New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-24

The Report having disposed Of the PARROT
,rh "other systems Of cast-iron rinsd ord.
nonc. in this summary, know-nothng man.
nor nro. 'ceds TO deal with wrought-iron and
other wrou. "ht-metal guns after the following
fashion:
rhat r,em.tu,. explosion Of shells will burst rife
Guns of wrourht.iro Ms well as those Of c0stron Is
own hy m irsance .tated IN the English army and
ycpy CART. of Dee o. 1854 to have recently occurred
IN England in the trial u AL Armstrong gum"
Why did not the Report recite III biief the
precise nature Of this evidenced
Again the Report says:
With respect 10 wrought iron cannon, all the official
information to which We have access shows thnt e re-
spts ia large calbers have not been favorable 10 ter
endurance and In many cases they have shown IesS
strength than cast-irOn guns"
The Report fails to throw any light upon this
singular fact, IL it be fact, and does not even
pretend that the premature bursting of shells"
is q reason.
The fayorite contractor for iron-clads for the
Navy Department who was to receive S3o,"V
for making successful l3-nch wrought''ror
gun. las tho following brief mention III this
Report:
"The l3.inch gun made within the pest year BY UT
Ericsson has been aLo to sustain but very hhltea
number Of rounds
Why this indefnitcness about MIR. EFicssons
gun. which proved an entire failure from the
first round fred from it, and was radically de-
fective in workmanship and method Of construc.
ton
Mr.. Horatio Ames is next mentioned
,b.p opufact IN M
Mr. Horato Ames have been subjected To trial; one OF
the calber of JOpOuudor enduring 100 rounds and,
although showing deep assures at the bottom OF the
bore yet might still endure an tadehRM NUMBER o.
rounds tie experiments having been suspended on &C.
count of excessive enlargement OF the vent
word in relation to this paragraph and to
Mr. Ames will give the public better idea of
the manner in which he and his guns were treated
by the Ordnance authorities. In ls6l, Mr.
Ames had q contract with the Navy Depart
ment to make wrought-iron 5O.pounder rifle
guns, according to plans furnished by the Navy
Ordnance Bureau. After large outlay OIL
money and time he succeeded in making i've
guns and delivering them at the Washington
Navy-Yard, where they were subjected to very
severe tests by rapid firing and one OF them was
bored out - en- sO-pounder caliber and tested
ND to 1900 rounds without bursting, when,
after great delay and suffering, much peeunlary
damage and many ndignities from insolent OIL
cials. Mr.. Ames compelled and received payment
for the five guns. Notwithstanding TINS, MS
contract was annulled, and his guns were rici-
culed and condemned as worthless, and Mr.
Ames himself spoken Of by high ordnance
authorities as IAN ignorant old humbug." In
I-63 several of NJ. Ames's personal friends
were elected to Congress, and about the
same time he became heir to an immense
fortune. This enabled him, through the
advice aud efforts Of Alr. Iialstead, TO
guns to tho notice of the President, who,
after full hearing and examination OF the
matter, without consultation with the Navy
Department or it, Ordnance Bureau, gave Mr..
Ames an order for fifteen wrought-irOn guns
100 and l50-pounders. Upon this order and
upon his own plan, without assistance from the
Ordnance Bureau, and without its knowledge
for time, he commenced tho fabrication of the
wrought.jron guns which are spoken OF in the
Report rs follows:
THE Ames gun lately submitted TO proof before
oint commission II the Army and Nayya member II
Ibis Board being also member of Tat commission-
shown great strength and endurance although Ms
surs were c0ped Al an ely Of firing. but ~
able and weight for any service In any class OF YES
sells IN tie Navy. But rs the inventor aoe- not calm
any peculiarly of FORM but only IN the mode oi mana
ncturc. and asserts his ability TO make guns in any
form recommend that gan be designated by the
Bureau of suitable c1ber, form and weight FOX tue
iurrced vessels end submitted 10 PROOF ana that The
1 80 Founders ia those vessels be Immediately with
drawn the effect Of explosion IN vessels Of that
class could not fail TO be most disastrous.
Excessive enlargement of the vent is men,
toned as one objection 10 the tmes gun. This
objection. like many Others urged in this Report,
is puerilc and contemplate, and is common to
all guns; the remedy being u system Of bouch-
ing with copper and platinum.
II is also stated that Mr.. Amess gun is oil
too small calibre, and of unsuitable form and
weight for any service in any class OF vessels IN
The Navy" II is difficult TO understand how
this statement can he true, Since the smallest
gun made by Mr. Ames was a 50-pounder of
the Navy pattern, AND the la;er guns specially
mentioned as being two small, &c, are a. much
larger csliber and weight, and are of the same
form substantially as the Navy guns. Perhaps
the following recommendation in the same ex'
tract from the Report will throw some light
upon the motive of the Board in aking this
singular statement, which should be closely
compared with the official instructions:
1--WE recommend that gun be designated by the
bureau of "A suitable cIibor, form ana weight for
reted vessels aud tie $50 FOUNDER Parrots be mme
dately removed"