The New York herald., 1863-10-21
ut. md u bent ever 90 lists shsp

ms NJ sss Of various kinds which have failed for the
sscs that the shot has-ln addition to these do
ments oS 1 shell, whlch contains about 500 seq
bursts S.,, o1 Intended 10 be scattered the shell
.a!ls from another cause The rust binds the
tended scs and the shell produce In
ha. ne u.s. Us now see what doing in woowc having seen
hospital for broL the arsenal is for the ost part
csr.,aa @manuaciory ma in which the Armstrong ideas are
most in noint ~ ~, net signal failure. First and fore
strong 600 FOUNDER This gun which Goa, "a sn0 And
mas about 10 IN bore is ried on the shunt Dian with 10
groves and has so small brass buttons upon the proec
tiles These buttons previously r led w m the Shot
fired from the 3oOpounder guns They are even more mn
suitable for actual warfare than the strips for il is mpos
sible 70 pack large number OF butoned shot withou
atening the buttons rendering the shot
Nevertheless though the gun yet been tried the
multiplication Of these costly shot is going On a, ranS
rate just as though had whole battery OF tried 600
ponnders i Is worthy Of remark here that Sir William
Armstrong Is gradually abandoning the second groove
every gun showing smaller trace Of It, yet this second
groove constitutes the shunt AS TO the lead
them had ever stripped when 1red and sent their skins
down on the heads OF troops There is always
great difcuty In getting the lead TO adhere to the shot
Each shot has TO be dipped first boiling solution OF
salammonisc. then 10 molten zinc, and then In molten
taken in hydrogen gas formed beneath the lead
ng and the shot Is covered with bsters and rendered
perfectly useless Even should the shot escape this dan:
ger tney are exposed to that or Immense piles Of
LEAD coated shot heaped up and much lumber
me weakest hand may pull the lead or these proectes
would be their fate when fred. The Armstrong fuses
as we nave saacd have sgnaly aied especially during
the late experiments at Newhaven. An imrroved fuse
mas, however, been invented by Mr.. Pelman, who is
experimenting tho manufacture Of It at woolwIch
These new fuses 3D. instead of three times that
sum, which was the price OF the Armstrong. Al the
present time about 5000 week being made and
saving OF about f450 has boon effected is this one article
alone The bullets the Enfield rife are being pro-
duced at an enormous rate There three machin
which the metal 10 brought in long coils looking like
solid piece of gas piping. The machines into the
cessary length and shape, and are capable of turning
out 100000 day More important than these com
thp raaf rnnCf fhnf rn
now being constructed Tbe naval weapon of 7inch
bore, which Is sometimes called cupola gun and at
others broadsde gun. made upon Mr. Anderson's i'm
proved plan OF steel nnor tube lghened in oil aud in
serted into solid ended breech piece has Just been
peted and now awaits the decision of the Admiralty
TO the plan upon which 1t Is be risd The three
netitive guns seem Mt length approaching completion
These likewise have boen suppied with steel inner tubes
but have, instead Of solid erd a the breech
They are likewise completed With coils which IN the
the Armstrong There Is now 20 difficulty in getting
steel OF sufficient size for any guns likely be made
the building up principle and very large cupola gun has
lately been begun on this principle
Sir William Armstrong has likewise adopted the steel
inner tubes, aud by way OF removing more OF the ds
uguishag features o. his guns. he has bored out the coil
tubes from his T0pOuuders put steel tubes AID turned
the guns into muzze ioaders. He has also substituted
steel tubes In l0pounder There Is every to
think that these changes will very much strengthen the
pieces in which they made for 40 FOUNDER which has
been repaired with ubes has stood 600 rounds
without any signs OF flaw other Indications woak-
ness which we have been accustomed to see in the
Armstrong;.
we will look at few of the guns which, II they
have not already failed, nearly certain to do so
l. The 7cpounder wedge guD. This is anew gun on the
wedge breech-oading principle Unlike the l0pounder,
no part OF the is welded TO the breec piece, 80
that the weapon Is very liable to be pulled open by con
tinuOus firing. II is also weak-rom garipg mocha
nical error in It's constructontha the blow Of
case on the muzzc or the necessity OF throwing the gun
ovcrboard would certainly bend or break It Mt the trun
nions One hundred OF these guns have been suplied
tho Eswck factory at the high price of f46O each,
exclusive Of the sighting which costs ab put f30 These
guns will all have to be rcmade well as nearly one
hundred OF them made in the Arsenal. ~ ~
2. The l50 FOUNDERS or 300pouDders. Ono OF these
guns burst before rinng 1t was OF bad constructions
having movable hrcech plug. Mr. Anderson wished IN
make the inner tube solid by welding at the end but was
permitted 70 do this IN only two out Of the four guns
Nine Eswick and two Arsenal guns have been made
faulty principle having able breech plugs, and hav
ing too mnch cut out OF the rear the coils are also too
narrow and hence too These guns nearly
certain TO fail, and cost 81 800 each sa asHf
L 3. All the l00pounders have an inherent source OF
weakness at the place whore the coil tube welded to
the forged breech pccethc foundation OF the for
the coils, warm expand out ards or
while the forged breech piece xpands iongitudnaiy
This defect more still IN the 800 Founders and
IN tho larger guns OF Eswick construction.
II pass from the factory into what may call the
gun museum shall enough 70 occupy attention
for many hours Here Is every variety Of mode gun.
the most complicated arrangements for loading wedge
guns, as intricate watch; breeoh loading guns which
II would take the gunner to load guns which
be loaded at least kept order by none but skied
mechanics One OF the most striking pieces Krupp gun,
70 which, indeed, Sir William Armstrong the nven
tion that goes under his name IL IL Of polished STEEL
and as NJ Krupp was compelled by the Ordnance Select
OoVmitoe W ioau uiS Ruu ~ tne oroeCn, no set ID
work to produce the most simple yet efficient
mode OF fulfilling his instructions On the whole he has
succeeded well and his Ingenious apparatus for neutral
zing the injurious effects OF tho gas generated In firing
deserves the highest commendation. All round the walls
OF the museum are broken vent pieces belonging To
Armstrong guns Of sizes Their number would be
udcrous were the matter not ono deeply affecting he
national interests Upon each vent piece Is marked the
date and place at which II grief In many
tho disaster happened at Shoeburyness but IN not few
on board ship whero 10 wonderful the accidents did
produce more disastrous consequences than the render
ing useless heavy outlay of the public money.
II EDglishmen generally In the habit o. visiting
Woowch, the result would be very deleterious the
public manners. The enormous goes W the
arsenal would speedily make Dragging asi
atlantic relatives. We should quickly fall
that bigness was synonymous with and That
great expenditure OF tue national Implied that
the nation Itself was great We might continue
ratve OF facts and failures, but sufficient been said
TO show which way the pubic money goes.