The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-10-23
The Rodmsn Gun.

The correspondent of the Washington
Chronicle, writing under date of September
2Sth, Thus gives the facts in relation to re-
cent experiments in England with that great
American improvement in artillery, the Rod
man gun:
"Hurrah for the 'Rodmsn gum 1t has
sent its shot through the eight-inch target at
Sholeburyness. While | write, the cable will
be carrying this intelligence across the At
lantic-to you justly gratifying. You are
acquainted with the details of failure in the
former experiments; how by ignorance on
the part of the English artillerists the quaint
ty of powder used did not prove sufficient,
and the shot did little more than "indent"
the plated armor of the target. You may
remember the loud "guffaw" raised against
it by the Armstrong;, Pallisers, and q
half score of other expensive fritterers in
gun construction, with which this nation has
for years been taxed and cursed. You may
remember, too, how that ridicule was echoed
by the. English press Times, Standard, Pail
Nall Gazette-by every little barker that
could get in word and when the report
came back from your side, accompanied by
the quiet sneer about English ignorance and
the insuficiency of the charges, with what
joking incredulity it was received. You
have got the joke now, and may enjoy it..
You will find reason in the following, which
quote from one of the London papers-one
that had crowed most loudly over the sup
posed failure:
The l3 inch Rodman gun has really pen
etrated the inch target at Scholeburyneas.
There need be no longer any dispute as to
the quality of the powder, nor the amount
| OF the charge. One hundred pounds weight
of American No. 7, cannon powder" con-
tanned in bag nearly feet long, has pro-
PEELED a $50 pound shot through eight
inches of armor and eighteen inches of solid
teak. The smash was tremendous, and so
| was the noise. The roar of the huge gun
made the earth tremble." Two masses of
| armor plate, each weighing about six hun
dred weight, were tossed some twenty yards
or more to the rear of the target, and show
er of smaller pieces lay scattered upon the
ground" A massive timber stick was dash
ed into splinters, and three others were in
lured. Of the inner skin of the target q
| piece was carried away, which is described
| as being of the size of an ordinary "tea-tray."
| A second shot was even more triumphant
| than the first, seeing that it struck the tar
| get In stronger place, in fact the sound
1 "a INC oeAuStuICJ Deen
sorely damaged by a long series of merciless
experiments, the enormous quantity of 200,-
600 pounds of metal having been hurled
against its iron 'front.'
1.-The journal from which the above is
| taken true hater of everything American
Il might say of everything high and holy
| the London STANDARD, takes care to tail on
| this account the usual string of contras prov
ing clearly that the Rodman gun, notw1th-
standing this wonderful performance, is
still no match for the cannon of British con-
struction. Its cheapness is admitted, being
cast, against the enormous cost of our
wrought-iron pieces - the experimenting
upon which would have impoverished a
moderately wealthy nation. You could
scarce credit the sums spent on the Arm.
strong's, Whitworth's, and other jobbers in
projectiles. 1t would far more than clear
the score of the Alabama claims.
"The Standard does not talk thus. Its
language is to the effect that the Rodman
won't do. 1t would be too dangerous, and
though less expensive in. the cost of the gun,
it's greater weight would require more ton
mage Of vessel to carry it; and therefore it
would cost more in the end. And what if
1t did cost more, say Item times more
80 long as it does twenty times the duty
sweepin everything before it, and, to use
the Standard's own words, snake the earth
trembie 7" Cost is relative word, and can
only be counted when taken in comparison
with the "pro6t."