The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-06-23
Monster CanMons Of America and
EAgLAMd.

On tAo LJL1on Amy ElQ navy SS12eL.e, Nay ~
new principle q Gazing large gns-hollow in
Ct s0hd-by means Of o current Of water intro
INTO he core which forms the mould OF the bore,
poe-ing from interior has been successfIy applied
manufacture Of q monster cannon az the Fort Pitt
Ivy, Ph'sourg, N the United States OF America II
aa praosila,ly thai glns OF large call5re ;as. by
prdi,ary solid method, have not the requisite
In to bear the strain IN firing, owing - the feet
aeted ron shrlnks n cooling, the process Of Eoid;
net being e.nnuLtareGus throughout the rlsss, but
sesve from the surface iuwarcs In consequence
aIorg compression formed on the outer and
cnoleo portions, il Is OBVIOUS that, Independently
awe and cavities about the surface OF the
vhsre tho greatest strength and hardness
9ljred, the metal ia there the least dcnse and the
ha,d Of tns whole mass ana il 10 r1aialy owing to
w tha. Huns become SO soon unperpiceabe by the
Of the bore round the seat Of the oali after
gsd firing. The stase OF compression on the outer
M TIE N assists the internal effort o. the charge,
TER certain number OF rounds, Wiib full charges,
u bursts The greater the mass OF the casting the
the irregularities OF structural arrangement, and
pre INIT the gun becomes to resist the strain Of
icn. Hence the hitherto practical iini. to the
Of east u en- guns; no nation having yet succeeded
a;acturing ssfe and servjceable guns OF more than
thes c&li6re. =. f..i.-i
he new process Of cooling internally, the mesL
ne ko-e Ia in gtate Of compression, and the exte.
state OF tension; which, In fact Is what il ought
n order to obtain the greatest strength Of the
thickness Of metal wnen subjected to Internal
Moreover, the metal about the bore first cooled
ae u should be, the hardest and deneest. On the
tenn, on ACCOM-. Of the inequalities produced IN she
~ structure OF the metal ii 10 well known that, be-
certain limit, little or no increase Of strength Is
70 the gun By increasing its thickness Of metal;
It On this account . practical limit has hitherso
laced TO the manufacture Of cannon OF very large
which would be round incapable OF resisting the
.rsins to which rIfed cannon are subject. new
he casting Of IRON cannon has commenced, and
proceed 70 describe the last great practical re-
This new and highly ingenious process.
monster gun, better perhaps known by the name
pc inch gun, has the following { lime nsions:-Its
1O<N "a RoAt Inc atAsf aYt atna
81 across the breech, fning DOWN to rs inches q.
zzle. The thickness Of metal behind the ellipeoi-
amber is twenty ave inches, and sixteen and
ches 1t the junct ion Of the bore with the cham
ing down 10 I've inches ~ the muzzle. The weight
ENORMOUS pece Of ordnance is nearly twenty
%. The solid sixty eight FOUNDER, the heaviess
% gun Of our own service, weighs about four tons
hnnds ed weight.
steen- inch gun 10 mounted at Fortress Konroe upon
centre plDtle carriage, runoiDg up and recoL,ng IN
lal manner; and 8res shells OF Two classes. rue
,s ~sr.et, Of tho Tiu!ccun thickness ltwo ana
Dches) advisable 70 endure the shock Of the
10 ABOUT sos pounds we'gns, co0tatning aaout
p,-nds o. powder. The second, for oastersag
has q val Of five inCEes thickness, and weighs
aas There Is a,so soltd sh0; OF che enormous
Of AS pounds; BIZ: for the ress1rs already men
ested with gold castings Of large masses, il 10
icsiul II i 70 practicable to cast satisfactory
u Of th.s diameter The wiodaSs allowed is one
Bssnaro, Of the American Engineers, who hAs
ID most snserest!rg account Of this cancon, gives
Flowing gomusar7 OF the practice Carried on win
b. e1oer,nent&1 trials:--In 1ve trials, ct 1000
YEA thirty Ave pounds OF powder, the lstesaN de-
we're confined within five yards on either SIDE Of
Q. The vertical dsviasious, probably due TO va
i,isl veoct,es, OF perhaps - soma difference in
GIT OF TIE shells, ranged ssventeea yards 81 n
n and over. with fcrry pounds OF large grained
the initial velocity found TO be 1928 feet pee
The gre stest range attained, With the maximum
OF % deg. 90 I'm i, vas 5, TAO yards, WILD
flight Of twenty. seven seconds.
IN mouse charges, however, produce FAR less
the gun than might be supo osed, Owing TO me
\ the powder used. and described n the off ,,al
- "iarge grained" and Is " Rodnan's perSoraSed
Sder." The former ts o. Cloths inch cube IN
q its grains che latter ID compressed into sod
D considerable pressure, and pesforased with
samjs SEC. SO 10 the flame The objsct iatsndei
Improvement .s TO reta-d the burning tsnalogo1s
an adopted by Cir William Armstrong; SLOW
pcwteT), and thus reduce thu ezcessive s;rain 10
guns arc subject With ine grained powders, and
y tne 1r n5er OF angles presented TO the tongues
are ,ghs1ed almost ins antaneoasiy, aud be-
heavy pyaiectLle e s.srsed IRON its seat. Vnis
est ms.sd by a pressure gauge Introduced into
Aber OF the gun. The comparative in!tiii pres
the "perfors.ed cake" 'args gra.ne1," aud
cannon powder, are estimated - nave ABOUT the
one; se7 enth, one third, aud unity-a result OF
~ importance in its bearing upon the pact caoi-
[.ng cast IRON guns Of extraordinary caiores
be inter es,iog a. this pJlnt to notice the
nee OF the EggtIsh Daoaster gun, better Known
aorsa gan b mooo'Ia ,a ao S S;s.s s
hitherto made In this country. TIE wegot
ian s aoou; twenty two tons, AID It throws
shot Of about 800 pounds Of weight:
DDS have been hred, With chhg-s OF
h'ty ponnas Of powder and with eighteen
or elevation range Of a little over 5000 yasds
ned. But that the cannon was unable 10 stand
o0f charges, comparatively uoierl,o for i's
sss known to be strongly suspected oy the oirec-
u OF Artillery, and thts opinion yes cnDarrae'
scovery OF crack Of over three inches in length
amber, voer sesYcbet and exam ned lately ny
ree.h, Assis;an. Inspector OF Artillery It Is
that II will re again subjected TO proof at an
ire American o. teen inch canpen hal, 10 ~
4 the Latest reports, fred $50 ROUNDS wth full
ard n the 300sh roaud, when the last search
o, the most delicate tests applied TO The Sore
Indicate the slightest enlargement or deteriora-
iy kind.
question has probably long ere this suggested
he minds OF many Of our readers, "Of what use
Extraordinary calibrea How are euco gig nt,c
he wor ked9 Are not filed guns destined 70 sn-
E-smoo,h bored guns? And does nos Cir Howard
hiA Naval Gunnery' express tn, ooavct m
immense pieces Of ordnance are qntc rap,ica
FOR sea or land servicep' Wa must posspone,
neat ssue, for want Of spare, the consideration
positions, the more important 50 1's1ly bearing
Extraordinary erna,nonSs with which the oro-
~ Evff lt.a, evcy tnnlip he Al, cd