hivolved in the Construction of Artillery. 407 



Note X —(Sect. 28G.) See Notes K. and W. 



Note Y.— (Sect. 289.) See Note W. 



Note Z.— (Sect. 305.) 



1 REPRINT the following two Reports nearly in extenso, not for anything of value which 

 they convey, but to demonstrate three things : — 



1°. How little real knowledge and competent judgment have yet been brought to 

 bear, even from " authority," on the question of the advantageousness, or 

 the contrary, of wrought-iron guns, as applicable to present times. 



2°. To enable presumedly competent parties, who were decidedly hostile in view, 

 to state fully all they were able to advance against the adoption of wrought- 

 iron guns, in order that my readers may fairly judge, one of the main questions 

 I have treated, having both sides before them. 



3°. To corroborate, by the facts of these Reports, the statements of the text, as to 

 the reality and magnitude of the difficulties inseparable from every attempt 

 to construct wrought-iron ordnance by welding up into heavy single solid 

 masses. 



" United States Government. 



" Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography, 

 " April 2, 1844. 



" Sir, — In reply to your letter of the 28th ult., transmitting a call from the House of 

 Representatives, for information respecting the strength, utility, and cost of wrought-iron 

 cannon, and the result of the experience of European powers on the subject, which may 

 be in the possession of this Bureau, I have the honour to submit the accompanying papers, 

 marked from Nos. 1 to 4, viz. : — 



" No. 1. Captain R. F. Stockton's Report of his gun practice, with his wrought-iron 

 gun, at Sandyhook. 



" No. 2. Report of inspection of the first gun, by Commodore Wadsworth. 



"No. 3. Captain Stockton's Report of proof of gun. 



" No. 4. The cost of each of the wrought-iron guns, made under the superintendence 

 of Captain Stockton, so far as paid for by this Bureau. 



" Our information in regard to wrought-iron cannon is very scanty. Tonsard tells us, 

 in a note to page 190, volume first, 'Artillerist's Companion,' that 'in 1776 an iron gun was 

 forged by Mr. Samuel Wheeler, an eminent artist, still Hving (1809) in the city of Phila- 



3g2 



