Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-12-13
Weapons of War.

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Weapons of War.
There is perhaps no other department in
the broad field Of science, whore so much
Improvement has been made and such per-
fection reached, as in the manufacture of
warlike weapons, the means and impe-
ments for the destruction of human life.
In Europe especially, where the nations
are engaged good share of the time in
war, and are always prepared for it, the
genius Of inventors has been stimu' 'ated to
the utmost, and great many improvements
have been made, especially in cannon, IN
til it almost seems that the Ultima Thule of
perfection in this line is reached. In the
manufacture of small arms, tie Ame ericans
take the acknowledged precedence of all 9TH
er nations, but in the manufa cture of ord
neighbors across the water, having had
much less use for this kind of weapon of
late years. But the present war has had
the effect to arouse the minds of the people
to our needs in this particular, and we may
expect some novel weapons of offense and
defense will be invented before the war is
through. The inventive and contriving
spirit of Americans is turned into field
which it has scarcely touched hitherto, and
we shall doubtless have some curious ex.
periments.
Gunpowder appears to be getting too
slow tor warlike purposes, and persistent
efforts are being made TO employ steam as
projectle power. But the application of
steam TO artillery, however possible it looks
in theory, has not yet been reduced to sue
cessful practice. The Baltimore steam gun
was certainly not success: its bore was
small and it was impossible to aim it. But
Mr.. Perkins of London processes to have
brought the steam gun to much greater
degree of perfection, and to have invented
a most terrible and effective engine of de-
struction. He maintains that with his gun
he can fire from ten to thirty shot or shell
per minute that the gun, which has rifed
bore will throw missiles from two and
half to six miles, which is equal to the range
of the Armstrong, Whitworth and Parrott
guns and he states the initial velocity of
shot at FIVE thousand feet rer second, which
IS also that of the Armstrong gun, and
much greater than that Of shot fired from
the common smooth bore 24-pounder, which
is but two thousand feet per second. The
inventor offers to make one steam gun-a
2-pounder-with Whitworth rifed barrel
and boiler complete, ready for its position
on war vessel, and capable of discharging
ten balls minute-for the United States
government, at cost not to exceed five
thousand dollars. The gun could be fin
ishe2 and ready for use in from ninety to
one hundred and ten days from the receipt
of the order The last steam gun made
and the only one where the latest improve
ments in steam were combined with the
modern rihed barrel--discharged sixty
ounce-and- -a-half balls minute, was kept
going for ten consecutive hours, and drove
the bullets as far into the wooden target as
was accomplished by the most powerful
firearm of the same caliber-the modern
MIME rife. 1t should in justice be added
that the inventors Of this novel cannon,
Messrs, Perkins, father and son, though
residents of Loadon are natives of New
buryport, Mass, loyol citizens of the United
States, and take a warm and patriotic inter-
est in our present conflict with the traitors.
A Mr.. DeBraum OF New York, has in
vented a revolving cannon, and at a recent |
trial before Gen. Burnside, Gen. Hall, COL |
Letferts and other military gentlemen, it
was found to work admirably. The gun /
consists of revolving circnlar breech of |
bronze, which at regular Intervals is per-
forated with six rihed chambers. 1t is, in
fact, on the same plan as the ordinary Colts |
revolving pistol, each one of these cham I
bers coming in turn opposite the breeeh Of
a stationary rifed barrel. The barrel is of
the same length as an ordinary feld-pieee,
but differs essentially from it in not being
tight tube. From breech TO muzzle the
metal is flled with long Sits or openings,
the twist of the rifles, which are
TO give free vent to the gasses and
smoke of the burnt powder IT is a breeeh
loader. but so simple, and apparently so
well contrived as not to make it open TO the
serious objections urged against nearly all
The other breech-loading cannon. The car
fridge is inserted in the lower rigbt-hand
the brcech is turned on its axis
10 as to bring the load opposite the barrel,
a Eat steel plate IS forced against the OPEN
ing by single turn of strong horizontal ,
screw. friciion-tube IS inserted in the vent /.
(which passes through the screw ami steel
'iopper), and the gun IS ready for firing. r
10 clean, load, prime and FIRE takes FIVE
ieconds, and the recoil Of the gun is 80 iri- i