Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-07-04

forra, weighs ahout tWiae as much az the spksn-
cal skoi; Sat, with equal charges Of psWdsf, the
initial velocity is 90 mach reduced by the spin
given 30 she ball aud by the friction ofths
grooves that the penetrating power elese o
the lannon's mouth is almost exactly equal
TIE two cases Al any greater distance,
the rife has she advantage, because It's SON
gated belt loses velocity much less rapidly
shan tha r0und shot L may, therefore, be
assumed that nothing IS either gained or lost
By rhinE g gun for shortrsnge practice
Except Inst its power Of resisting a given
charge Of powder is somewhat di~laiuishcd), AID
tkat for lorg distances The advantage is very
greatly IN favor Of tie rihsd gun. Further than
this, Il is also sscsltaiHsd that tie weight Of
powder is a tolsrabls good measure Of psHstra-
ting power as point blsRk distances. These
conclusions ere rot likely to he materially mod
lied by any alterations in the construction Of
cannon, aEd thsy point Clearly TO the uss Of IL
fed guugWi. q capacity for discharging e-
faetiToly, the largest practicable anouns o. pow
der.
Tho problem on which our aEtilsrists are en-
gagged is, therefore, reduced b g very simple
form. Two limits are Imposed on the weight Of
she ehaTge-ohe, the strength Of the gun-tha
ether, its capeciiY for burning the required
charge bsfsrs the ball las LETT The muzz!e. White
guns were cast or forged in one piece, tie diff
Guilty Of increasing their sizs beyond certain
links was enormous, because very large masses
Of iron could scarcely Be manufactured without
q fsw. But IA Sir ". Armstrong; method Of
building up his guns, there seems scarcely any
limit TO tho Ska which may ultimately be attsiEsd,
sad witheut beidg over saBguine, We may calcu-
late upon seeing guns Hsde strong enough to
bear any charge CT powder which can BE- effect
lively exploded within theH. Tke other condition
which requires that the powder should be fully
iguited before The ball leaves the muzzie. brings
one back nearly TO the sams point. Quicker
burning powder may be ussl, bat that agsin
tries strength severely, More iiHa may be
gained b. increasing lhs length CT he gan, but
that, besides adding 10 the friction, increases the
weight Of he piece and, hom whatever side
We sPpr1acR the question: the dihicul.y CONES
to be to produce heavier AID stronger guns taan
any that have yet been constructed. No enc
viii say that the LIMIT in this respect has bees
reached. and, - We nav seen, it has already
been sX-peTiuentally demonstrated that even the
torn fragment Of tie Warrior plate does not re-
resent the utmost effect Of which artillery is
capable.
Bat there is very much Tie SAM thing 10 be
said on tho other side For a long tin9, the
best plates which were manufactured welded to
q sixty-sishI poEudsr at four hundred Yards.
Then came a Plsts Of four and half inches Of
iron, with a strong teak backing, which has
been penetrated by nothing except d bail Of csc
hundred and Efty p0gHds weight a. a range of
two bundled yards. 1t may be inferred rem
what has already been said, that the same gun,
when rided for three hundred pound shot, viii
produce about ths same effect at the same
range. Whether, either as g smooth bore
or even as a 1ihs, i. win pierce . similar
plate at five hundred OF one thousand
yards, is still undecided aud the SSH larger
-rr- m~hrah kfn w kv-u-Hr-~n $500 -sT
probably be needed for the pmpose. TIE
ships, therefore, are not wholly at the mercy
Cf the guns, though, &c at present constructed,
they may perhaps s05n become SO. But hen
IL is not yet certain that VI have reached the
limit OF deiensive GTm9T - OF rather. the
contrary is certain. The thickness of ron
which aship can carry depends. ceteris paTabxs,
noon her siz-; and with the example Of the Great
Eastern 10 warn Us, it seems Just as idle to as.
sign g limit to The possible iounsge of ships as
TO the possible calibsr and weight Of artillery.
The cost and tie Inconvenience both Of gTea,
guns and great ships may at last impose q
Iimit which mechanical science, il Untstisrsa
could surpass. and this consideration nav
perhaps be thought 20 turn the balances in
favor Of artillery. A monster gun is net
So very iEcOuveuient in a fori; but a shin
which cen cnIy nsviests deep seas and caa
find no har5Or OF dock in the world which she
can enter, would lose much Of her power IS az
engine of war. san, he mechanical state Of
ths problem is merely this-the increased sizs
wiI give the iGsl victory either 20 he attack or
the defense, and that any policy based OF a one
sided view Of the possibility Of The future
would he fuIl Of PERL.
There is no course open bit to improve both
our guns an0 our ships as fast as possible, and
TO guard against such hasty conclusions as tia.
which was almost adopted but two or three
weeks ago for the defaiiYe Abandonment Of the
Portsmouth foTti5eAtions. 1t is quite possible
hat Eysiem Of forts may be found, when armed
with Eup Of sufficient csl Der, azoDg the mes.
efficient elements OF herbor defense, though
they would probably fail altogether 20 bar che
passage Of an ensny without the sid Of tbs.
a5IiIa Of iroR-eased vessels whieA, i.may b
heDal. We shalI soon pesaess.