Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-04-28
mo1-UlD Sg1fss


unont0 IN England.
b. The City Of Nss York We have,
news Of an important experiment
At Shoeburyness, looking to tue essab-
l;shment Of 90 iron navy for Epgland.
The Admiralty have contracted With
Nessrs. Samuda for the construction OF
one Of the cupols iron ships.of.war nm
der the invention Of Captain Coles.
The price is 10 be f44,l5O, including
everything, and the vessel is to be ready
tor launching on the 9th Of February
next, and to be delivered for sea, on
the frat Of June following.
The Times contains an account Of
experiments at Shoebury ness with . gun
Of large size and great calibre, which
(says the Zsnaes) Showed at every dis
charge that our beat and hitherto con.
,idered invulnerable forms Of iron sides
were, 90 to speak, almost % easily pen.
strated by shot - if the targets had
been OF timber" The Times adds:
"Aftsr al our labor aid al our ex
pcnse, after having made beyond COM
parison the 6oest and strongest iron
tr:pstes in the world, We now find that
opposite large muxzle.ioading gun the
best of our iron sides can be ~ easily
ridd!ed and sunk ~ wooden calling ves-
sells.
"This discovery, only made on Tues.
day afternoon last, is due to the keen
and wholesome rivalry between the
War Office and the Admiralty, the
former striving to devise irresistible ar
,ilIery and the latter to build invulner-
able ships.
Thee has been an immense variety
Of experiments on every possible COM
binatlon Of iron and 1ndia-rubber, iron
and wire, iron and hemp, and every sec.
ton of the American Monitor has been
erected and fred at At Shoeburyness,
and proved to be - vulnerable almost
az timber, and, that no chance may be
neglected, . target is being made Of
railway bars, dovetailed and riveted to-
gether 10 the same ingenious manner -
the coating Of tho Merrimac, and this
also will be tried in . few dsye, and be-.
yond doubt with much the same re-
suits that attended the Monitor target.
"During q recent experiment atarget,
exactly Of the same materials ana
strength a. the Warriors broadsIde, was
subj ected during the whole of one day
and part OF a second to . most tremen'
dous fire, but the concentrated volleys
few of in hail Of iron splintere. The
target grew almost hot iu parts /; but no
missile passed beyond ito iron armor.
"The Warrior, therefore, and iron
ships were justly deemed invulneratle
Sir w Armstrong has q letter in to-
days Times explaining the principles
which has rendered the last experiment
successful in penetrating and smashing
iron plates.
"The smooth. bore gun has velocity
excelling that of the rifle gun BY more
than a quarter. A smooth-bore gun has
been made by Sir w. Armstrong,length
IA feet, weight IL tone. and 1t was
tried against the Warrior target on
Tuesday, in presence of the OF the Duke
of Cambridge, the Duke of Somerset.
aud other high officials Of the Admiral
ty and War Office.
"The first shot was one hundred and
ffty.six pounds, and wa. fred at dis
lance of two hundred yards with a
charge Of forty pounds Of powder. This
solved oil doubts the iron mass was
shattered into crumbs Of metal, and the
teak spl,ntered into 6bres literally Is
small as pins.
"Au increased charge was next tried,
and the shot passed not only through
the inner skin, but buried itself IN the
massive timbers that supported the tar
get. These two shots were quite con-
elusive as to the power Of the gun.
"Sir w. Armstrong says that q gun
Of twelve tons weight, fired with q
charge OF fifty ponds Of powder, will
break through the side Of the Warrior,
or the strongest ship afoat."
Tue Times remarks that 20 weapon
Of offence or defense seems left now 20
effective as large armor-clad and swift
st eam-ram.
OlsnArssx, the editor of the St.
Louis yVestliche Post makes the follow
ing prayer concerning one Of the Mis-.
sou'i Congressman:
WAY Frank p. Blair DE damned to
eternal lence for his aborninabie lie, as
contained in his last speech, wherein he
says ,ha! slavery was not the original
ca .se Of this Infamous rebellion"
In lis inaugural Message Mr.. Lincoln
said
Il have no purpose, directly OF indi-
rectly, 10 Interfere with the institution
Of slavery in the States where it exists.
| believe l have no lawful right to do
so, and have no inclination to do So"
The question is: Would Mr.. Lincoln
veto an emancipation act we're il hand.
ed to him for his Executive Sign hture
Was the language quoted above that Of
truth and soberness, or merely the effer-
vescence Of AZ exalted peitifogger The
questions may yet be unequivocalJy
answered by acts, not words.
ExrRAvA0ANcE.-The following 40.
preparations have been made BY the
present Congress for convenience and
Injuries at the Presidents mansion
TO furnish the house, last session. $50 900
Additional this sess;nn =, 90