50 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



has never been called in question. Nor will it ever seriously be 

 thought that the previous futile attempts at constructing wrought-iron 

 and banded guns, — foredoomed failures both in theory and practice, 

 and destitute of all pretension to a knowledge of the guiding principles 

 now clearly seen to be essential to success, — should detract in the 

 slightest degree from the great honor which our associate has, by a 

 clear insight into the conditions of the problem and the resources of 

 physical science, so fairly and completely won. 



Upon these two inventions has been set the seal of experience. 

 But there is still another memoir, read by Professor Treadwell before 

 this Academy in April, 1864, and printed soon afterwards, which 

 promises to add a third important improvement in the construction of 

 artillery. 



Perceiving that the body of a hooped gun, if made of unmalleable 

 cast-iron, compressed by a soft wrought-iron hoop, must give way, by 

 the fracture of the cast-iron, before the hoop can approach the ultimate 

 limit of its strength, and that this was, in fact, a principal cause of the 

 failure of so great a part of the large guns of Blakely and Parrott, Pro- 

 fessor Treadw^ell, as the principal result of this third investigation, pro- 

 ceeds to show, that, to attain with effect the end sought for by hooping 

 a cast-iron gun, it is necessary to harden the wrought-iron hooj) by 

 cold hammering and severe stretching before placing it upon the gun- 

 body. He computes, that, by this simple means, a hooped gun may be 

 made more than twice as strong as those which have been constructed 

 by Blakely and Parrott, the materials being in both cases the same. 



In this important discovery, as also in other matters discussed in Iiis 

 latest memoir, we are gratified to see, that, although now carrying the 

 weight of more than threescore and ten years, our veteran colleague 

 still keeps the lead, which he gained at the start, of his competitors in 

 this race of improvement. 



So completely do these three improvements cover the ground, that 

 if the works of all other inventors who claim a share in the great gun 

 of the nineteenth century were lost, the gun could be restored (rifling 

 excepted) from Mr. Treadwell's papers alone. 



And now, Mr. Treadwell, in delivering into your hands this beauti- 

 ful gold medal and its silver duplicate, I have much plea'^ure in con- 

 veying with them the congratulations and best wishes of your associates 

 here assembled ; also the expression of their hope that you may yet 

 longer lead the race ; and especially that you may long enjoy the 



