1864. | TEnnent’s Story of the Guns. 367 
range, clean through a 44-inch plate of good iron; and made such 
havoc in the ship’s side, that the aperture was used by the sailors for 
ingress and egress as a porthole. The great secret, it appears, lay 
in the shot, which was manufactured by the Messrs. Firth of Sheffield. 
Tt was of cast-steel, estimated by our informant to have been worth 
about 80/. per ton; but he added that this would be quite immaterial, 
for one such shot would produce a more serious effect than a whole 
broadside from any of her Majesty’s vessels. Of this more hereafter. 
A second experiment was tried with a round shot, made of Bessemer 
steel. This passed through a plate of 53 inches thick (same range), 
but although the ship’s timbers were much shattered, the ball did not 
pass through them, but lodged in them along with some pieces of 
plate.* With a case-hardened, wrought-iron shot the same effect was 
obtained against a 44-inch plate as had been produced upon the 54-inch 
plate in the experiment last referred to, showing therefore that the 
steel shot made at Sheffield deserved the most confidence, and that 
that confidence has its money value. 
In fact the whole question appears to be one of pounds, shillings, 
and pence, and the more we consider it, the better satisfied are we that 
it is not yet the time to talk about economy; for our experience has 
still to be purchased, and the sooner we obtain it the better. 
“The French frigates,” says ‘The Times’ in a leader, “carry guns 
of very moderate weight and calibre, but these guns are rifled so as 
to have a long range, and are supplied with shot of a peculiar material 
for special use against iron plates. Our own 68-pounders have con- 
siderable power at close quarters, but no range; our 110-pounders 
have long range and great accuracy, but were not found effective against 
solid plates, except with a particular species of projectile. The actual 
state of things as regards our naval ordnance may be very briefly described. 
We have large guns which will send their shot through solid armour- 
plates, but these are too large for broadside guns, and can only be carried, 
therefore, in some fashion not yet naturalized in our navy. We have the 
68 and 110-pounders above specified, and we have now also manufactured, 
but not yet issued, a smooth-bore 110-pounder capable of sustaining a 
charge of 25 Ibs. or 30 lbs. of powder, and of piercing a 53-inch plate. But 
this new piece, though making fair practice at 2,600 yards, has not the 
accuracy of a rifled cannon; and what we want therefore, but have not 
yet got, isa gun which shall combine the accuracy produced by rifling with 
the power required against solid armour.” + 
But there are other questions which press themselves upon the 
attention of those who consider the present transitional state of our 
armaments. If it be difficult to obtain “ broadside” guns, but if, on 
the other hand, a single shot of a very expensive material may be fired 
from an ordinary gun, with the damaging effect of a “ broadside,” will 
not this last take its departure with the “ wooden walls,” and give 
* This experiment was mentioned by his Grace the Duke of Somerset, but 
our informant seems to regard it as the less successful of the two, as the ball 
lodged in the backing. It is necessary to watch these experiments carefully, for 
here we have not only rival gunmakers, but also rival steel manufacturers. 
+ We do not know whence ‘The Times’ derives these particulars, nor what 
particular gun is referred to. 
