, 1877-11-30
MONSTER CANNON.

Two Mo-o too.Ton Guns for tho italian
favy-A Charge OF 47o Pounds Of Powder
and More than a Ton Of Ahot.
London nmes.
Two mora Of tue 100ton guns IN course Of
manufacture by sIr ". q. Armstrong It Co.
for the 1taiian narY have Just been completed
mt tho Elswiek Ordnance Works, Hewcastle.on.
Tyne, Anf await shipment on board the Europa.
This vessel ts expected to arrive from 8pczia in
tho conrte OF the present month, bringing back
tho first 10oton gun, which has given the high
and fs now to be returned to Etswick for tho
purpose OF being tha,nbercta and having lis
bore enlarged. The first gun was IN some de-
RTcc experimental. and important principles
have been demonstrated by It's use. Thus u has
been shown that the polygonal rilina aud the
expanding EAs-check arc sufficient for the put-
pose Of rotating tho projcctile, thereby ltspcns.
ing with tho atnds which have 90 long been a
detect Of tho pro}oetles Of the Woolwlch E.tns.
tothe shot, and tho latter Is perfectly smooth
piece Of metal, " unwounded" by the lncletons
formerly mado in order 70 iusert tho Kun-Hetnl
studs. The grooves OF the rhing arc also d.
e lente sss aea esos to besons sSs
prevent "scoflng," OF tho erosfYo action
Of the powdcr-gas ia rushing past tho
shot along the grooves Of tho rtnlng.. Its oil
ut Shoeburyncas, even In connection with stu,i.
dctl shot, md vas associated With some increase
Of velocity. Now that thc Ras check ia also
found to render the studs unnecessary, the gufn
cd. Tho various auvantages thu, attalnalle
weFc clearly perceived By Gen: (thcn COLI
Yonnrliusband, while present at tho 8pczla trl.
ais, md tho attention OF the War Osflce vas
called to the evidence thereby. afforded. Ex-
been going on at Shoeburyncss for a cuusilcra-
bic tima pnst, and the second OF The
clnhty.ton guns has been constructed with
a polyVonal rIainy resembling that Of
about to be conveyed from the Tyne to spczia
asc considered cnpabie 0t producing much bet
ter results than thuse exhibited by the first Of
these monsters, some important notifications
having been Introduced inthesc later specimens.
characterized tho first piece, these guns have a
cnllbrc Of 17s{ inches, md powder chamber of
loA inches, The highest charge ef powder
italian authorities vii! probably Hro tho new
guns with charge OF 40 pounds, and the pro-
]rctilc may bc expected to weigh 80 pounds,
Or little more than ton. Tho highest
gaa is Is pounds, vith prejccttla of
LOO pounds, the bore Of tho piece being six-
teen inches, and the powder.cfIa'nber having u
diameter Of eighteen inches. Another Change
eNIup!teu DJ tLG tW0 Armstrong guns 1Ugt I'M.
islct, rs compared with tho first, consists In an
altered contour. The weight Of the gun is not
increased, and tho change Is not very marked,
but 1t has the cifc.t Of throwing greater por-
t'on OF tho metal forward In tho brrccli part, SO
a. to atrcnathcn tho gun aonewtat in edyauce
Of the powtlcr-cham0er. While care Is
thus taken to develop the utmost power
OF tho gun, tho Ithlans likewise have
the advantage Of IN excellent material for their
projectIle,-the qEcgorini metal, which they
employ for this purpose, being extremely good.
Tho necessity OF improving on tho pallIser pro-
tectlles haslatcly been very dfattnctly felt In
England, and experiments arc about to bo tried
with proJectIfca having hcads Of chilled Iron and
bodies OF steel, tho former designed for hnrI-
ncss ind tho lattcr 70. tcnnclty. Tho extraor-
dnary manner IN which pallIsor projectlles arc,
80 TO speak, tisorEanzcd when fired aEalnst air.
spaced plntes has already been described III our
columns, At the san,e tino the skull OF tho
mctallurg1st Is now bcing exercised In tho pro.
ductioa Of composite platcs In which steel md
Iron are combined, for tho purpose OF defytng
tho ncHly+leviscd project!les. In reference to
the guns nbout to b. conveyed 10 6pnzla, It
should be stated that they win bo accompanied
BY tho hydraulic carriages and gear devised bY
Mr. acorxo Ronlei, Of tho EIsw3ck firm. II
will be remembered that tho italan Govern.
ment required eight OF these great guns. Tho
experimental g.tu, when altered, will form o,lo
Of the eight. Thus i've remain to complete tho
set, and these nre In various stages Of inanutae-
ture, together with their carriages and gear.