New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-14

turcr Of the very guns, the failure Of which was
the cause of the convening Of this Board.
The following paragraph from the Report fur
nishes an illustration of tho comprchensvenoss
of the views entertained by this Board in re-
gard to the necessary extent and character Oh
the evidence required for making its Report,
and is particularly refreshing from tho fact that
its members, in some measure, were sitting up
on their own official regulations:
as these eIperiments may not. however. be consd'
cred sufficient, extended TO conclusive, and ~ the
premature explosion II shells shown 10 be eersainv y
on, cse Of the failure Of the Parrot guns. and ~ a.
the op'on Of nae tnr'ntor ne Tiaeos "te VIC .a, ,
quesion If Ills ofburstng 81 tlosc guIs Beyond
dispu,r and also whether 1t be possible 10 obyate 1t
ettIoly or not
Thi5 paragraph also affords q clear insight into
the use which has been made, by the Naval
Ordnance authorities Of the vast number OF ex-
perimental shells (factsl) more than 10000 Of al
raiJerS, costing not less than Sl5O,OOo, which
have been fired away at the expense OF the
National Treasury during the Yeas devoted to
exploding experimental and inspection charges
at Mr.. Parrotts sem Unofficial ordnance foundry
before his guns were accepted, and fully Juati-
iies all We have previously said in apprehension
Of this class of officials and their disregard OF
public and private rights.
In connection with this point. tho following
inquiries naturally arise; Where were General
Gilmore and host Of ordnance officers, who have
had experience with the Parrot gun, and base
condemned it, larger calibersl Whore Mr.
Horatio Ames, Mr.. b. Il. llotchkss, and
Mcssrs. KNAPP and Ruld, private citizens, bu'
who have bad very large experience bearing
on this question: Where was Mr.. Norman
Wizard, whose widely accepted theory Of the
cause of failure OF great guns-namely, The I'M
equal expansion by heat of the inner surface
and metal along the bore Of heavy guns rs now
constructed 80 fIly illustrated some two
years since in The 1RlDvYEl No mention il
made in this Report Of this theory, notwithstand'
ing that it vas, at that tine, irdorsed by III
unanimous action Of Board ordered by the
Secretary Of the Navy TO examine it, composed
Of the then Assistant. Chief and now Chief ol
Naval Ordnance, and one member Of the Board
making this Report, Lieut.. Commander VIM.
y. .Jcilers, Superintendent of the Washington
Navy-Yard, and the then Assistaut-Chief OF
the Army Ordnance Bureau, Capt. Benton,
now Superintendent ofthe Washington Arsenal
which Endorsement took, rs we are informed
the shape Of an order for number OF guns
from the Naval Ordnance Bureau, and tho
promise of very large order from the Army
Ordnance Bureau, through the direct action, IL
both cases. Of the Administrators OF thu
Navy and War.
Were any of these gentlemen invited or al
lowed 10 testify before this Board Did any ol
them make an effort to be heard before this
Board Did any OF them have hearing
We find the following answer, so lar as
Mr. Wizard il concerned, in pamphlet en-
titled Inellicicncy Of Heavy Ordnance,
now before US, bearing o Washington im'
print:
81 cane TO Washington with diagrams and drawings,
cO,tug .our months # aior aud carefully tudlgd
argument containing yeiy toll inioTmaton on tbs sub
icoi hoping &" he permitted e. appear be"r, us Bo'rd
nj Ia con n unicnc ny views. This permission was
rrfrfCd. although j m1oc crrLcst application 10 TIE
Chi.fni the Bureau 81 Ordnance, aud 10 H. Assistant
secrciar, OF DE Navy. lrmedinely alsr thc refusal
of ~, All cotton 10 bvie the Beard - occurred g.
ne tai tlis Eoard wa cncdto vi iiowash TIE Pnr
rot guns rather thlu 20 gsccTinin WY they burst 81
ficd and .. ssiiy to extend ne same process iac
Navy Department, iiA Ordnance Bureau ana itseA
In regard to Gen. Gilmore, bis operations and
experience with the Parrot guns before Charles
ton were concluded more than year ago, and
all the evidence contained in his Report affect
ing these guns, wa, or might have been known
T. this Board.
What then is the value Of tlis Report What
reliance can nc placed upon the acton OF this
Board, when tie members composing it, and
supposed to be acting in the interests of the
country, refuse and ignore all testimony save
that of the inventor and manufacturer Of the
identical guns, the cause Of the failure Of which
it was specially appointed to investigated
s~sGr~-~s~s~vvv0r~S
rUsaNGE EnR UNSE&TMETT.