The New York herald., 1876-11-10

De o any service when pted against the noating IRON
mountains which England and some other European
Powers have at their command England, 10 pur-
suance OF her well known policy, which aspres to the
sovereignty oi the has been most persistent In
her Efforts acquire possession OF the guns and
The strongest IRON clad ships
II is quite remarkable that the British have sent
neither cannon nor military small arms 10 the Cen
iennia Exhibition. Al Vienna. Paris, London ana
dublin the English Ordnance Department was wei!
represented but here have little remind US that
the Empress OF India 10 the sovereign OF military
POWER AS u, however, 10 show the people OF lhe
United States the gigantic power o Engand's iron-cad
feet. sends over for our edinca,ion few
oi plating with which her ships armored and shows
tns elect OF her heaviest artillery upon them BY lar
the most formidable plate exhibition IS one OF D
ieet long by 81 broad and IL Inches thick II Ia from
the plating OF the 1emerare weighs o02 pounds aud
was tested az Portsmouth IN May, 1873 The section AS
originally cut for the great ship was l6 long 3s
fcet wide inches thick and weighed "a 7l7 pounds The
cut on exhibition bears the marks close together of
tour eght-inch conicaI steel proiectilos, none OF
which perforated the slab Que OF the shot
marks-the deepest-penetrates the plate 10 a depth
nferiority OF an Snch sho: compared with the IA
inch projecti!e OF Rrupps gun, must be apparent
through the side OF tho Tcmerairs even IL
her armer were backed by several thick
over to give tho Americans some useful hints In shin
building is piece Of plato which, when it LETT the
foundry, weighed more than twenty tons. Il made
tor tho Italian government and destined for test at
La Spezzia by the 100-ton Armstrong gun This gum
which English arerists believe to be the best known
has bore Of 10 inches in diameter, carries shot
weighing nearly ton, and takes a charge Of $50
pounds cubcal powder-nearly one-seventh oil the
weigh, OF The projeclc As.thc gun here spoken OF is
vet but aa experiment. 1t remains 10 be seen how It's
performances will compare with the Krupp. There
seems be good reason why, in proportion 10 its
superior calibrc and weight, II should not make as
good record as the German piece. IL IS well-known
that as workers in iron and STEEL the British are sur
passed by no nation u not oy tne americans, and
therefore Il Is difficult TO see why the iooton gun
should surpass in penetrative power It's smaller
rival from the celebrated foundry OF Essen. Az any
rate considering what has been already done oy the
last mentioned weapon, there IS no blinking the con-
eluson that roncad can be hoated which would Do
capable oil resisting
Is now employed. There are several other pieces OF
armor plating exhibited by the British shat also de-
OF Is
Russia Brazil, SPAN and other Powers have on eS-
brass and steel, but in them no now principle Is DO
veloped that would be worth while 10 dwell upon
Russia ana spain show the method OF carrying noun
tain artillery, which is much The same as that IN use
among ourselves. The gun used is generally the s.
cen.ime.re calibrc Krupp This piece has effective
range OF more than 900 yards, with an elevation OF
as degrees and is by far the most weapon for
mountain warfare that has ever been Introduced IN any
Russia shows model in brass OF the samc
gun; il is shorter lighter, and therefore much less
effective than tho German piece, which Is oil steel.
Russia also exhibits some rlicd brass moriars Of s
and 10 inches cabre, but these, from the manner IN
which they mounted the length OF chase and way
which they should be handled parake more OF tho
ton 70 the guns built upon the krupp system thcre
are in the Russian Spanish and Brazilian departments
models Of the French chloading siege and
garrison cannon. Exterorly the pieces which arc
Constructed this system difer but little in general
appearance from others Of the Germans, and guns OF
the same calible, built upon both systems, would
probably dicr bu. little in Effectiveness or rapidty Of
nre. But the German method Of closing the brooch
and providing gas check seems to be preferable TO
that OF the French.
ruK UNITED STATES ARTILLERY.
