The New York herald., 1874-11-01
GREAT GUNS"
Our Government at Last Awakened b
the Improvement In Ordnance.
Experiments at Sandy Hook-Their Re.
suits Thus Far,

q great influence uDon the general character of
the armament OF this country they ought to bo
matters or the ltveliest interest to the public
They are made at late hour, indeed, but even
the fact OF hardness brings value to them. The
officers OF the Ordnance Department who Ara
making them are, perhaps, the most efficient ar
tillerists IN our service. Several OF them nayo
visited the places In Europe where ordnance ex.
pertments have been In continuous course Tor the
past ten years-Shoeburyness In EnpIand.
Krupp's foundry In Germany, and the arsenal at
ST. Petersburg-where they have noted carefully
all the valuable results, while the Younger
orncers have been devoted students OF thu
science OF guns and gunnery. Although we have
gained knowledge from the experience of othera
with but slight expense, during the past nine
years, none OF 1t has been put TO use In our army
or navy armament. II we had been forced 20
cope with a ioe OF late our government would
have found that IL had put US at a disadvantage.
through which we might not only have been
crippled for . time In the fight, but have been
totally overcome. The old smooth bore Rodman
guns have kept an almost useless guard over our
fortifcations. Tor against the improved armor
plating OF ships OF war they would have had but
slight erect; their balls would have crushed
aud nattened themselves against the In
penetrable sides Of the vessels, while
the projectiles from improved European
rifled guns were demollshing the structures they
were hoped to protect. All the artillerists In the
United States' service are convinced that the Rod
man smooth bore guns have been out OF date fox
several years. They have condemned them OF
late jusL as heartily as they hailed them at their
invention, and they have desired to try some
method to improve them. The government, how.
ever, has
PLEADED LACK OF MONEY
for experiments, through which, II success should
follow them the country could soon be effectively
armed at . comparatively small cost. About
1000 OF the Rodman guns have looked
through the emorasures OF our foFt4
threatening and terrible to q civilian,
but impotent and valueless in the sight or
q scientific soldier. few months ago the War
Department, moved at last by the reports OF the
Ordnance Department, ordered the appointment
OF Board or oficers to make numerous expert
ments with view to increasing the worth OF our
armament. The officers chosen to constitute this
Board were Colonies Crispln, Baylor and Tread
well, Major Mackee and Captain Butler. 1t II be-
leved that this Board. whose work is now planned
Tor about two years. will be permanently estab-
lisned, ana that Sandy Hook win be made the per-
maneut artillery testing station. Arrangements
were begud last
SUMMER AT SANDY HOOK
Tor the work OF the Board. Frame buildings were
erected at The southeast OF the unfinished fort
an Office for the Board, and the other,
which was divided into two compartments, a. .
shelter for the guns being tested. About 210 lees
from the latter shed butt or target OF planks
backed BY sand, was put up; and IN the space
between the sued and the butt two frames were
bunt, the use OF which Will be explained further
on. A short distance. dlagonally from the rear
OF the firing shed bomb roof was made for the
storage OF powder during the daily experiments
ana Tor the shelter OF the worklngmen.
The Board began Its sessions Friday l0Ae
and continued them on Saturday. The shocks Of
tne discharges racked the gun sheds so THAT Il was
necessary TO brace them, and as the repairs Occu-
pied Monday the Board did not convene again
until Tuesday. SINCE then, however, 1t has ex-
experiments is former ten.lnch Rodman gun
wnich has been made into an elght-incn
Recorder OF the Board, very kindly explained tho
new system OF rinIng TO the writer. the SMOOTH
BY about an inch toa point WITHIN about loot
from the bottom OF Its tube Bars Of wroughs
iron are then colled as In making
TwIsT-BARgELLED SMALL RIFLE.
The coil ID heated and then welded. When
tn, the tube tube thus formed is cold It Y
with collar at the mouth OF the piece. There Il,
OF course, small space lett between the sides OF
the ne tube and those OF the Old gun, which tho
expansive pressure OF the gases must cause the
insersed cylinder TO MI. On Friday, the 2lst inst.
SATURDAY seven were discharged, and on tuesday
last twelve. Since then there have been about
afry additlonal discharges OF the new gun.
Inc experiments were begun With charges OF
twenty pounds OF powuer, and 173 pound sn0I.
Tue quantity Of powder was gradually increased.
with tnirty-hve pounds oil powder. SO this
has been the maximum OF powder used, while tho
largest proJectile nred has weighed 1856 poundA
Every day before the gun fred II star-gauged-
that Is, an instrument was inserted into the
weapon to determine the effect Of the enormous
pressure upon It's inner surfaces. No ineQualt-
ties rave yet been caused IN it, In these expert
ments the officers note every etiect-the velocity
OF the proJectne, the pressure produced by vary
ing charges oil powder, the recou 0. the gun, tue
kind OF powder and the proJecte. The methods
the pressure produced on it and the walls OF tho
cylinder are very interesting. 10 discover the
velocity there Is very delicate magnetic tnstru-
menI, Of Belgian invention, called
sLE BuULENGE CBRONoGRAPH."
The two frames, before spoken Of between the
which run currents OF electricity from lie Chrome
graph" These structures are placed 100 leet
interrupts a current, and stee-t0pped zin0
cylinder, about 10 inches long. winch is sus-
free; and as It strikes the second target shor er
cylinder Iails rom the instruments. As the second
cylinder lails IL strikes trigger which frees
stout spring on which is q kne-llke blade, wDlch
is thrown sldewise, striking and indenting the
first cylinder IN Its fall. Tnc two cylinders are SO
proportloned tnat, Dy measuring from the base OF
the first the ndenture upon 1t caused at the in
slant OF the Tell OF the second, the distance which
the first fell during the journey OF the bullet Is as
table, the We. city OF the ball Is learned.
3 n9a ss Of as sI
also very simple. For this purpose the Rod
man pressure gauge Is used: 1t IS small
iron cylinder, containing disk OF copper, wedge
SNAPPED knife, an iron disk resting upon tho
rectangular base OF the knife, and small piston.
winch reaches almost through the head or the
cylinder. The space between the top Of this pts.
ton and the level OF the cylinders head Is filled
with q copper cap called a "gas check" which 10
filed with cotton waste. The convex part Of tho
check is placed on the piston. ! he gauge Is put
inlO the cartridge, below the p0waer. The gases
press do the piston upon the iron disk. winch,
pressing In turn upon the base OF the knlioe
causes that instrument to lndent the copper disk.
i, ON the depth ana width oil the cut In the cop
per the force OF the pressure Is estimated by
means oil carefully arranged tables.
RESULTS or THE FIRING.
The powder used Is Dupont's hexag0nal, whose
pellets are about tne size OF cnestnuts: the
proectiles are conlcal balls with expansive
brceches the invention OF Captain Butler, OF tho
Board. These projecJlIes are 50 made that the
pressure forces their breecheS TO take impress
sions Of the rining OF the gun, aud the gyratOry
lhIla iluu ihem "a fnaxr