The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-06-28

Ftff ssE Ea ~
~ Ife'er you said, ."'Go out, I pray
go He much i'll nature showed \. ...,,.-
- On such occasions he would say, go
"Yy, if | do, I'm tlosced" .<s
- In this his friends do all agree,
- Sa, Although You think I'm joking,
When going out, tits said that he e,-g
s4gi, Was very fond Of smoking, .4ig sfi7s
Since all religion be despised, -
Let these few words suffice; fs,ry,
81, Before he ever was baptized, s.T@,1
81. They dipped him once or twice,
Thp Armstrong Gun a Failure.
An interesting debate took place in the
House Of Commons on the 21st ult., on the
late experiments at Shoeburyness to test the
power Of fprojectiles, in the course of which
the famous Armstrong gun was.very severely
criticised. Mr.. Osborne said: ,i,,a = ag,t
/ II have reason to think that the House at
this moment imagines that :he experiments
which took place on the 9th Of this month,
established the success Of the gigantic Arm
strong gun, ofwhich we have heard so much.
in going through section Of the Warrior.
Now, it IS but right that the House and the
country should b, put in possession Of the
real facts Of the case. This gun was, be-
lieve, fired with a charge Of 40 pounds Of
powder at part ofthe Warrior, which had
been battered all through the winter and
damaged by the shot of a 6S smooth-bore.
Well, at this target two shats were fired, at
900 yards, under the most favorable circum-
stances for the gun, and hitting the damaged
part, they penetrated the Al inch plato and
lodged in what is technically called the skin
Of the ship. They did not 60 through, and
are still sticking where thoy lodged, not
withstanding that the experiment was rep
resented by. the Secretary for the Admiralty
as perfectly successful. [Hear, hcar.] Again
the gun was fired with charge Of Atty
pounds of powder, and most extraordinary
accounts appeared of the noble lord and
others who were present climbing up the
side Of the target and con graduating each
other on the circumstances that the shots
had gone qnite through ii but the fact is
hatitisstill sticking in the skin of the ship.
Hear, hear. Thus much for the experiment
Of the 9th of May now come to those
which took place two or three days ago.
One shot was fred last Tuesday. Did it
go through the target Not a bit tofit, and
with these facts before us it seems to me
tho public are justified in entertaining some
doubt with regard TO the great merits of
this Armstrong gun. GHear, hear Now
it is somewhat singular fact in the history
Of naval warfare, that, notwithstanding f3,-
100000 ofasoney haze been spent on these
Arn,strong guns, the best gun you hare at
the present moment is your old So smooth
bore I ask the Chairman of the iron plate
Committee, and other honorable gentlemen
who are well informed on the subject, wheth-
er what have stated is not the fact ?. Is not
your 6S FOUNDER the gun with which every
seaman would wish to 60 to sea-? / very
much suspcctthat your Armstrong gun viii,
after all, be discarded as an instrument Of
naval warfare. / have stated facts to which
challenge contradiction. know them to
he facts Ido not know whether my hon.
orabie and gallant friend opposite, who
wishes more experiments to be made at a
greater distance. Is saware-evidently the
wight honorable baronet, the Secretary Of
War, is not aware--that they began those
experiments at 500 yards; that, 50 little
impression WIS made at that distance, they
reduced the range to 400 yards, and that
they have now come down to 200 yards
[Hear, haar.l This being the case, I think
il would be a waste Of public money to 60
further with those experiments, which, after
alI, have been made under very questionable
circumstances. because gunner firing at a
fixed object. with no one firing at him, does
not afford the most conclusive mode of ex-
pertinent in matters Of this kind. fHcar,
h.ar, and laugh Let us so into the ap-
preaching discussion as unpreiudicedas pos.
sibie. Let not the House and the country
be led away by the idea that those expert
ments at Shoeburness haze proved that tbs
Armstrong gun. with a charge of 90 pounds
Of powder, is able to throw a150-poundsho,
through the side Of the Warrior, which has
up to this time, resisted all such experiments
[Hcar, hear. 4, have been told that they
fred three times to-day with this gun. II
doing so, Think the gnnuers showed tht
| usual valor which distinguishes our country
men, for they fred at very considerabl,
risk. Imldrstana that a .fsAsre has oc-
currea in the gun !; that, on tarniag 10 ope,
the other day, It oas found that n TIE par'
rAere the ball .tsres in the popdsr. oss at tn
coils had gipsn pay This is the account
that have heard I am glad this report i:
to be laid on the table ofthe House. Th'
sooner the discussion comes on the better
hope the Government win do their part
that the Secretary Of War will come her,
well prepared, and that we shall do battle
and abide by the result. Hear, hear.1
I Sir j. Hay, having come from the scene o
action, thought it right that be should say
few words on the subject. He had ais
some little criticisms to offer on the remark
made with respect to the Armstrong gun b,
the honorable member for Liskeard. Tn