New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-08

tanceS along their fight. there is hardly any
positive evidence, according to this Report.
that she'll ever exploded inside a gun, with
the exception Of the instance mentioned by
Brig. Gen. Turner, Chief Of Artillery Of the
Department Of tho South, in tho following
words:
"In ono instance of the bursting Of a leo ponder.
where the bieech had boon blown from the reinforce,
fouui the b.r Il the shell in the gun Tie shell had
prematurey exploded leaving the base in the gun; it
had taken the grooves and was II perpcndicur 10 the
axis p't.e piece ard ono Inches in the rear of.s first
no-tiru showing .hat he last force ING uroD i WIS
| ison tie ~ los LA Of tie powder IN tie shell'
In this case, the shell clearly had little or
nothing to DO with the bursting Of the gun; it il
more than probable tina. tho gun was cracked
in the vicinity of the vent, from previous firing;
aud this probability could almost be made a
certainty if it was known how often the gun
had been fred, with what rapdty, with what
charges and at what elevation, as in this ill.,
stance tho shell evidently exploded after the
brcech gave way, one part Of the shell going
out of the muzzo and the other half moving
freely a few inches back of its original position,
without wedgng.
The firot paragraph Of the report states that Of
the whole number OF Parrot guns (7O3) issued to
the naval service, II have burst or been other
wise njrredi yet in the enumerated list we see
no mention Of one burst at the breech through
neither is mention made Of one found cracked on
board the Brooklyn at the Navy.Yard here, after
the first attack on Fort Fisher; neither is any
data given Of how many of the 703 guns have
ever been brought into action, 40 as to severely
test their powers Of endurance. The report
further states that
Several o. the injuries have appeared in fractures
or rents. enabling tie withdrawal OF tie euls nom
service IN time TO avoid casualties and many Of them
have occurred the ch NJ the mazz and not as
eusomsIy with OTTER guns u the brrcch; tim, ai
fOTdng evidence that they arose from the premature
explosion Of SHELF within the suns-a fact which ~
proyeH by The di.rct testimony Of several officers in
| charge az the time
In answer to this take tho following fact,
namely: OF the twenty.three 100, 2vO and BOO
FOUNDER PARROTS enumerated by Gen. Gilmore
IN his report a. having burst, twenty-one failed
at The breech from causes evidently quite indc-
pendent OF premature bursting Of shells; while
but two were injured at tie muzzle. Had this
Board, composed Of Ordnance spectors-some,
| if not all, Of whom were responsible for dl.
rect personal Endorsement Of these guns, and
for their introduction into the navy at immense
cost, having been stationed at West Point TO in-
spect and determine upon their quality-seen fit
70 specifically inform the Ordnance Bureau and
the pablo in their reports, Of the precise po'
ition and extent of he fractures of each Of the
sir guns which disasirously burst al Fort
Fisher, destroying ten times more lives and pro
ducng more damage on shipboard than the
concentrated fire of the Rebels, and also Of
such other guns (including the one on board
the Naugatuck, which they forgot TO mention),
o. they had, or easily might have had. the facts
OF each case during their six weeks session. the
public would lie better able to judge Of the
trnthlulress and value Of the statement cm-
bodied il tie foregoing extract.
The next paragraph OF the Report says:
| "snch premature explosions of shells within rife
glns hive frequently occurred without apparently In.
Irpg the guns. while in other causing their in
saG, rupture But. although the guns appgrsr'ly
not injured there Is proof that they not really
So asd iaGch Presump,vo evidence hnt they were for
stnoaga We nni by the Ieeoids that many premature
explosion. ~ shells have been reported TO the urcau
~ different fimes by which the gun rot parent
nyei yet ooeasion has se,ned 10 oeesr 20 ~,
2seer 80 r,po,'rs nhi an sla'nai,os II hs gen n',
such premature explosions"
This paragraph ID an assumption, so far as the
bursting Of shells in guns is concerned, without
any positive evidence beyond mere preslmp-
lion Of the officers making these free and easy
reports: and the evidence OF the little value
they put upon this pretended reason is found in
the following paragraph OF the Report:
"7zfr,yt.re, go premature sposiOns in OnsiHnd',d
AVID fselrs Q round, Ades been reported az drSe pTac
tic. k guns all oibers. AID not rord said II any
sraniHaficH Of The guns"
And IL seems that the Ordnance Bureau has
seen fit to make no better use Of these startling
| facts. and nnmberless Others Of the sNle kind
which have been reported to it, than its sub
Ordinates.
| The necessity for an.immedate examination,
after each supposed premature shell explosion,
will be seen in the foIowing paragraph:
| There h. however one instance that occurred. 10
The proof 81 u lOopounder at Cold sming. which is
conclusive ON this point.
AT the second ire Of this gun. shell exploded pre-
msturey and the gun showed no apparent injury and
stood the procirounds without bursting but sIb
s,qnt rIeriNa,on showed 20 be seriously cracked In
the bore. and il was rejected"
This gun was fred eight times after the OIL
legged premature bursting OF the shel!-a fact
hat transpired under the eye Of the Inspector
(f hc performed his duty, also a member of this
Board, who it seems did not deem it worth
vhilo to make an examination at that time, and
had evidently no positive knowledge whether
the shell exploded inside the gun or not--tho