The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-11-13
INTERESTING ARTILLERY EXPERIMENTS.


Monroe Under Direction oil spee,es n ard
81 Army OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Ob,e' ss sf
Th-.e Rxperiments-Oid FoEy Guns "A pro-
teetiies TO be Throws 10 the Dogs
FoarREss MONROE, ~. 7. 1857.
Something over year ago, ~ ill be rsmem.
eered, board Of army sngir GERS was commits
stoned 10 commence ssries Of artillery expert
neuts he having reference to devising some plan
for rendhring more des.nsibls our government for
Sfcatic ns- The introduction of monitors, rams
and r' ja-elad naval steamers during the war. and
their tssTibly destructive capacity in sssaulting
che strongest permanent Notifications erected
on the models then and still in use hav-
ing completely upset al old theories on
the' subject, led TO the appointment Of
tn board. Acting on the judcious principle
:" IN time Of peace prepare for war" the govern
ient determined, il seems-and everyone must
ioufess it was . wise deterninaton-to take
speedy advantage OF this lesson of the war, and
with the undisguised fact staring 1t in the face
. Chart along our entire ocean aud gulf coasts and
inland waters there il not fertilization that could
sIa,d an length OF time the assaults OF feet Of
tron-clads, to hit on netting that win impart
TO these Notifications the additional defensive
strength they require, and, at the same time,
intensity their power OF offence as well. In
last ar's experiments plates Of wrought iron
were placed before a section Of fort erected in
the rear OF the fortress, and guns Of the heavier
calibres, principally twelve and fifteen inch Rod.
man rified guns, fred at the same. Nearly every
shot penetrated and some went entirely through
the protecting plates of iron four inches thic and
only few shots were fred before the granite
cemented wall behind il; varying from nearly eight
TO twelve feet in thickness and strengthened by
stout iron Orders and bolts became q mass Of
crumbling ruin. And here the experiments OF
year ago ended. Careful photographs were taken
Of the result Of the firing, and subsequent meetings
OF the board have been held in New York city, but
the business transac ed and conclusions arrived at
have never been made public
In addition 10 the object intimated above, dis
, covering some plan for making defensble our
present Qualifications against monitors and the
sther class II ron-clad naval steamers now in use,
ether in crtaat matters are being sought in the
appoin ment OF this experimenting board. In the
arsi place. tue ate war demonstrated glaring de-
heiencles IN AL the heavier guns employed; and,
IN Tie second place, lamentable inutty Of the
prolectiles. The destruction of rined guns in the
Dc Al For, Fisher and IN the operations against
Charl atom aud elsewhere proved conclusively the
unreiabity of the guns while the projectiles, from
either wedging the guns and making them burst, or
tombing, or splitting, or liability to premature
explosion, evinced their feeble capacity infiict
much damage on the enemy. To improve the
present guns or secure those Of assured worth and
reliability, and to improve the present projecties
or secure those that will fully answer the Purposes
demanded, are, therefore, two of the three objects
which these experiments are intended to accom-
phsh. II requires no familiarity with the service
Of ordnance to Sc how radical change these
experiments are destined 70 bring about, and
very slight intimacy with the practical
operations and results achieved In the use
Of large guns in the late war makes
evident their Importance. Il il appalling
70 think Of the amount of money expended during
The late war these worthless guns and pro-
tectiles. Everybody who possessed the slightest
knowledge of the explosive properties of gun
Pow Ger seemed impressed with firm conviction
OF abundant capacity TO get up good gun, and
She pattern of projec increased in geometrcal
ratio with the manufacture OF the guns. Men who
knew nothing about fighting very easily got con-
tracts for the manufacture OF their inventions from
Congress as profoundly ignorant Of the art Of war
- themselves. The result that the close Of
the war found all our government srsenals filled
worth only their weight in old iron, and as which
the most Of them have since been sold.
IN. rihsd projectiles in most popular use
Parrot and Schenke pattern, but the results
obtained from them were very unsatisfactory, the
Hotchkiss and the Schenkle except in the smaller
proving itself only more efficient at the expense
OF safety. The James and Absturdam projectiles
we're also used, but not so extensively.
The different varieties Of the Rodman rifed and
smooth bore guns. some of them weighing from
twenty 10 thirty tons, and with castings Of one
hundred pounds, hurting projectiles Of over six
hundTeu POUNDS. Inc heavier callDres OF the
Parrott gnns and some breech loading pieces Of
various manufacture aud large sizes constitute the
guns mainly used thus far and to be used The most
inteiligble as well as comprehensive description
that can be given OF them Is that they b guns
and beyond this their leading characteristics and
points Of difference already Sufficiently fami.
har to the prDlic TO render any elaborate descrip-
ton OF them unnecessary. There is the same
familiarity with the Hotchkiss, Schenker, Parrott,
James aud Absturdam projectiles, therefore will
only mention these but the Taylor and Eureka
projectiles, OF later date, and until the present
exp, rments began very little used, require and
Justify somewhat extended and minute descrip-
tion. The Taylor projectile is the old Dyer pro-
jectile improved. The improvement ia in the
Alloy constituting the sabot, which 10 made of tin
and lead patent for which composition Mr.
Taylor procured some months since. The action
Of the projectle which is only designed for rfied
guns, u.s. like that of the Minnie bullet with this diff
Ference that u has windngs 10 contend with. which
Che Minnie bullets do not have. The suppression Of
vintage with the plan OF expansion manifested in
this proJectile determines the angular motion of
the projectile around an eccentric aka the man.
ner OF the windage above, the axis of the pro-
tectie passing lengthwse through its centre, there
being no expansion below except into the grooves
and q maximum expansion above equal to the
windage and grooves. 1t s the same in its plan
As the English projectiles known the jeffrey and
Briiton, and the results with IL must be the same.
The new feature claimed is in the superior alloy
by which stripping is avoided. During the past
year the efficiency Of this projsctle has been very
thoroughly tested In experiments here, and with
most satisfactory results. Mr.. Taylor found .
master mechanic in the Washington Arsenal. See
ing the immense number Of projectles there Of no
earthly use 10 the government in the condition they
were, set his inventive genius 10 work and
made the improvements to which have referred.
Daring the past year he has been experimenting
the experiments with his projectie, and . few
weeks since was requested 70 renQuish his i'm
prsyements aud patent without consideration to
the government, and. refusing TO do so, was dis
charged from the government service. The petty
Jealousies OF one or two officers and hope Of re-
ward they stood q chance TO lose induced, am
told. this line Of action to Mr.. Taylor. and II re.
mains 10 be seen whether the old Apothegm about
republics being ungratefu will show itself In the
further history Of the This il rather an out
side matter, but consider IL In this connection
more worthy of mention than omission The
Eureka projectle has brass sabot. consisting of
two parts. The object Of one Of these parts, which