The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-29

HluLIle OF cannon 10 come only clear OF the
inside. the gun may be fought, and anv obstacles
that are removable ought to be made 10 give way
Without scruple.
PIVOT AND BRoADsIDE GUNS.
The next point TO be determined is :--"snould
the guns be mounted IN pivot or broadside ~
The same reasons which cause the 9nch 90 be
superior TO the s-inch may also ne urged in favor
Oh tue li-lncA The higher lie caIbre the greater
the range, accuracy and power. The ll-incb smell
has the contents ana nearly the weight Oh TWO OF
either SIDE, ana u-ually the 9-lnch cannot be SHIFTED
over II Is practically equal TO four Of e-nch, whe
iss weignt Win carriage - little more IMAM tat Or
explosive apacity ot tie 11-inch Is even more I'M
p9 Iant than that due TO penetration ana SIZE
Of oridce.
The misfortune or the larger calibre IL that its
substantial benefits are seldom visible before those
its greater weight ana size. Tue bulk OF the gun,
the toll In haudng it and ITS prolcctle, are ever
enforced 10 the eye Of tho officer and 10 the exer-
tons o. the moo. But the great power 1t coners
Is net exhibited by me ordinary piactlee ana re-
TACT AID permits me heavy caIbre to tel lts own
tale more eloquentlJ than the most convincing ar
gum MS mas moweUer been noTnaansy
able on broodsidc carriage In any vessel having
sufficient room 70 work them; st. the writer IS
IN iavoc OF mourning them on pivoted broadSde
carnage IN AL vessels, having reference mere TO
the greater facility Of training. ana consequent
the decks, the nbres OF which are crushed by the
weight resting on the front trucks.
THE BASIS or ARhahENT
Gwen ship OF certain tonnage, draught OF
water and 81 eed with many tons o. d,splace.
ment, assigned to ordnance, how dispose OF That
wcIgnt To BEST advantageY
Or, as IN the Kansas class
Gwen a designated battery, what Ia the smallest
ship which, on given draugnt Oh water, Will carry
In every case The bureau assigns tho smallest
number OF the heaviest guns TO form the weight,
and pre- ers pvots to broadsides when tne deck
arrangements will permit: IOr IL IL thoroughly e..
tabl, sne that small number OF large pieces will
thillct injuries beyond the power o large nnmOer
her iuli measure OF offence spe d mas become tue
INDISPENSABLE attribute OF every snip OF war
Without 1t her powers are altogether mcompletc.
It Is very right tnat when vessel o. war
encounters superior orce, speed should be able
TO make her safe; hut che necessar, dimlnution OF
offensive power should not be so great as to DIS
a'e first class steamer from matching any YES
sea OF nor own class of Inferior speed, but provided
with proper armament; Otherwise her usual
business would be- neutrality-suspicious. the exce,'-
ton. /, VIII often happen thar IN order 10 pruteet
important interests. te battle must he fought az
all hazards. and tnat avoiding tne action win not
serve the purpose WHAT, tion. will be the chances
OF these costly fabrlcsY
IL ia, moreover, certain that we have right TO
demand tnat onr vessels Of war shall Lave equal
snail select and retain tho distances
not be admitted In any discussion OF tho sob-
Jet. mis- does not mean that eve-y United StaIes
naIions, but that the average speed o our navy.
taken collectively. shall be equal to that OF others,
y. l., y
lerlor IN speed, t'en inc chance OF distance
Is with the enemy, who 10 supposed to prefer close
quarters; but n our sup - pro. ery armed ne can
deliberate fire 81 powerful guns. In 1852 Assistant
Secretary Fox prolosed. Admiral Danlsren DE.
signed the armament, ana CONSTRUCTOR s0uthall
the null, OF Il vessel Of the same length ~ the
Lancaster, but with more beam, To carry twelve
ll-uch guns In Di Oadsldc plvCts on main eek, and
two lllncn III cent raj pvOls on spar deck. Ts ante
dates ~ some years the English nsonsiant ana
armament. Tue great mnjorit, OF
CRUISING SHIPS
must continue to be wooden or tits equiv8lentl
composite vessels; but with the IN ruductOn or
Mou-cads OF various degrees Of resis lance, these
wooden ships should be caGaSe OF enectiye
offensive action against most cruising iron clads.
