, 1876-11-11
An ElGHTY-0RE TON GUN.
Seventeen Hundred Pound Shot Fired
Nearly Seven Miles.
[From tn London Daily Nevs.l J

from TINS solitary 6nG remote corner OF h.ss-N,
and inhabitants of this little Town and gsrri-
son are 50 accustomed to loud and sudden
noises as scarcely to notice sounds which
would torture the untJajuei ear; but to-day
has been day of dread, and It's population TO
the last man. woman and child, has been all
day in Il state Of nervous excitement and ep-
prehen=iun as 10 the probabilities attending
the discharge cf such an unwonted monster
"a the eighty-oae ton gun, with It's 80
pounds Of powder and three-qu Of a
ton shot. There was really some ground fJr
this alarm, because the gun does not stand
with the rest Of the guns a. this school OF
guunery, but it Is placed ON the beach close
to the barracks and its contiguous thorough
fares, and barely tif'y yards IN front OF a
rather extensive block of soldiers cottages,
and no one could say what effect the concus-
sion might have upon adjaeeu: buildings,
u hile some OF the more timid began to speeu-
late even ON the contingency OF the gun
bars,ing and scattering the fragments like
hail upon the devoted colony. The breaking
Of windows and crockery was foregoue con-
cluSion, and yesterday a strgeants party
went around prorlaiming with the sound of
trumpet at the street corners that from 10
O'Clock to-day. tomorrow and on Friday,
people who were wise would leave their win
duws and doors open, as some sort of precau-
tion against the expected disturbance of the
atmosphere by violent EXPLOSIONS The in
habilants were given to understand likewise,
that if, Notwithstanding their caution and
care, damage should be done, it would be
mads good out oi the public funds.
The trials were 10 have been begun az 10
o clock, but /, was two hoITs later before The
order was given 20 make ready. The load
ing apparatus worked admirably under the
ean,rol Of about a dozen ariillerymrn, and
the time to run ,he shot and cartridges down
the mrzzlc ii the qua was barely five min
utrs. The loading carriage and derrick were
| then drawn under the chss-, or barrel of the
| gun, the Are butfsr Of the gun carriage hav-
! ing been removed 10 gain mo=e space, the
! electric rute was inserted, and the bu@le
/ sounded 10 prepare Tor sclion. The extremely
| cauriUuS brtuok themselves TO safe distances.
/ every one gave the gun wide berth, and
! most Of the 81, c;arors'gaz / out saawArt, IN
! the hope Of catching sight Of ;hc wonderful
! projec'ile in is flight. The gun through an
| alteration In the programme, was laid al an
! angle Of seven degrees. by which the llUZzje
was 10 s1:..e extent elevated aI.d about 5000
! yards away iium the arrange party, consist
! ing uf halt q 3 Z D gunuegs and a wagon and
te % mounted soldiers IN charge, were posted
| TO krrp observations, and signal by fig 10
the firing pUiut.
There MAS 40 target 20 aim At, but n
! sirsigL, range had been pe2gsi CIt tor about
! four nils, and The trampng of horse men had
Iu.dr Tho path of nc shot very l,gitie for
some distance. Tbs bugie souuded the order
To &" fire, - an fi-er Of The instrument room
touched p Sud The crash came, 1ud then the
! 1900 pound shot was seen cleayIng i,s way
| through The ar 10 an altitude OF apparently
several hundred yards; then descending and
! descending and diminishing until lost TO
! view, until, after what seemed long inter-
! val, it struck the earth, throwing up n vOlCa-
no of mud and water, and, GUunGing Oh
again. 10 fall and bury I's,lf with another
splash far beyond. i was afterwards rcpor I'd
| that this shot made Is first contact at Il dis
| tauc, Of 1864 yards, aud shat the ricochst
| carried il about as far again. The next con-
/ sidera,!uu was the gun, and how had the car
rage wirhs;ooi The unaccus'ored strain con-
| sequeur on the higher elevation.
! i ,,-.r.. -, ,,ayFaef
| dition: and then came q question as TO what
| had been the consequences Of The atmospheric
disturbance An officer went around 10 take
! an inventory Of the damages, and The soldiers
| wives came about with dismal records OF
| broken windows and shattered ceilings. Most
uf the cottages along the sea fronts had oBe
/ or two broken pGues of glass, several had
! their rooms Uttered with plaster, from the
| walls and ceilings, and one or two had Iheir
! window sashes blown completely cut, bat the
| most remarkable effects were manifested al
greater distance. The plste-giass windows
/ Of Mr. CIu=c, greer, opposite Mr. kirk
| woods canreen, fully 800 yards from the
gun. was utterly destroyed, and the glass.
quarter Of an inch thick, scattered about the
! road. 4 aarrack was bur-te6 open and it,
! l9ck broken, several had vanished, and there
] were broken windows in every street. Each
subsequent ronnd added something 10 the
! damage, but the greatest mischief was neces-
slrly done At ;he first discharge.
FOur other rounds were frrd az the same
elevation. nsmely, seven degrees. and each
( shot fell within Il few feet OF The same dis
;ance, Two appearing 10 bury themselves at
once. AMI lac other two G-1updipg after naFa-
! her one ia th- German ocean The gun was
then Oppressed 20 an angle Of only one degree
and two shots were srnt skimming over the
vat,r making " ducks and drske- " several
times before they disappeared The second
w-s observed splAsh!ng up f0am at a distance
of 1I.5O0 Yards, OF nearly seven miles IRON
the shore. and a. the " twist II the proJ-ct-
lie gave it constant tendency 70 the night,
It seemed to ge, unpleasanriy near to some
.bsdosy-Iookiay steamers n the hazy DIS