The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-11-10
nu..lan cree. Gun. and. lion a.

huOEs
Trial Of Steel Guns and Armor Plates at
r1Nrr-g -. Peter.bWg . tn
- u 1rOn thsLondoh Times, 0ctober2ll
On Wednesday, the 9Th of October,
N. s., further trials took place At st. Pc
tersburg, with the experimental nine /.
inch rifed cast-steel gun. This gun is
of solid cast-steel, made by Krup, and
throws a three hundred pound shell, or
atoar hundred and fifty pound solid
shot. The results of previous expert
ments with this gun led the Russian
Government 10 order fifty of them, which
are now iu course of delivery. The
principal objects of the experiments Of
the 7th instant were 20 ascertain the best
description sOf she'll, and to test the
quality of armor plates supplied by
Messrs. John Brown & Co., of Sheffield.
First, a series Of cast-iron shells, three
hundred pounds. each, were fred at diff
ferent ranges, and then shells made by
Krupp were fred at the four and one
hAlf inch plates. The first shell, Of
hard cast steel, was twenty-five aud
ole-half inches lopg (twO and half di-
ameters), with fiat end four inches In
diameter. Fired with fifty pounds of
powder, At seven hundred feet distance,
it passed through the plate, oak and teak
backing, and broke into many pieces, al
though filed with sand only. The sec
ondAAnd third shells were also OF Krupp's
steel, the same length, but with six and
one half second ends. These shells
pierced plates, wood, &C., and also went
to pieces, although only filed with sand.
The fourth shell was made by NJ. Pote-
| lef, Of spuddled steel, on Abeukofs sys-
tenn. the same Dimensions as the second
and third, and went through iron, teak,
&C., but WAS only bulged up from nine
seconds to twelve seconds, and the end
flattened, not single crack being visible
in the shell. The fifth shell, the same
az the fourth, passed through iron, teak,
and the second target, and went at least
a mile beyond. The sixth and seventh
shells were from Krupp, and were charged
with powder; they were qnite hat-ended,
nine seconds diameter. One exploded in
the plate, the other in the wood. The
eigth and ninth shells were cast iron, and,
although they passed through the plate,
were of course destroyed. Evening pre-
vented further trials, which will yet be
made on the same plate.
To- The results on the plate we're highly
satisfactory. IN space Of four minutes
and six seconds by three minutes snd
six seconds, eight holes were made with
out any crack Of the slightest descrip.
tion, and the marine officers present were
highly satisfied, because they are obtain
ing four thousand ituns Of plates from
Messrs. John Brown and Co. for their
| different ships, ,,T.,q
The English Government would do
well to note the progress the Russians
are making in gunnery. Cast steel guns
are decidedly before any yet produced
in Englandgof any other metal. The
nine second gun of Krupp has been fred
with three hundred pound shells and e t.
.ty pounds sof powder, about seventy
times without any flaw, and the Russian
Government will soon be in position to
obtain in St. Petersburg q large supply
Of cast-steel guns, made from Russian
iron, by Russians, on Aboukoff's s system,
which is very near the same as Krupp's.