The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-10-11
Artillery Experiments An Eng
land.


About the middle of last month some
experiments were made at Shoeburyness;
IN England, for the purpose of testing
both targets and projectiles, which have
some interest In connection with the
recent trial of the Rodman guns at Fort
ress Monroe. The London Times of the
18th of September, contains the following
account: In the FIRST instance, one part
of the target was made with no less than
eight-inch iron, with the warrior backings
of eighteen inches of teak, with an inner
skin of wrought iron three-quarters of an
inch thick, the whole mass being strength
ened with girder ribs of wrought iron of
the most powerful description. To this
target were two wings, each of which,
though nearly vertical in position, sloped
off sideways at an angle of about sixty
degrees. All the plates were of the best
quality of rolled iron, and were fastened
with double the usual number of the Pal
liSer bolts. A stronger target, with the
exception of that oc Mr.. Chalmbers, has
probably never been tried at Shoebury.-
There is, In fact, no vessel in the British
service now carrying eight-iuch armor
plates, and the Quilt up twelve-iuch plates
of the American Monitors are weaker be-
yond all comparison than the resistance
which a single solid eight-inch plate will
offer: The experiments were made TO
ascertain the best form Of shell for pene-
trating and destructive effect, and also
the relative value for such results of steel
as compared with the Palliser chilled
metal. All were fred from the nine inch
muzzle loading wrought iron Woowich
rife gun. The first tried were Mr.. Firth 8
steel shot, but the damage done by these
was not of any great effect, the shots
it slightly. With the Palliser, model
shell, constructed of chilled metal, the
most surprising results were obtained
One Of these, the last of the kind fired,
went clean through everything plate,
backing, and inner skin, and lodged itself,
after exploding in some timber, about
twenty feet behind the target. Anything
more crushing than the shock of this
projectile it would be difficult to conceive,
for it struck full upon one of the strongest
vertical parts of the target, and tore its
way through as if only opposed by tim
Der screen. Another penetrated no less
than nineteen ioches and half, bulging
and injuring the backing most seriously,
while third fred at the inclined wing Of
the target penetrated nearly seven inches
and a half, making a hole in the iron
thirteen inches long by ten wide. A
fourth went nearly through, and remained
imbedded to depth Of twelve inches and
a half, and some time was consumed be-
fore this last could be worked out with
croWbar. The chilled shot was equally
successful with the shell. The first aim
ed at the incline of the target struck upon
its vertical part and penetrated complete
ly through the eight-inch plate, smashing
one of the powerful ribs behind it. A
second on tie incline, and just near the
comparatively slight mark made by Mr..
Firth, tore through the plate to the depth
of seven inches and o half. Some shot
designed by the Ordnance Select Commit
tee, having screwed on base, and made
of Mr.. Firth's steel, were tried, but
their results, though good, were compare
lively insignificant to those achieved by
the Palliser shot and shell. No one sue
ceeded in getting In as deeply as the chill
led metal, and not one Of the kind what
ever went even half way through the tar
get. In fact, the Importance of Major
Paliiser's invention can scarcely be over
rated. The target tried yesterday was, as
We have said, stronger than the broadside
of any ship aAoat, yet it was pierced and
broken up by these projectiles when all
others failed. The strongest built armour
shipin the British navy is the Bellerophon,
yet month ago, Major Palliser sent his
shot and shell through the section repre-
senting her broadside at Shoebury with as
much ease as it broke through the pou-
derous defences yesterday.