The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-20
HEAVY ORDNANCE.
Have We an Effective Gun for Naval and
Sen Coast Defencce

Have We an Effective Gun for Naval and
Sea Coast Detenccs
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:- .rf
We have read with great interest the arncles In
your paper In reference 10 the United States Navy
and its guns; and knowing that your valuable and
universally read journal exerts great influence
with those high In authority In the government we
hope thus to call to their attention. and to place be-
fore the people, facts which are OF the greatest and
Of immediate Importance to the country. There
can DO no Intelligent person who has
seen and read Complementary Of our
navy and those OF nrst class Powers
OF Europe who Will disagree with you as to the utter
our Naval Bureau ana Congress- do not take action
In reference to this matter Is something incompre-
awake 70 these facts until the disastrous Results are
fully realized oy actual war with some nrst Class
One Of the first points to be considered Is, "Have
we 6y comparison, an eneclve gun Tor naval anu
BY actual experiments made at Fortress Monroe
and at Shoebnryness, England ana the tests In
Austria Prussia and Russia, it has been clearly
demonstrated that we have not gun that can equal
in range, accuracy or penetration even approach
with any degree the effectiveness OF the heavy naval
These facts are II iuliy Known 60 governments
abroad, and should be known to our own: and we
nS e Nsxa 10
some Two years past from Washington, to examine
into this subject have reported these facts the
foreign systems-one as q new and complete built
up gun or steel rings on the Krupp systems and the
an inserted coed tube or tunes Of steel or wrought
tronrwhlch Is known as the Parsons system. and Is
ou g e os Tor NEW sa
and tlis system Is thoroughly adapted to
Sac d see
rlned guns equal III weight or shot, endurance,
range accuracy and penetration 70 the Krupp gun,
th0rities, and our own commission enforcement
Toned" to be the most improved e1ective and
The great expense, time ana experience required
In the IMAM Maauia sa,r Of oD tins Krupp gun
advantageous as the "Parsons' saystem, consider
ing our present factles ior manufacturing such
mends itself 30 thoroughly, as regards entire ELL
cheney, economy and lts Immediate availability TO
facture, and with the expense or lew millions OF
dollars the entire navy and sea coast could he put
aa m respects @ The
accomplished In comparatively short time, at a cost
OF sixty per cent less than by using the "krupp'
The English standard government gun, built at
| the WOowlch Arsenal on the FRASER system OF
| the English government as an Improvement on the
Armstrong gun" The Armstrong ana FRASER
manufacture IN tnis coun.ry, they are considered
unworthy OF purchase by the continental govern
ments or Europe ON account OF tneir want OF dura
billy, as has been proved by competitive tests In
Austria, Prussia and Russia with the Krupp gun.
The English guns are equally effective up to less
than one hundred and nfty rounds in each OF these
test cases. but hey Ond one hundred anu fifty rounds
they give way and are rendered altogether Useless.
The Parsons system has been adopted by the Eng
sh government Tor converting their heaviest cast
iron guns. This has alraedy been done TO the ex-
tent OF several hundred, and they are still working
as rapidly possible, until they shall have convert
cd all they have, by this means saving theil
government an enormous expense, instead
OF manufacturing new guns OF wrought iron anu
steel, and, at the same time, their cast iron Is well
known by them to De twenty per cent Inferior TO
our own for gun purposes.
The foregoing statement contains nothing but
facts. for which we can furnish you the evidences
should you think 1t OF sufficient interest for the
people OF the United states to know through your
Columns OF our inability to successfully deIend our
commerce. as well as our ports, from foreign az
gressi0n. M. 9. b.