CORK, ITS MANUFACTURE AND PROPERTIES. 647 



out to windward if the vessel is heeling over, on account of the in- 

 clined plane becoming more horizontal, or even inclined in the reverse 

 direction ; and should the ship take a permanent list, from a compart- 

 ment getting full of water, the inconvenience might be very consid- 

 erable. 



In land-service guns, when mounted in barbette, the rising of the 

 gun exposes it and the loading detachment more to the enemy's fire ; 

 and in both cases, when placed in ports or embrasures, the ports must 

 be higher than if the gun recoiled horizontally, and will therefore 

 offer a better mark to the enemy's fire, especially that of machine- 

 guns, while the sudden rise of the gun in recoiling imposes a severe 

 downward pressure on the deck or on the platform. 



To obviate these disadvantages, the author has contrived the gun- 

 carriage, of which Fig. 8 illustrates the internal construction. The 



Fig. S. Cork Buffer for a Guk. 



gun is mounted on a carriage composed of two hydraulic cylinders, A, 

 united so as to form one piece. This carriage slides on a pair of hol- 

 low ways, B, and also on to a pair of fixed rams, C, the rear ends of 

 which are attached to the piece D forming the rear of the mounting. 

 There are water-passages down the axes of the rams, and these com- 

 municate through an automatic recoil-valve, E, opening from the cyl- 

 inders, with the two hollow sides B. There is a second communica- 

 tion between the cylinders and slides by means of a cock, F, which can 

 be opened or shut at pleasure. The hollow slides are packed full of cork 

 and water, the latter also completely filling the cylinders, rams, and 

 various connecting passages. By means of a small force-pump, enough 

 water can be injected to give the cork so much initial compression as 

 will suffice to run the gun out when the slides are inclined under any 

 angle w T hich may be found convenient. When the gun is fired, the 

 cylinders A are driven on to the rams C, and the water in the cylin- 

 ders is forced through the hollow rams into the cork and water vessels 

 formed by the slides B, and the cork is compressed still further. 

 When the recoil is over, the automatic recoil-valve E closes, and the 

 gun remains in its rearward position ready for loading. As soon as 

 loaded, the running-out cock F is opened, the expansion of the cork 

 drives the water from around it into the cylinders, and so forces the 