And although the preceding reaso, ing - based on
our present arnaments and wooden SHIPS. It Ia
IS no reason why our ships, heretofore superior 10
all others IN armament, cannot ha r stored tV an
equality ior the time has now come when we
must prepare Tor an entire change IN the arma-
ment OF our ships although tue principle ior de-
termining 1t remains undlsturbed.
| am also OF the opinion hat this change must
be the inn oductlOn OF the rifed cannon as the en-.
tire armament vi our SHIPS, otherwise we shah
find ourselves In war with any leading Power
overwhelmed not only IN numbers but IN power Of
Individual SHIPS. Thls We cannot AFFORD; our ships,
!; lew, should be the best OF telr KIND. ana hltn-
erto, SO Tar as armament was concerned, were
superior to oil foreign ships. A cevef English
tut ng long guns instead OF cur short ones, thoy
secured tor themselves the Immense advantages OF
being aoe, without loss or Damage, UNANIMOUSLY 10
puminel US to death at ranges which they had pre-
calculated they would be completely out Of our
reach.U But otner Powers have since adopted our
system of a lew heavy GUNS ana have, alter many
years o, expeilm ent ana millions OF expenditure,
established two. or perhaps
THREE SYSTEMS OF RIFLBD ORDNANCE
Is worthy al confidence.
First-lhe system OF breech loading known az
veopmena, tn ugh 1t is understoal tnas this sys-
ten was presented TO Captain Wise, one VI my
Essential Ieatarss res. round backed SedSe, the
locking screw and he gas check-aie due to our
country man BrOadwei
It's how ever, proDable that IL would not nave
proved success IL our hands, owing TO the state
OF the steel manufacture IN our Country Ut tnat
time.
Second-The French system This, which has
been successfully applied to the largest caores IL
also an American invention, developed IN france.
Third-rhe WOolwich, niuzzl -paalng, mas met
with success a3 Run, out Its uIded prulectu Is
far ne Tor to our expanding system.
the principal advan, age u rined cannon consists
In their greater penetration, due ~ the conoen-
tratlon OF effect on smaller and oetter form or
sullace; next, in greater explosive content lof
SAM weight, then range, ana lastly, accuracy.
Tne accuracy o. spuc lcal prolectiios IS. however,
the Inference due to fed prOJecte IS quite lost
IN the dihlcuitles OF aiming ana tue motion OF Ootn
TINT the rife to be adopted should be breeon-
loader is, tank, OBVIOUS, aud for two PRINCIPAL
Fust-In order to uti,se a slow powder, less dc.
structive tn the gun. the bore must have Srearer
length. IN order to ad'nlS OF longer time Tor the
gases TO act.
SeCond--Slnce guns wear out by the rush OF gas
over the pojectiie. IN muzHe-Icaders, scoring The
bore is largely prevented by breech-Oadlng.
10 these we may add that, with the increased
lensth OF gun The beam OF very lew saips Will per-
init tao muzzle o. the gun to come within the port
tor convenient loading that there Is no FISK OF
accident from overIoliing, aud that lncipient
cracks are easily detected. Having no coiunes iG
Is not probable that we will ever construct cruS
Ing iron-clads nor does IL appear to lie necessary,
since most Of those new III existence may DO
pierced by TIER own guns, or slCn guns IA they
should carry II properly armed.
Since the general Introduction Of armor ships
THE CONDITIONS or WARFARE HAVE BEEN ALTERED
and the SUBJECT OF penetration has become o. para
mount importance.
With wooden snlps the mere Judgment OF shell
in the SIDE before Tvs expiosiu might lnnict fatal
In ury, but against al m0red ships complete peri0-
ration is essential