MECHANICS AND USEFUL AIITS. 40 



shorter distance. With considerable diffidence, also, we beg to point out to 

 Mr. Whitworth two difficulties against which he must bring his mechanical 

 genius and his indefatigable resolution to bear: One is, the large allowance 

 to be made by the gunners for the influence of strong side-winds on his bolts; 

 the other, and a serious one, the great deflection which occurs in the 

 ricochet after the first graze. Artillerymen will understand how very impor- 

 tant it is that richochet should be as much as possible in the true line of fire. 

 It is our conviction that the importance of very long range from guns at high 

 elevation has been very much exaggerated, if the range be obtained by long 

 bolts, and not by shell. Reason about it as mechanics, philosophers, or 

 metaphysicians may, there is some strange repugnance, if not inability, in 

 man to direct implements of destruction against unseen foes. But it is said 

 we must fit our new guns with telescopes. The experiment would be still 

 unsuccessful. If any one doubts it, let him walk to some hill five miles away 

 from a great city, with a good glass in his hand, and select some point for 

 attack. Then let him examine his own sensations, and ascertain whether he 

 would have much confidence in his three-pounder bolt, and would work his 

 imaginary guns with energy against the mark, and he may rest assured that 

 he has at that moment a pretty certain index to the state of his feelings in 

 actual warfare. Until Mr. Whitworth has proved the adaptability of his 

 guns for firing shell, and the power of his larger ordnance to obtain consid- 

 erable range at low elevations, he may consider that his beautiful principle 

 has not received its full practical development for pui-poses of warfare; 

 whilst Sir William Armstrong must admit that, as yet, his worthy and liberal 

 rival has beaten him in the matter of range, which is one that must always 

 have most important relations to the power of artillery. Mr. Whitworth has 

 proved that his heavy gun throws a shot which maintains its initial velocity 

 for a great length of time, and we doubt not he will yet get great propoi'- 

 lionate range from his eighty-pounder. His lineal accuracy is very great at 

 the lower trajectories of the light guns, and it will, of course, be exceeded by 

 the heavy ordnance. 



NEW WAR IMPLEMENTS. 



Hotchkiss's New Projectile. A new form of projectile for rifled cannon has 

 been brought out during the past year by Messrs, llotchkiss, of Connecticut, 

 and has received favorable attention from the United States AVar Department. 

 It is made in three parts : the main body of cast iron, with a space or 

 cavity around its centre, into which a belt or jacket of lead, or other soft 

 metal, is cast. On the rear end they place a cap of cast iron, with the front 

 edge sharp like a wedge, which is driven on to the rear end of the shot, and 

 into the belt or jacket of lead. In this condition the shot is introduced into 

 any rifled cannon of suitable bore, and the action of the powder, when the 

 explosion occurs, forces the wedging cap further into and underneath the 

 lead belt, and expands it into the grooves of the gun. This expansion is not 

 allowed to take place except to an extent barely sufficient to tightly fill the 

 grooves of the gun the extent being perfectly controlled by the depth of the 

 cap, the intei'ior of which drives against the end of the cast-iron body of 

 the shot, and this limits the strain on the gun. 



The advantages claimed for the shot, are: extraordinary accuracy ; long 

 ranges, with low elevation; light charges of powder, in proportion to the 

 weight of projectile; and immense power of penetration. 



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