perceptve loss OF speed
.. steam gunb0at of the ordinary size used in
the British Navy, revenue cutter, or California
or transatlantic steamer, with two of Perkins
steam guns-twelve Founders, with the ordinary
boilers of the vessel adapted to the purpose, or a
moderate sized boiler, like that of donkey engine
would be more than match FOR a line-ofbatte-
ship while crew of two dozen men would give a
sufficient reserve for relays and casualties.
.. Nothing is required except the rifed barrels,
the steam power, the solid or explosive missiles
two or three men to attend and hopper to pour in
the balls.
10. On board ship, in fort, or in the field, there
are no powder magazines, cassOns, or ammunition
wagons or boxes to be blown up, or create alarm
danger of explosion, this calamity often causing
the entire destruction of the vessel and all on board
| or destroying the lives of all within reach.
II. The steam gun can be used in every descrip-
tion of wartareon board vessels, in forts, in the
! field with horse power, or attached to a land loco
motive-iH the same positions as ordinary cannon
or field pieces.
II. Nothing but metallic balls and steam being
used, every discharge ubrcates the gun, fouing is
rendered impossible while there is all the cleai-
ness safety, regularity of action, and durability of
ordinary steam machinery.
NO SCARCITY OF WAR MATERIALs.-The ShreVe-
! port GozeHe, of Saturday last, says letters nave
been received from Texas, stating that ten thou-
sand mounted men could be raised in fifteen Gays,
1t Ben. McCulloch wanted them Inc Gazsue
adds HWe are con idpnt that the regiments can be
raised in a few weeks, and much sooner if they are
| ordered to Missouri"
The SUBURBS OF LoNDoN.-London proper, or the
business portion of the city, has actually decreased
twelve per cent in population since 1851. The po.
pulation is ll3, ,000 in 1851 100000 The great
part of the population live in the suburbs.