The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1861-05-23
Destructivenes of Engines Of War.

tended to soften the ferocity of war, and
to the saving of human life, so it may be
hoped that scientific improvements may
yet be made which will diminish still
further the carnage incident to military
opcratins. The Chcvalier Folard, in his
account of the catapultn balista, and
other engines Of the ancients states that
some Of their powers were little inferior
to those Of our modern instruments of
destruction, and in tho works Of CELSIUS
VIC find that the effects of leaden balls
and stones projected from the engines
then in use were by no means unknown;
but of their velocities We know little or
nothing. By the calculations of Dan.
toni it appears that the initial velocity Of
a cannon ball is nearly 1000 feet in a
second, and that of musket about 200
feet; but these veloctes rapidly dimin-
ish from the moment the ball quits the
mouth Of the gun, and are greatly inAu-
enced by the quantity and quality of the
powder, the force used i'll ramming the
wads, the elevation of the gun, and the
length of the bore. The state of the
atmosphere also has some influence, the
velocity Of the ball, in very dry weather,
being one-seventh greater than when the
air is loaded with vapor. In siescs,
heavy cannon are used, while in engage
ments in the open field, the weight of
the shot is Of course less, owing to the
necessity in the latter case of having
guns sufficiently light to be easily rorta-
bic. The other species of shot arc the
common musket ball, fired singly from
muskets or discharged in cases from
field pieces; Mimic riic bullets; shrap.
mel and other improved shells; grape,
which consists Of small iron balls dis.
posed in linen bags listened to- wooden
bottom, in the middle of which is a spin
die round which the balls are secured by
cord or wire or case shot, which con
sists of the same iron balls put into tin
cylinders, the bases of which are closed
hy two circular pieces of wood. Another
kind Of projectileS are shells, or hollow
iron spheres filed with powder, which
may act either before or after their ex-
plosion.
A French scientific journal VIC have
just received states that in addition to
experiments with steel cannon said to
be invented by the emperor, which AVE
just been mode near that city, trials have
taken place with new projcctile weigh
ing about 100 lbs., which is of such ter
rife power that it is believed that in
bursting in the midst of mass Of men,
a hundred might be killed or wounded
The closer the contending armies are
to each other, the more deadly will be
the effect of al proj"c,iles. Thus, ac-
cording to D'Antoni, 32 pound shot
may pierce file Of seventy men l6-
pound, file of forty eight; an $ pound
a file q forty; IL ounce shot file of
twenty; 6-ounce, a file of sixteen; l.
ounce, &c Of i'our, if very close to them
and propelled by certain degree of force.
A shell will pass through froa. two to
five men, aud will kill or wound, by its
splinters, from six to nine The distance
a-d tho resistance will of course produce
great variation in The action of all those
missiles, and it IS remarkable VII. a very
small amount of resistance will defect
musket ball from its course. A man, for
Instance, has been struck on the throat,
and the La', instead Of psssin. through
the neck, only penetrated the skin, per
forming complete circle under the ia
tegument, and lodging close to where it
entered. Another singular fact is the
harmlossncss of slugs aud musket balls
when lodged in some parts of the body,
nature forming layer around them to
protect the surrounding parts. Many
instances are On record of men carrying
bullets thus encysted for years without
much pain or suffering Tile World.
American Improvements in Implements OF
Since the French revolution almost
every great campaign in Europe has re.
suited in some Improvement in the art of
war. Dickcnson's steam gun and the
elective engine just invented by Nc
Carly, of this city, which, by centrifugal
force, projects with much precision a
deadly shower of 4e0 balls per minute to
distance Of more than 1000 yards, are
among the numerous American improve
ments which will be tested during the
present war, and if they fulfil expecta.
tions may modify the character and
abrid ge the duration of the existing
struggle. Mr.. Taylor, an ingenious me.
chanic Of Roxbury. Massachusetts, has
just invented self.igniting fuse, which
may perhaps come into extensive use,
and prove of the highest Importance for
military purposes. lie claims that the
fuse is not affected by any conditions of
the atmosphere, and ignitcs as readily
u.der the water as in the air. 1t is not
dependent upon friction or conclusion
for the generating of fire, but the time
when this is produced may be calculated
in advance, and may be set at five sec
onds or five hours, at the option of the
operator. The many advantages of this
invention will at once be obvious. 1t
may be used in bombs, and their exp,o.
s;ons regulated with certaiuty and accu-
racy, and secured against accident or con.
tiugeney. 1t will produce explosions in
a fort after its evacuation, at any time
desired. 1t may be operated under the
keels Of vessels in the water as surely rs
on land--and in this connection its util-
ity in the explosion OF sunkeu vessels or
rocks in harbors will at once suggest it
self.
Mr.. Tsy lor is known as the inventor
of an explosive mixture, description of