, 1877-05-28
A GREAT GUN.
Interesting Experiment In Engfand-The
ltonrlcst Charge OF Powder Evcr Fired
A Costly Target.

N G08t1y IAfgets
at shocbutyucss 10 triei With the heaviest charge
of powder ever ~ fred from naea ordnance: ~
Roya S gnn fsetofcs. II Woo,wich Arsenal, for tSo
pNrposo Of being converted Into what ~ called
&C. ss;s s.1sss sifs ~ ss:sa
9!s s ps a S ne be ss's es.et s5 hso:r 3 III san
Tho powder chamber Len2 mado 10 Inches. l'ut the
eSsn5ss osn 4nehes II III ID
sa!brc Thus te.H 10 nov s daeFsnG9 nS; Of y, two ~,
p"s Z eaasss hs to is
and length Of vory nearly nse feet; This altows
Occupied by lis caftridee being at tho tato 81 q
esSS snss DSi 81, Of .
and ignition was effected through Tho a1al yont Of
q Zinc fnaae md sailing Up iEnltiop a.t q II ie
iii s ] erlsngemcnt il 10 prevent thoso waves Of pres,
sura which are 20 !njufious when large cartridge
T. limited at tbs ond IT, aHn 81 r.
advance Of It, was tskcn by means Of the usual
crusI.cr eaugcs inserted in tie npcEtarcs provided
ds dqs ns Il Sn ee w
ciIe certain important elcmcnH connected wllh
tho four cEhty.t0n guns now IN course oI manu-
ta:tass cr the fna'1lbe of hsh "a ready
Tks charge of powder In The gun ve hays ~;
iSadS io wss psands bes a.s
shail woienod With sand. r. burstInx chasgs q q
powder would have been twsnty.ons pounds. It
e. e. rs to sfS t.
lad ID pSase sSs % TT an
tic Fossanu powder, which Is Of . iess violent
Tbs xsisat Of 10 proje@s:s ~ splOssd
assn.t aai e. great aa. Sa II.
1aea " thss IT, saa e
wore used. The back plaie to nas.lye target was
cracked and bnlged, but tho head o! The s9t y Was
rcc.nch pla.aa Of rolled Iron. separated BY three
elghi.nch iayors oi tcak this array " plates and
sracsste SnsKs ee9f 81 fpee ts
saes ana to wae nsusatn ,s;a thr5e T. II r.
tSeaty nina !aa. isw minute, pay ,,1I =
f Eve.ysea; TstS Tas ssaa' uadst @ ia
Instruments wcro ia due order for taking
~ velocity tho sleet:is crcgt M was % %eo%rlsts9.
Discharge of tho gan va. followed 81 tls taIl q
saadas sssstih ths a1 A ~. @
such ffagments wns over III a few scconds, and
tSto as an sse, sqsh 70 ;eo ahe sos; 81
ssass ssssa T,sn :,tes tiM Y:
~ TOP saa x was sso erapoa Do mi
thrown ont to tho 'front.' md tho shot ltseli @ was
extensively shattered. This aperture made ny ~, tns
IN msasutine tho hola It WA founa to have
d vertical dIamstcr Of soronteen inehes with
inch los. Tho diameter Of Tho npertule made oa
former occasion was a. nearly ~ possible that o.
hs 'xtsen ,nsnes Al t ~ ss4s'
velocity At Tho M,uzzle Of tho gun waa 800 foot
lcss shsn had boen calculated upon. 4 was yet q
pastIos that tho range was insufficient, tho shot
si trstiso powSr. tho shot. doing q, large snoan
.s e'f aa q ~ as ia' Ion s pSss
tile, twenty minatee after tho airing OF the gan.
TOO hot to he held IN tho hand fSr moss q than
have inns rcfesfod tho projccte went eanlclentl,
81 lnto tho target 70 euigs tao baek Plate SONG @
asssk ss H hs hs ess
cracks sadatcd tae point Of tho prgtect!te va n;
a9 cu i r. nsaa and t1u
" ssiSteEsd sSaS Ms liz polns ~ Of ths shot Is
iPa5ff0ts of 4. tsiss, Il M e @ T.
fourth p'ats wa penetrated TO tho extent Of two
| thtte inches, Ih6 tlmbcF-NOfk a. tha rear skQo
| ths shock sxtro1aly we'll aud 1t IL TO bs ohdcETe
that the roar psate had no support except at u
top and bottom. 1t was. strictly speaking, An IN
backed plate, held n IT, plaes VIII eonstastabl a
ia apex through twtaty -four inches Of lion sn
1ftcea inches Of teak bsfose It could reach the Ees
plato =. -
found that tho reco!! up lhe railway, tho latte
having IN ascending gradient, had been AZ much
6fty 1.-Two feet Tho great WtouGht-iron carriage IN
it, boRies weighing in all forty tons, lad sadete
no damage. Tho cfashes-csages showdd that =
pressure erealcu by The Immense chaf9o OF p9wd;t
had not been excessive, tho mean pressure be!p
1U,O tons per square Inch. An tnpresttou OF ~
Interior Of the gun was taken BY means Of melte
gutta. .pc.eha and It was discovered that taa cel,
Grated ''crack" had undcssuns TO oalargemtn
sithes IN length O. breadth. Although Tho sh,
had not dons IT, work On ths target quite - well
Waa desired. tho Colnutteo lccuaedtt uuadvlsab
10 repeat thu round, the target being required q
Other e1 1pefiments, and having ouly apaca lett Il
TWO mors rounds. Al the target so.t $40. o9o,
viii thus b seen that eAcA round knocks dow
81, 500, and tho Commttles must be auppoaeu
| hayo sums confederation for tho usltish t1Apaye
1ELEGRAPHlC NOTES, :.
EI1sAnarn; n. j., May So,-Ths !n,y, =, 10 IT. 4