New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-23
1yPRoyEMLN7S n HEAVY ORDNANCE.

The Board OF Army officers detailed for the pur-
nose OF examining inventions OF heavy ordnance
and improvements of heavy ordnance and TrJj"c-
tiles is approaching the end OF ITS labors, ana will
prob bly, clos, its sessions next month. The Board
consists of vet-Siajor General George W. Gctty,
president q! the BoarG; Colonel H. Is Tower, Major
A L. Burlington, MAJ +. III. Iarner ana MAJOR
Jobn Nj naenhill. second Lieutenant Francis +.
Hobbs acts ~ recorder OF he Board Twenty-Five
thousand dollars were appropriated ior the eXpens
OF M king the examinations In" H03rd held its
frs! meeting on July Is. 1851 and has held daily
sessions for a large part oil the tall ana WIN
ter. Circulars were sent out 10 All those
WHO were thought 20 BE- interested in the subject,
inviting anyone who had inv ntionS or improve
meuts to suggest 10 appear before che Board and
submit his plans. Many responses were had 10
the invitation scut Ou and over one hundred plans
have already been submitted These cover all
Kinds of Inventions many of which are regarded
impractcable AID even absurd, while others
suggest improvements worthy of consideration. The
plan, under which guns are now beng constructed
under direction of the Ordnance BureIu, or con
yerted from smooth bore TO nhed, have also been
examined by the Board some Of the plans pre-
scented suggest the construction OF guns 81 one
material only; Others OF cOlnD nation ~ m'taS ar
ranged in different ways. A wire gun has excited
some attention. Ii consists of heavy square steel wire
wrapped around a steel barrel Bronze Is poured IN
around the wire, and fills up the spaces betwe
The coils of wire, ding II together. Some
inventors are of the opinion that Simple
iron VIII ch IS recommended by the ease WITH winch
IL can be worked. Is sufficiently strong, anI plans
have been presented To the Board for rted guns of
slmpc east ir IA. or with thin lining of bronze
The Newly orb aseucy OI thr OrlnanCe Bureau suG-
pests twcive-Iuch Uihc gun OF cast IRON case, with
steel Jacket and wrought iron tnhe. This pan lSfJr
breech- loading gun, ou tup thai Is, constructed
in sections the joints being covered Dy sections
with JOINTS not immediately over those
within. One -un proposed consists OF two cylinders,
the inner of wrought IRON and the outer OF steei.
Several Improvements were submitted Tor
breech- )ading guns loading pan Is
proposed for use with the French system of
brpech loading 10 facilitate the introduction Of the
prOjectIle without interfering with The DTecChsceW
that is used. In connection with a ste " bulit-up
cannon "A design Is subm ted OF a bTecch block TO be
moved aside by the TOtatlOn OF brcech screw on
the side. Another design Is for brccCh-lO3dlng
Gun with a breech block composed OF two wedges
tightened by tur4lng a lever.
IA proectiles a large number of improvements is
proposed, many bei & for evening what ~ called
" tnmbIiDg" or the turning over OF the prOJeclle.
One of these designs proposes an expanding SaO0t
at the centre OF gravity Ill addition 10
the one at the base OF the proJectle.
An inventor who has used with success
spiral point for drills prop sed that the same kind
OF point shall be used on revolving pTOJectes 40
serti1g that almost any material may lhus De
yierce1. A curious invention submitted Is the
acceeratiug cannon, by which 1t IL proposed 10 al
tam high velocity by the explosion Oh 81 ,cessVo
charges behind the pTOjectilc. -Four pockets are
nr0po ed for the gun. each of them containing
charge which is exploited by the passage Of the pro
jecile and designed 10 Increase It's velocity lhe
Board has considered these and many DINER designs,
and will make detailed report 10 Tue secretary Oh
War for Transmission to Congress Only few &C
tual experiments with the proposed guns have been
made. The recommendations Of the Board VIII be
first made known in its report.