Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-12-18

BIG GUNS.
rAe Hewlett 0rdinanes IN the World :
==AAeS-Pscna shot Driven through
ufAsen lseAes ~ 8olAd Iron.
Boston p' y oo'''; 3:::'s. Of tho Nc" York
Competitive trials Of heavy ordinance
took place upon the obscure
territory of Nut Island, in Boston Har-
TO demonstrate that all tho smoQth-b0re
guns on hand and belonging to the gov.
con be increased in precision
and power to an extent which will en-
able them to hit and destroy, with a
single shot, any iron. Glad or other war
vessel that ever aoatod. The expert
ments took place under the observation
OF Capt. Truxton, Captain of Ordnance
of the Navy Department, and under the
of Norman Wizard, agent of
the Department and inventor of the
rifiing improvement, which adds such |
remarkable force and efficiency
to the heavy armament of our forts |
and ships-of-war. For the purposes of |
the experimental test there were pro-
Uded two guns of twenty-three tons |
each and Of 15-inch calibre. One of |
them was the common smooth bore,
and the other was riAed in accordance
with Mr.. Wizard . invention, but in 9th.
er respects there was no difference what.
ever. :, One hundred and forty pounds
of powder-the largest quantity of am
munition ever used in a gun-was fred
from each, and the proiectiles were of
400 pounds weight. The targets con-
sisted of wrought iron plates of fifteen
inches in thickness, and thev were
erected side by side, $50 feet distant.
The rided projectile fred from the
Wizard gun was Of conical shape, and
the one fred from the common smooth
bore piece was necessarily round. The
one first named went through the 16-inch
plates, and out of sight into sand
bank in the rear. The demolition of
the almost invulnerable target was
complete, and 30 great uas the force
with which it was struck that frae-
ment of 800 or 400 pounds was thrown
clear across the island, q distance of
not less than quarter of mile. The
projectile from the smooth bore gun
penetrated the target only about g.
inches, and, AZ the advantages were
precisely equal, the superiority of the
rifled arm was at once established bv
the experiment, and admitted BY Gov
eminent authorities of observation.
Compared with other comparative
tests, this style of gun is the
most destructive ever vet nro-
duoed. a s5-ton gun Of 12.{pch
calibre, was once fred in England
through an iron plate of IL inches in
thickness, showing the comparative
penetrating power of that arm to be
about IA against 225 of the gun at
Nut Island. This Improvement. IA the
Government understands it, does not
involve the manufacture of new runs
to secure it. Take the present arma-
ment of our forts, Just as they are. and
they can be rifled at one-tenth the cost
that new guns can be manufactured,
and at the same time their efficiency
as smooth-bore ordnance is not in the
least impaired !; and, including the
cost of rifing, the arms will be cheap
er by one-tenth than the best English
guns, and for destructive power thei,
efficiency can hardly ever be equaled.
Under this improvement it is claim.
ed that the rided guns belonging ia
the United States Government NAV be
made to have greatly increased eficien
cy, endurance, penetration of iron
plates, higher initial velocity to
the shot, much longer range, and i'm
proved precision while the guns Of
the smcoth-bore will remain as essen
TALLY as good or be better smooth. bore
guns than they now are, and, If riaed,
; they may be, after the improvement il
} applied, used effectively as smooth
bore guns, if desired. By this mean,
; ALL the spherical projeotiles now OF
hand may be utilized, and all carriages
Implements, Platforms ordnancl
stores, and servise of the gun NAV h
made available. The improvement
consists in riaing each gun with tw.
grooves, having for fifteen-inch gun ,
: twist of about enc full turn in so feet
, and SO stationing the grooves at tn,
side Of the bore that neither eroov,
: will intersect or CROSS the bottom O
top of the bore, thus leaving it smooth
at the bottom and top where the sho
: would strike in ballotting," should
the gun be used as q smooth-bore 70
spherical projectiles after being rifled
, After the gun is rided, however, it il
proposed to improve the spherical pro
}, jectiles now on hand by drilling tire,
, small holes in each, little distanc,
from the poiot of contact the sho
sj or shell would have with the bore o
. the gun when. inserted as if for fir
I. ing. The holes to be equi-distant from
= each other in the form Of a regula
triangle. Into these holes insert tire
= brass pins, each to be cut, after tn
r insertion of such, the exact lenot]
D necessary to support the proiectile u
+ and, out Of contact with the bottom q
the bore, so that the windage shall b
equal all round. By supporting tn
t prolectlle in the center Of the Dor
Z previous to it's receiving it's impuls
/ from the powder, the windage a
. round alike, an achievement is arrive
/ lot by most simple means often o,
t tempted in this country and Europ
q without success.
:. f. Other tests are to be made in a fe,
l days, with view to obtaining IN ide
Q of the comparative distance ard rapit
; ity with which projectile can b
thrown from q rifed and q smooth
3 bore gun.
- A NATION OF D1sPR1Tcs.-Wel liz
q fas-dissipate in everything exec,
q righteousness, and fill early graves. "
drink all kinds of poisoned alcohol
: spirits, and swallow, without mastie
d ton, pork, grease, and every conceive
Il bic carbonaceous, soul-dwarfng, lif
7 destroying, system-cloggins, indigest
;. bic food. DIR. WA1KER's VEaETAB1
d VINEGAR BrrTERs cannot stop this in
a radical manner-but it will remove til
9 evil effects, and the recovering patien
), with fresh, pure. vitslized, electric,
j blood flowing through his arteries an
# veins, will have q clearer head and
d cooler judgment, which, coupled wit
> experience, will cause him to abstai
It in the future. Good, nutritious, d
3 Qeatbla diet. which the most delica1