The New York herald., 1873-12-04
BIG GUN s.
The Heaviest Heavy Ordnance in the World
Four Hundred and Sixty Pound Shot
Driven Through Fifteen Inches OF Solid
mountaineering and Successful
Experiments with Rihed Guns
in Boston Harbor.

have demonstrated that 1t is q maxim which the
United States, as well as other nations should ob.
serve most attentively. Happily, perhaps, the
prospects and dangers OF Spanish war are for the
moment postponed on account OF intervening
diplomacy, but the suddenness with which hostili.
ties were seriously threatened only few days ago
should be warning which the government should
profit by. improvements and experiments in
heavy ordnance were conceived more than year
ago by the proper governmental authorities, and
Congress made the necessary preliminary appro-
priations for the experiments Presidential
campaign followed by disclosures OF Credit Mob
ilier and other cOrruptOns came In such rapid sue
cession that the attention OF the national egisla-
tors was absorbed for the time being, and the par
amount purpose OF defending the territory and
honor OF the nation was for the moment forgotten.
THE AFFAIR OF THE vIRGINIUs,
however stirred up the slumberihg bureaus OF the
Navy and War departments and all the parapher-
malta OF battle was Immediately brought into
requsition. At the navy yards in Brooklyn.
Charlestown, Phlade phia, Portsmouth and Nor
folk there was sudden and unprecedented ac-
tlyity. the torpedo stations at Newport and other
points were also called upon for their reserve sup
piles of dangerous proectiles. and even the Juniata
and other vessels OF war were speedily equipped
and hurriedly despatched to the scene OF massacre
and expected war; All of these events were sue
cessivey recorded IN the public Journals, but apart
from such movements, which 1T was impossible to
conceal, there were others equally important and
more recent progressing simultaneously. They
consisted OF
CoAPErITIvE TRIALS or HEAVY ORDNANCE,
and the tests took place upon the obscure terri
tory OF Nut Island in Boston Harbor. In brief, It
may be stated that the experiments were such as
to demonstrate that all the smoothbora guns on
IN tn
creased in precision and power to an extent which
will enable them to hit and destroy, with single
shot, any iron-clad other war vessel that ever
noated The experiments took place under the
observation OF Captain Truxton, Captain OF Ord
nance OF the Navy Department, and under the su-
pervison of Norman Wizard, agent OF the depart
ment and inventor OF the riding i'm
provement, which adds such remarkable force
and efficiency to the heavy armament ol
our forts and ships-of-war. ror the pur.
poses Of the experimental test there were
provided two guns OF % tons each and Of 15-nch
callbre. one OF them was the common smooth
bore, and the other was ri1ed in accordance with
Mr.. WARDS invention, but in other respects there
was no difference whatever. One hundred and
forty pounds OF powder-the largest quantity OF
ammunition ever used in gun-Was hred rom each.
and the projecLes were respectively OF 400 pounds
weight The targets consisted OF wrought iron
plates of Is inches in thickness, and they were
erected side by side, $50 feet distant The rined
shape, and the one fired from the common smooth.
bore piece was necessarily round. The one hrSt
named went
CLEAR THROUGH THE FIFTEEN INCH PLATES,
and out OF sight into sand bank in the rear. Tho
demolition OF the almost nyulnerable target was
complete, ana great was the force with which
it was struck that fragment OF 300 or 400 pounds
was thrown clear across the island, distance Of
not less than a quarter OF q mile. The prolccte
from the smooth bore gun penetrated the target
only about six and q half inches, and as the ad-
n ri X.
pertinent and admitted by the government au-
thorities OF observation. Compared with
%ost S
OF Finch calibre. was once fired in England
showing the comparative penetrating power OF
that arm to be about IA against 225 OF the gun at
ment understands 1t, does not involve the manu-
facture of new guns 10 secure 1t. Take the present
armament OF our iorts, Just as they are, and they
can be rfed at one-tenth the cost that new guns
can be manufactured and at the same time their
efficiency as smootn-bore ordnance is not IN the
least impaired; and, including the cost OF riding,
the arms will be cheaper by one-tentn than the
their efficiency can hardly ever be equalled.
UNDER THIS IMPROVEMENT
1t Is claimed that the rlned guns belonging to the
United States government may be made TO have
greatly increased efficiency, endurance, penetra-
ton OF iron plates, higher Initial velocity to the
shot, much longer range and improved precision;
while the guns OF the smooth-bore will remain ~
essentially as good or be better smOoth-bOre guns
than they now are. and, II rined. they may be- after
the Improvement Is applied, used enecuVely as
smooth-bore guns II desired. BY this all the
spherical projecties now on hand may be utilized.
and all carriages, implements, platforms, ord
nance stores and service of the gun may be made
available. The improvement consists In rinng each
gun with grooves, having Tor q l5-ncn
gun twist OF about one full turn in so feet aud
stationng the grooves at the side OF the bore that
neither groove Will intersecJ or cross the bottom
or top of the bore, thus leaving it smooth at the
bottom and top where the shot would strike In
"balottlng,n should the gun be used as a smooth
bore Tor spherical prOectiles alter being rided
improve the spherical projectles now on hand by
drilling three small holes In EACH q little distance
from the point OF contact the snot or shell would
have with the bore oil the gun when inserted as II
Tor firing. The holes 10 be equdtstAnt from each
other in the form OF regular triangle. Into these
after the insertion OF such, the exact length
necessary to support the prolectile up and
OF contact with the bottom OF the bore so that
the wndage shall be equal all round. BY support
ing the proectle in the centre OF the bore previous
TO It's receiving It's impulse from the powder. the
windage oil round alike an achievement Is arrived
at by most simple means often attempted IN this
country and Europe without success.
GREAT INTEREST IN THE EXPERIMENTS.
Notwithstanding the Spanish war cloud has
scrbed are still regarded with great interest by
the government, and especially by the Navy De.
partment. Other tests are TO be made in few
days, with q view to obtaining an idea OF the COM
parative distance anu rapidly with which a pro-
jecte can be thrown from a ri1ed and a smooth
bore gun.
THE WESTCHEsTER PaOTECTORY VISITED.
In response to the invitation OF the Board o.
Managers OF the New York Catholic Protect0ry,
a number OF gentlemen visited their establishment