New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-01-04
AMERICAN ARTILLERY.
Gorr1ssvudeEre O.: The London Times.

II is far from catering Ia the national vanity
q IN Eug;sman b. told that the artillery Of his
eountr is behind tie requirements of the present age
and that and half years Of exaSpereted warai
America has oustspned Europe rs regards the size,
power. and efficiency OF her cannon IL has been my
fr;une bowcver to hear this language employed and
these opinions expressed many occasions during
che Las; years, both IN the Northern and southern
States and it must b. ayowed that in instances
s sns slhk s Sea h q dy 3 s eonHdn
boast. when there is such coincidence 0f
opin:on among men who ere certainly not SURPASSED
An knowledge Of their subject by any OF their rivals
Il would seem hgh time that England should satisfy
herself TO the faith that Is in her, aud should lear
lessy ascertain the truth. AZ whatever cost or 1isS.
II Is yerv possible that the actual results of the
experiments al Shoeburyness and elsewhere IN
England Gre unknown IN tls country; but VIII repeat
what seem 10 Dc TIE radical objections entertained on
This side Of the Atlantic to the Armstrong ana bit
vorth guns In TIE first place. there Is universal dis
belief in the strength of breehoadine cannon Second
IT, there is general objection 20 the raPd tWsl Oh 'e
riaing in the rfed ordnance Of England have men
toned in previous letter that the ruling OF the Brooke
gun is very grad al consisting oi one complete turn III
40 feet or one.fcGrth OF in each OF 10 feet
When the Armstrong gun was first Introduced u was
Ynhcv stated in evidence In England that the resist
ance 70 the rcss of the shot offered by tie crcultons
twist Is equal 70 weight of one tun and half, and
that oonseq lcntly when the shot leaves the gun
ITS initial yoOciiy il, is well known. very
low II in order 70 increase this velocity. the
charge Of powder be augmented the grooves
wear very rapidly; and the gun becomes useless
1t seems 10 he believed ly Commander Brooke and
Admiral DGigTen that all TIE advantages OF rining eau
be gained by gradual twist, and greater length
of service elected non the gun. BE TINS as 1t may
there can b- 10 question Mat 80 far as heavy Itod
ordnance concerned the u great successes Of TINS
war are the Brooke and rafrott guns. And IL j. with
reference 10 the enormously superior powers of these
guns beyond those possessed by the English FOUNDER
Or sinct smooth bore that the error Of English
opinion seems TO De euterta,neo How iar ,s Enopke
snd Parrot guns Outsfrp the Armstrong aha "hlf
worth their Thed competitors in Europe II Is impossi-
BE for ne Say; but by turning TO the ION volume
Of the professional papers OF the Royal Engi.
ad M0O.WlCh 1911, ~ VIII
be obviOu, hat m immense stride mas been
made since the essay nom ne pen OF ~ yol9
which that volume contains was written lahing Tor
his text the preaching of marteo tower at Eastbourne
By three Armstrong gun. ana tbc sege ope, apns co
Quoted by TIE Prus,an Government at Juers between
AixE.Charelc and Cologne Sir John Burgoyne points
Ont the superiority with view 10 preaching iOi OF
rfed ordiiarce al range Of 100 yards az compared
with the suoot. bore ard spherical picectes. Sir
John says: Up 10 range OF 1909 yards (and probably
further tra.s Win carry II some hundreds o. YARDS
TO give the velocity and precision OF practice
required % effect breaches. whereas WIN TIE
spherical missiles COO or 200 yards ma! BE- deemed
their utmost practical limits" il was niue lore
seen by Sir JOhn BurgOyDe That, scarcely Two
years from the publication OF these words, ioi !.
Woud he preached by red ordnance not ht range 81
100 wards ard possibly few hundred yards beyond,
bur from lance OF p miles. In reference 10 the
practice against the Mariello tower Sir John observes
-" Trials were subsequently Dade to breach similar
tower from smooth bored u ana 3lpouAders ~ tAe
sgine rance u 03x yar.s andthe result may ne deemed
altgrethar laftlfc. tpiN accuracy OF me
the missiles being quite cetcetio such range Al 80
ar perhaps coo sards the superiority ot The T1ed ord
nance wouid have been yery little, II any Inc guns
ernplo cd against the tower IN question we're three
Ar,ystrong breach loaders described Us follows J! An
e. pouudeg Of inches cahber charge ior 8hot. Ioib
for shell. Oh p A 7inch howitzer, throwing 100.
pound shells; ohaTge 3D. g. Opouhoef Vi ''' HcneS
caliber. No. lOl. charge. Oh
At the conclusion Of the second days practice ater
about 100 Proee'es from ee;e three guns nad 'a1s zen
tnasmuch t. Sir John speaks vaguely oil Tue pOshbie
effect Of the ire Of ISed ordnance at greater range
It may be doubted whether tie Armstrong gun would be
Here. however. have Fort Sumter preached by the
Porrott gun AT distance Of more than 4Vo Yards; IL
cannot but BE- desirable that the attention III England
0hould be drawn 10 these startling developments and
1hat she should not suffer herself to 10 laed into fan
ced security and 10 live in fools paradise because
Abe has lavished millions upon the Armstrong gun.
But IT, regards preaching practice the superiority
Of rhed ordnance sinoOth bores is manfestly IS
tabshed believe that thus superiority VIII be SIN
more marked when bOtb are tried against iron plating
There appears 10 bein England. and especially among
naval officers. very general idea thai at shoIt range
there Is 10 guu formidable against iron plates rs the
old q .pounGer or sinch smooth bore. nm not at lib
eriy 70 mention the exact results gained by Capt.
Brookes trials against the target with MS own gun but
IL will be sufficient 10 state that, In my belief they
would astOnisb Europe. II Is Imagined Ia England
that because only OF the Monitors of Charleston
has hitherto sunk the Confederate guns cannot be
very formidable That this ia not the belief Of the Fed
erals Is evinced by the very wide berth which thelr
iron clad vessels give 10 the Confederate battcriy
vast deal OF nonsense has been written ny Ie coepona
snis OF Northern journals about the moDofS approach
ing within 80 yards Of Fort Sumter before
its guns were dismounted) and delivering their ire
Tie truth really Is that no Monitor mas ever approached
nearer 10 FORTS Sumter Moultre johnson than 40
yards, except the Keokuk. which came within 100
Yards and as sunk IL is asked " Have you a'y gun
10 England which could sink the Keozuk at that dis.
tanceT This question must be answered in England
Itself Nothing ID certain than that the b FOUNDER
could no. attempt such feat. When the wreck Of tbs
Keokuk was examined IL found that In addition to
10 tn which SINK her shots IL
inch ,mootbore had riddled her turrct through and
through To use anything smaller than the iOihch
smooth boro against iron plating liz scOfcd at Oh this
continent Commander Brooke Is of opinion that the
Ia0n. ball thrown BY .hs Weehawken against The AT