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

this Report, to show the nature and value Of the
specific "mcans and experiments recon-.
mended by its authors a. in their Judgment,
best adapted to " fully test both guns and pro-
jectilcs under all the circumstances likely to
occur" A recommendation, based upon all the
evidence this Board was able to find on the
records of the Ordnance Bureau, and from all
other sources, including its own expensive per-
sonal experience Zone Of its members having
inspected and accepted nearly all of the 703
Parrot guns furnished to the navy, ought to
have much weight and Significance, If intelli-
gently aud honestly made. The following para
graph cmbodies all that is said on the subject OF
experiments:
I'VE therefore recommend that n series OF expert.
rens he ~ once n itui,d AZ Cold Spring such other
point the Bure may designate), 10 lie conducted
IN the following manner:
Three suns--av 100 Founders Of exactly the same
character IN every respect that a. made OF the same
mon melted at Tie -clc time aad In The same manner.
aal cn-' lil M once from the p'oi-shou!d be
placed .ide hy side ard fired ,co rounds each with
service charges II powder and shells 81 the same de-
scfpol and weight the shells nom one gun to DC M
load Ont brought up % weight by filing them with
sand ~ Other oncrpOsiye rnaeraD; then thO-"
from tho second gun be loaded and fused, but not
Tho and those tue tiifd 70
b. coated On tie Interior with tie nov composition
ard loaded and fused exactly %. those from No 2 L.
every other respect the conditions al firing snoud be
eraoilI ma sams including Tor certain number Of
roaads Rapidly Of ming
This experiment, which the Board con-
siderately recommend should be conducted
At Mr. PARROTS foundry at Cold Spring,
would involve the expenditure of 10000 lbs.
Of powder cartridges, with not less than
IL, 900 lbs. of fine powder for loading the
1900 shells, and 100000 b.. $50 tuns) OF
iron in projectiles, which, with incidental ex-
pcnses, exclusive of the guns proposed to be
destroyed, would cost not less than $50, 900.
The result would be that the question which
this Board was convened TO consider, 1.-THE
causes of the bursting of tbe Parrot rifle guns
at Fort Fisher aud elsewhere" would be left
precisely where it was at the outset.
The new composition here referred to is
nothing more nor less than asphaltum. This
costly experiment. is to be tried, first, 10 deter
mine whether such coating OF shells is neces
sary to prevent the friction of powder-charges
and secondly, whether a gun can be burst by
the premature explosion OF shell, while no
evidence exists that any gun ever was or ever
can be so burst Is it worth the money Has
the science of Naval Board Of Ordnance no
further reach than this' No wonder. then, that
| it comes 70 this lame and impotent conclusions
I'VE are of the opinion that from the result of these
experiments IL should be decided whether The lartust
guns are To be retained Withdrawn from service. for
after minute aud careful Investigation Of all tie ntOr.
nation have been able TO obtain ns wen as from The
records OF the Bureau, the testimony of Mr. Parrot e
paper marked d. and our own personal experience We
hnd it impossible TO decide a. present
Now, there are well.known and universally
recognized causes Of the bursting Of guns
known before shells were discovered aud when
solid shot only were used The Board com.
placently ignores them all, and assumes that
the one sole cause of such bursting is the
premature explosion of shells, of Which there is
no evidence whatever
Here is another opinion of this Board, inwhich
the virtues Of withdrawing and befogging
seem to struggle vehemently for mastery:
"In consideration Of the endurance exhibited by the
PARROT rife guns in proof and In service, deem
proper to state that. in opinion. the Bureau was
fully Justified IN adopting them for the naval service. rs
the best guns To be obtained 10 meet It's immediate
wants-yariog5 other systems Of cast.ron rilcd ord
nance having either failed or been Withdrawn from
service US untrustw orthy."
The closing statement Of this paragraph, to.
gether with the motive for making it on the part
Of the Board, will be better appreciated when
the fact is known that the only system Of cast.
iron riiled ordnance, other than PARROTS, even
introduced into the Navy, or ever pretended to
be used in it, was that Of Admiral Dahlgren,
which failed so disastrously after large num-
Der of guns had been made and partially made
in Is6l-62, that its designer, in order to save
his reputation and that of the smooth-bore shell
guns which bear his name, felt constrained t.
order their withdrawal from service
Those who are DESTROYS Of reading an opinion
as is IN opinion, are commended to those just
quoted and to the one here following:
Until the opinions herein expressed have been veri
fed by t1s eXpsgiuelts WHICH NC yeeQmmead We d'