The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-10-23
GREAT GUNS.
Monster Cannon Of Ancient and Modern Times


Tne contest between guns and armor,
says the New York Evening Post, con-
tinues to excite the Iiveliest interest
among European nations. The great ar
senals are vieiHg with each other in the
production of mighty cannon, whcn
Shall he able to send projertile wei III
ing many hundreds Of pounds through
iron obstacles of almost incredible thick.
ness, or OF iron targets which shall 0e
able to resist the heaviest bolts thai can
he forged.
"A short time ago it was announced
that Krupp, the great German iron
founder, had cast a cannon superior 10
any hitherto in existence, which was
destined to solve at once and forever
the yexed problem of the relative pow
ers of penetration and resistance pos
sessed by madern artillery aud lron-
cldds. Tine English, in their turn, are
now rejoicing over the successful trial
of their new eighty-ton gun, which eau
throw proJectile sixteen inches Ill ul-
aneter a distance OF seven or eighs
miles, and pierce the sides otthe strong
est man-ol- ar afioat at a closer range.
Next we shall probably hear Of the
construction OF some unwieldy floating
battery specially designed to carry
arnor capable OF resisting the tremendr
GUS impetus of a shot from this latest
| engine of war, and then tue cannon
| feuudries, will glow with floods of molten
metal, until gun Of still greater
dimensions and power is produced AS
tuere appears W be no lint to the size
of cannon, 1T seems probable that the
victory In. the struggle between guns
and -armor Will tinaIy declare Itself in
favor OF the former, or that IL Will, at all
events, be necessary to construct vessels
Z pt Al m Ip nnlV WllInu nTpSnnE
the smallest possible Target to the fire Of
the enemy. Tuis is Il question, however,
4 which must be lett to the Armstrong;,
4 Krupps and WniLWOrths of The luture 10
answer.
Iu the meantime 1t is interesting to
lrememDer that the monSter cann0n now
4n existence are simply examples OF the
manner in which history repeats itself.
Four centuries ago, in l4lS, the Turks
erected a battery OF gums against Seuta.
III, the largest OF WINCH was capable Of
throwing d stone shot about thirty 1.-Two
4 inches IN diameter. and weighing l,640
pounds, whereas The pr0jectIle OF Tue
/ / e English eisnty.ton gun Weighs only 1,25o
pounds. 1t ls evident, moreover, lnas
these enormous guns We're OF practical
service, for IL is recorded that 2,03i
rounds were fired from them in thirty
days.
1 . At the castle of Asia, on the Darda-
lnelles, there still exists battery OF
bronze cannon some OF which have q
bore twenty -eight inches in diameter.
4 When the British Admiral, Sir John
Duckworth, forced the passage of the
straits IN March, 1857, one OF mis- ships
was struck by huge stone bulletthrown
| from one OF these guns, and it is said
II that the missile made 80 large a hole In
| the slue of the vessel that the captain,
/ When he looked over the side to see The
extent of the injury, was surprised to
zee Lwo Of his sailors thrust their heads
Il through the aperture at the same instant.
the Royal George, whose name is .famil.
u iaf to all readers Of C0wpeTs poetry,
was one of the ships injured In this en-
counter.
a The great gun of Beejapore, with q
calIber of twenty-eight inches, is anoth-
accomplish more than three centuries
ago. This.weap0n was last discharged,
IL is said, during the eighteenth century,
on the occasion OF visit from the RaJah
of Sattara. Inc shot weighed more Lnan
I l,000 pounds, The Tar Pooshkar, ol
i great gun of Moscow, has bore thirty
4 five inches in diameter, but has never
\ been fred with shoGted charges, and we
think that few persons would be aux
II ious to make the experiment now. There
j are many other great guns famous in
? history, but those we have mentioned
are sufficient TO prove that ip the matter
4 Of capacity, at least, thS guEs Of the
present are no more remarkable THAN
the guns Of the past.