1872.] British Artillery Matértel. 235 
for a dangerous accident on board H.M.S. Minotaur, when a 
14-lb. cartridge exploded in the hands of No. 3 of a detach- 
ment, by which two men were severely burnt and eleven 
others scorched and singed. A coating of Szerelemy’s Zo- 
pissa cement applied to Bolton’s wads has also been found 
impracticable, as it is found not to prevent them catching 
fire and burning to a very dangerous extent. Col. Reilly 
proposes a hempen wad with tin or copper edges, similar to 
that used in the Prussian breech-loading rifled guns, which 
has been found to effectually check the rush of gas over the 
seat of the projectile. Capt. Noble has experimented on 
several natures of wads, consisting either of tin cups with 
short deep or split flanges, or of cowhide cups with similar 
flanges, or a combination of cowhide and tin cup; the con- 
clusion arrived at being against the tin cups, in consequence 
of their tendency to fly about in front of the guns, whilst 
the cowhide cups with deep flanges appeared to answer best 
as agascheck. Although Major Bolton has succeeded in 
making wads of an uninflammable material, it is found that 
the scoring of the bore is not entirely prevented, and at pre- 
sent the question of wads in any known form remains in an 
unsatisfactory state. 
VII. Although the traversing arrangements for naval guns 
are such that heavy muzzle-loading rifled guns, at close 
intervals, are worked with ease and rapidity between decks, 
still hitherto on shore batteries—especially in casemates, 
where there is more room than on board ship—the old luff 
tackle traversing gear has been adhered to; and Sir Col- 
lingwood Dickson, the Inspector-General of Artillery, con- 
siders the present land traversing gear as utterly ineffective, 
the guns moving so slowly that it is impossible to obtain 
that rapidity of fire so absolutely necessary against ships 
moving under steam. Mr. Cunningham’s ingenious training 
gear, fitted outside the rear racer, has been found to interfere 
with the convenient service of the gun; but a new system 
of coupling two fore or two hind trucks together, and 
driving by friction, the power being communicated by means 
of bevelled and toothed gear, is now recommended for gene- 
ral adoption: this plan possesses the great advantage of 
having the gear wholly contained in the platform ; the mat- 
ter is, however, of so much importance that the various 
details must be well considered before patterns are sealed. 
VIII. The facilitation of loading heavy guns is also a 
question of importance, especially in bringing up the heavy 
shell and placing it in the bore; consequently various alte- 
rations have been made to shot-bearers and barrows, slings, 
