New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-02
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
4 GREAT DISCOVERY IN GUNNERY.
THE ENTERPRISE OF w ESTEEMED CoNTEM-
POrARY POINTED OUT BY AN
ARTILLERNMAN

ARTILLERYMAN.
To the Editor Of The Tribune
SIR The New-Nork World this morning con. aims an
editorial recent trial Of the twelve inch b. h. rife
nj sandy Hook the full significance Of which fear you
may have missed and therefore beg to invite your
attention 10 IT, subject Of tremendous importance
10 your readers. in common with the entire military
and indeed the civil world. Afcr some Introductory
remarks the limit Of calibrc in heavy ordnance which
are AT least curious they instructive, the
writer gvc,. incidentally. Of the most pleasing
example Of editorial Infabiliiy that has been In
recent time,. lie says: Corporal McDOnad's esti-
mate that the prOjCctile carried 10 fifteen miles Is
doubtless altogether too large The gun may possibly
carry dozen miles, which after all Is marvellous
distance"
Truly it is. But having thus put the
pora aside. The World" editor proceeds TO
pound The science of gInnery and the marvellous
capabilities Of the weapon. follows "Ths
does not that q target twelve miles away from II
{, in any danger. but II does that in fight il Is
probable that it, trajectory will always be fat that
il, tr the will not have TO be elevated. The con
sequence Of ecvatng is to decrease the space
which it i, dangerous for the enemy's vessel to oc
cupy. \ Hat trajectory is made when the gun is
horizontal Then the shot goes In straight line from
the muzze, and not in a curved line. The result is
that everything within the range Of Nat trajectory is
ia danger
The importance Of the above facts is at once APP
parent. since the day, of Isaac Newton, and pos
~bly longer. the vulgar notion has prevailed that
projcctilr could not in straight line that on
leaving the gun il At began 10 fall, under the in
nucncc of gravity and that this motive combined with
that due to the force of the propulsion always pro
duccd curve; also that when gun was fired
horizontally the projectie would fall to the plane OF
the ground on which the gun stood IN precisely the
time If dropped from the mu1zlc. 80 that II,
time o( Night would bc exceedingly slort-onN II
fraction Of second. The least reflection VIII o. once
show the advantage OF the theory. Thi l., how
eyer scientifically considered. subject 10 two inter
pict,tou>. The straight line spoken Of may mean
either the proon CATION Of the gun, axis out into
space or may mean that t-ic trajectory will always
remain parallel T. the level In either case what
interesting field i, opened mp BY The first sup
pu- itiuu. could Tire shot, 10 the sun, moon and
planet. and speedily bring them into subjccton, Tor
tho inl, travelling in ~tinight Inc there Would
be nothing - top them. sing DIR. justin equally
,l,-ad iu ono of the she'll. and In his modest way
could hnd for IL" Christmas menu OF the Man IN
ih" Moon ana describe IN" lingerie Of Nenu~'S trOn>
-"tu' bt IN" ~"coud Supp">ition nothing would D"
proper lie with the parallel Of latitude which should
knock the -c'pir' Of the hand OF Queen Victoria
80" SITS her thrnn" in tho Tower Of London OF
the 'iu out 81 the hand uf Kaiser Wilhelm. - he
.,s> ,PIo,r - Won Noltke, that should pierce az
uu~ii,prrtIus cruiser ~ the enemy a. any point
~ the Ntantir Jerusalem IL Madaga,c II l.
not fo cons lido too curon-y 10 consider So for The
World" with IT, @Nclu-tvc Pntcrpr>cl has opened mp
n.II that d, iruly boundcs> This. however much We
d"pr"cai" N" publication at the kindly thrl>tmd~
-,-ou - discoveries which cannot fail 10 terror
and di.Uay {, the k1clv palaces Of Europe.
Font Hamilton. Dec. -. l-0o. ARTILLERY NAN