Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-14

and projectiles. Foreign nations have
epent millions in developing and perfect
inc heavy guns and vessels to carry them.
Now guns are afoat which send ton OF
metal some nine miles with accuracy
enough to hit q city, carrying some 40
pounds of nitro-gelatine. In August, 1883,
. steel projeotile weighing 403 pounds was
fred from the potion Whitworth steel gun
through 1sinches of wrought-iron S7 inches
well-packed sand, ~ inches OF steel,
some. heavy balks of timber, and then
le feet more of sand; the prolectile
was recovered practically uninJured:
The sO-ton gun will penetrate % feet OF
granite and concrete masonry or 81 feet OF
best Portland cement concrete. AT Spezia
in MAY, 1880, the Armstrong l0O-top
breech-loading rifle, 17.7-inch calibre fired
a proleotile through forty-odd feet of sand
into the rock behind, and the Italian 100
ton gun sent its proJectile weighing 2,2O5
pounds 46 feet into the saud. In 1868 ar
mored vessels cost about 100000 apiece,
now they cost about seventeen times as
much as the ships our forts were built
90 fight against; and with this increased
cost comes, of course, proportional m
crease in offensive and defensive capabil.
ties. England has navy of 81 ships, all
heavily armored sea-golng vessels, car
rying the most powerful ornaments. In
case of war with this nation the greater
part Of this navy could be sent against any
one of our seaoOast cities. To defend our
coasts with navy alone, as some people
suggest, is impracticable, as II would re-
quiTe q navy equal in power to, that OF
Great Britain in the harbor OF each Oh our
large cities. This would be necessary, as
we could notforesee against what point the
attack would be directed. Our only safety
is in building forts capable OF mounting
heavier and better guns than those afoat.
and having iron of steel armor for these
forts sufficiently thick to protect the guns
and gunners from naval FIRE"
wish to emphasize that last sentence
VIZ, build forts capable OF mounting
heavier and better guns than those anoat
and having iron or steel armor for these
forts sufficiently thick TO protect the guns
and gunners from naval fire."
Experiments have been going on since
and there are guns carrying proJeculeS
that exceed in penetrating power those
which Lieutenant Gieble has cited.
IL is not wise TO rearguo the proposition
that the United States will for many years
be always liable 10 war. Arbitration may
come aud be universal among civilized
and Christian people. God hasten that
timel Europe, however, does not present
that attitude to-day. As IN the Turko-
Russian war aud IN the Franco. Prussian
conflict, war comes in the latter times like
thunderstorm. The cloud begins IN a
comparatively clear sky, swells to enor-
nous proportions, soon expends its fury,
and quickly subsidies. The death-rate is
terrible and the expenses frightful, The
beaten nation is made 10 stagger for years
under heavy burden Of debt TO defray
the war charges, and years and years
II must swallow its chagrin, while II
pays up its debt and recuperates It's
energies.
Suppose the war-cloud 10 dart up from
any point of our horizon, what could we
do TO hold our own and avert calamity and
loss?