American inventivcEess has always proved equal to
offered for some ono TO gve US u gun worthy OF the
people, II 10 TO be hoped that speedy and edicac'ous
remedy will soon be provided for our present want OF
an artillery system. visit to the Ordnance Depart
ment found Lieutenant Whippe in charge. The atten
on OF that gentleman drawn the fact that Krupp
claims
a RANGE OF ylvrrHx MlLEs
eyes said Lieutenant whpple, .that is pretty hard
thing TO accept A range OF that kind would carry the
ball beyond the horizon line, out OF sight have neg
cctcd to ask Mr. Krupp about this extraordinary range
hrlko Of which has meyer boen heard or read OF be-
lore"
Those acquainted with the subject will, doubtless,
remember mat an extreme ranse OF seven miles was
claimed tor the Armstrong gun; but this was with
maximum charge and an elevation from Al TO 81 de-
grees Lieutenant Whipple agreed that, mounted on
present garrison carriage would bc quite impossi
bic with but 10 degrees OF elevation range OF
anything ike ID miles.
The 20-inch Rodman muzz,e- loading smooth bore
gun Is the most powerful used the United States
sea and land Is weighs 116 100 poun0s the
length Is 20 feet inches; maximum diameter. feet
4 inches; tensile strength, 3007S pounds; density
1899; weight OF shot, l060 pounds, and weight OF
charge mammoth powder), 200 poundA With an
ueRICeS
yards-equal TO about ~ miles, This range is fully
as long will be required actual service and
the coiumbiad were rifle instead OF asmooth bore
gun, throwing q spherical ball, It would compare fav-
orably enough with the krupp or Woolwich guns, and
be sufficiently powerful TO sink any vessel ahoat
Touching this important point Lieutenant Whippe
..fhe 2o-inch gun has not penetration enough, and
would not DO able to cope with tho ironcads now IA
Congress will not give the necessary funds to carry on
the Our present ordnance, II not useless would
be unfit to contend successfully against pieces that
could be brought against US
This Is very important admission from an ntcili-
gen. once nc ana ss OF
make that will be equal 70 anything IN the armies or
navies Of Europe. The Rodpan gun and the s-inch
howitzer really the only two heavy weapons recog-
nized as being in SERVICE The S-inch siege howzer
IS intended Tor ricochet firing at low elevations and
with small charges tor batiering forts after the siege
guns have done their work Its weight $50 pounds;
weight OF SHE'LL 466 driving charge, pounds; initial
velocity, LOGO feet per second; range With ~ de-
howitzer that havc in the service with maximum
range Of little better than onehalf OF that obtained
Inter can be carried mule back. Butthis not the
worst Of It. For field service tho United States artil-
lcry is armed with 6-pounder smooth bore gun and
l2.pounder gun howitzsr, both Of brass
GUN HowIrzER,
which bears the unfortunate name Of Napoleon was
received INTO service In 1885, when krupp Armstrong
and Whitworth were unknown, aud has remained in
since Although, after tie battle OF Magenta,
Napoeon lound himself obliged to confess that his
piece OF much greater range and power IN lis place.
the United Statcs In country tnat Is teeming with
inventive genius, have thought proper TO retain this
useless gun, just because Congress. which is proven
bialy penny wise and pound foolish, has thought
ht 10 ignore the demands OF the army, upon whose
OF efficiency the safety Of the country and public
peace depend The service can also boast of brass
l2-pounder mountain howitzer, with maynih-
range Of 900 yards about oneourth that of the
Krupp gun for the same kind of duty. As the 13nch
scacoas iron mortar is common to most systems OF ar
tllcry there Is no use IN making special mention OF It
In connection with our own.
As If 10 comfort ourselves with the idea that Amcri-
artillerym not all asleep, the public con-
sapty hear OF experiments being carried at Sandy
Hook with tho object OF testing the capabilities OF Tho
l2.inch Thompson breech- loading rife. The body OF
this gun is OF cast iron embracing. by light shrnkagc,
steel tube OF uniform thickness further secured in
its position by at the breech cnd of tho tube
The method OF moving the brecch block by turning
weighted lever 70 tho Lett plan at once simple and
secure. The weight Of the gun is 81 $50 pounds
something over AZ tons OF 1000 pounds; weight
OF conicaI projecte, 600 pounds charge OF powder,
100 pounds; maximum diameter OF gun, Sc inches;
minimum diameter, 27 inches length Of bore, includ