The sun., 1893-11-09
THE psLUMA1Io DYNAMITE eUx.
The Bearing OF the Naval Practice with II
Unnn II Cld,s EnlcIcncN.


cid for the use Of tho Government OF Brazil.
In looking up the record OF these novel
weapons. an interesting and important con-
tribution Is found in the report Of the Board
which tested them on tho Nesuvius at Port
Royal, as appended to the recently published
annua! report OF the Bureau OF Ordnance. A
general statement OF the results reached was
made public ut tho time but this official docu-
ment goes into tho subject with far greater
minutcness. Tho Board. as will he remem-
bered. consisted OF Capt Sicard. Capt. Barker
and Lieut.. NaHro. Lieut.. Schroeder, the com
manding officer Of tho gunboat Nesnvus. had
carefully gone through certain preliminary
practice for ran -ing the guns. In order that
they might bs perfectly ready for testing tloir
accuracy.
No fewer than twenty-four blank proiectiles
were allowed for accuracy practice alone. tho
ranges being from about 800 yards up to
2OuO. or nearly u milo and u quarter. The
first shot fell Ito yards short OF the distance
intended In one case n shot fell at only l3l
yards: IN another. tn" shot ranged only about
10 yards; III two instances the shot did not
leave tho bore. Or tho Inst two shots. one in
tended for 2vOn yards gave 2.O!0 and one in
been said tho setting of the valves for each
gun was tax en- from the range curves obtained
IN IN is% rror "nd rHt in oT
far in the practice the difference between the
ranges above, 3u0 yards taken from these dia-
grams and the ranges actually obtained Ly
yards and 81 Yards. At valve setting Tor
o.O yards only one shot out OF three had any
=, This result in turn suggested to the Board
that IN" same valve setting might not givea
uniform range on different occasions within
the limits demanded Ivy service con nditions. and
that hence this fact might he n serious objec-
III order to soive this doubt it was resolved to
use blank proJectIes SGT aside for the moving
trials. A leak at tho main valve OF the star
board gun threw 1t temporarily out Of practice.
and accordingly three shots were fired from
H. thc middle gun and four from tho port gun.
Taking the whole thirty-on" pruJectiIes. the
Board decided that while the accuracy OF
theS. guns leaves good deal to be desired it
Is still reasonably sufficient Tor the PURPOSES
oil naval warfare in comparatively smooth
water the only con ition under which tho
1t will be observed. therefore. that III Cid's
guns may also claim u verdict from this Board
in favor Of reasonably sufficient" accuracy in
smooth water. when used from "A vessel 1t is
not said that the result wou be Il direrent in
r"uEh water. although. as the flight of the
pitching and rolling in n scaway could not
hope for the same, degree Of accuracy as in
%af" 5cdre hH Il sn9ad tic be
into action her guns would he useful to tho
Government either inside the well sheltered
forts at the entrance. In fact. one great oh
lection to its present use is that Ell Cid is un
trial Mt Port Royal. was at first secured to u
deck it and the firing was down Beaufort River
Aterward she fired part Of her proiectiles
on another range. laid ont off Hilton Head ISL
and. being herself held near u small buoy by
fine and the water smooth with but little
winh.. lhus the conditions rcsembled those
or llrlng from n shore station.
Atter the accuracy trials were concluded
Mr.. kanien appeared with his fuses. and five
ntojectiles were fred for the. nurpose Of test
disks ara cement taking the place OF the gun
%9tton; cotton II was remarked that tn. accuracy
1000 yards. was better than any previous
practir" except that OF one day. the first shot.
!rom.the starhoard gun. going ls yards short:
oyer: the third: from the port gun. % yards
short: the fourth. from the starboard gun. en-
gun. - yards over. like the previous shot
IRON that gun. Only one of thns. shots rico
explosions at or near the tim" of striking the
water. thus indicating that the fuses did not
perform rroperly., Text seven more proIec;
with wood and cement. an increase OF blowing
charge made. with various other changes. Ac-
took place. Then still other e. Xperinlrnts went
gu with the fuse. described in many pages OF
the report. with the general result. ns teriared.
that lit is impossible to say positively that
explosions may not have occurred at times
hut the Board did not see any appearance that
tlons Of them. At any rate the Board is de-
ci!edly Of the opinion that the fuse in its pres
ehl stHNe - noi well dtllpi Ell 1Or use IN naval
warfare on account ot uncertainty of action.
though it is conceded that it might probably be
mado So" This conclusion was Expressed at
the time In the following telegram sent to
Commodore Walker by Capt. Scard:
rus" as presented not satisfactory Delay time de
s"I ns sun rs >f'e
mos,%n y", %"ra. e$Psrmym. sem to how dry
r"rhan, illuminate III !use not property placed All
Towing trials with hur.ttug effects probably not pc.
sihle without modlncat.on OF fuse san" loaded pro-
nd
ii:re advamtasr towing ;ras but viii await orders
Afterward the Board exploited rrojectiles
with other appliances. not firing { em from he
guns Then seven more prolectiles not load
ed, were fired for accuracy. The results hulnE
:. a, 49, III. and x yards short. and - ana
3, yards over. tho range 5tin: l.uOO yards.
No lroI"ctiI"s lnap"d from tn" wafer during |
the practice. 1t was found that the under
In ght often LEAD them to strike tho vessel
In it's genera c"ncusioh1 the Board found
safely ire rom the gun with a uminate fso. %
although the rarIrula mr. fuse employed did not |
work well. IN" Gin's usefulness begins at |
] iorr"does @ n"W in % v"sHe ""ascs Tie lack Of
flash or smoke increases its value for employ |
II could he used also n n yessci protected by !
the shelter "f aImor"d ships; III" final opln- |
ion was that ihr iHenmatic system rs in !
OF decided value Tor naval warfare" in spite |
rl the defective fH-e and o'her matters reInir-
ing attention. ,oGluud"r" sam son does not !
lake uuire So favora.l" Il view OF the result OF |
the experiments as this comment shows:
A. times tn" Irlr'i"" with III" guns was very salts.
fac 'nry uurr apparently the conditions at
nIolh-r tmr me- rrnclI'r was not satisfactory. rho
,urcriv 10 IHr rlr.u.uti' gGH installed on board
~, k-sgNi.- HWprI-> tu cen. IN the main valve
vhiru admit inr compressed mir 10 the gun Al al!
re. uf WIS, except those he ma xnuul
No ,urrp~,l. wuTrlUf 10 na"dN that tins waive stUuld
rrualu opru bat YU rNrerdlnEy short time, probably a
g fIt,HI.Ir second. The dIIiCltY ,LrOuutrreI
ma ,cr. m. l-hIUR his las not yet ueeu overcome
Nh, rrs opinion hat radical changes in the
~ rr uEhl hr Haie which wouli greatly improve
.1I /, .. o~eyer. be"yei tla Inc guns on boara
Il . lr.il,,u- cannot he made suce sstul.
Tnbiug toGpti or, however. all these facts
nm uuiLiON-, tn" lciNOtO Government has no
t"ubt acted wisely in purchasing one Of these
guns. since even iis possibilities nj the Present
uurtur" arc worth much in moral effect. ana
! mrn can pc found who are wi ling to under
nE,, scrN;na: the gun in its present condition.
md on m unarmorcd vessel. TINT Government
nay well lay the expense of trying it.
Three tirI Tramps on the N,iiroad.