EXHIBITION, BRITISH INDUSTRIAL. 



425 



way at the breech, and the foremost of the 

 sliding iron wedges we have mentioned drawn 

 across so as to close the tube. The second and 

 most massive wedge is then drawn into its po- 

 sition so as to jam both tight, and the gun is 

 ready for firing. By a simple contrivance con- 

 nected with the lock of the gun, which slides 

 down a powerful steel bolt that keys the two 

 wedges together, the piece cannot be fired till 

 both wedges are in their place, nor can they be 

 withdrawn until this again is lifted. 



Xear the Armstrong gun were shown sec- 

 tions of shells of all sizes, both time and per- 

 cussion. The time shell is adjusted by distance 

 that is, the fuse is cut short to burst the 

 charge so many seconds after it leaves the gun, 

 every second representing a space of four hun- 

 dred yards traversed. Thus, after one or two 

 shots for ' range," the shell can be burst to a 

 nicety of fifty feet. The percussion shell, as its 

 name implies, explodes instantaneously on 

 touching any obstacles after it leaves the gun. 



Xear to this were exhibited the guns of 

 Armstrong's great competitor Mr. Whit- 

 worth, whose gun is still that which has at- 

 tained the longest range and greatest accuracy, 

 and is still the only piece that has sent as light 

 a shot as 70 Ib. through 4| inches of solid iron 

 plate. The Blakeley gun, also in this court, is 

 a very good piece of rifled muzzle-loading ord- 

 nance, very similar in principle to the canon 

 raye of the French. Even, however, as a rifled 

 muzzle-loader it is inferior to "Whitworth's, 

 which has the advantage of being a breech- 

 loader as well. A large wrought iron gun was 

 exhibited from the Mersey works, which 

 perfect triumph of forging, should have been 

 shown side by side with the double-throw 

 crank of the same firm. The shells of the 

 monster mortar shells which, when loaded, 

 weigh as much as 25 cwt. are another in- 

 stance of extravagant invention of which this 

 court offers as many samples as any other in 

 the building. Every kind of breech-loading 

 small arm was, of course, to be found here. 

 And here, by comparison, might be seen the 

 superiority of the American invention of Mr. 

 Storm over others. In this piece there is no- 

 thing special in either the lock, or stock, or 

 barrel; the only invention, in fact, being the 

 breech-loading apparatus, which is applicable 

 to any and every barrel, at a cost, it is stated, 

 as low as some 16*. each. The breech, about 

 an inch, or an inch and a half in length, is 

 fitted to the barrel by an ordinary hinge, which 

 is thrown up or open by a movement of the 

 finger or thumb, the charge inserted, and the 

 breech closed. It has been tried by some of 

 the highest professional authorities on musket- 

 ry, and has been pronounced perfect. 



Mr. Lancaster exhibited his oval-bore can- 

 non, with shot and shell for its service. The 

 system of construction is briefly described 

 thus : " The inside of the barrel is cut by proper 

 machinery in spiral form, the difference between 

 major and minor axis being .012 of an inch." 



A very interesting collection of guns and 

 projectiles was contributed by the Whitworth 

 Ordnance Company. The guns ranged in size 

 from the 1 -pounder to the 70-pounder, and 

 comprised examples of both breech and muz- 

 zle loaders. In every case the bore is hexago- 

 nal in its cross section, and in the rifling the 

 pitch is equal to twenty tunes the diameter of 

 the bore. Messrs. "Whitworth state the range 

 of their 12-pounder rifled canon, with a 12 Ib. 

 shot, and If Ib. of powder, as follows: At 

 point blank, 380 yards; at 1 of elevation, 900 

 yards; at 5, 2,600 yards; at 10, 4,500 yards; 

 at 20, 7,000 yards ; at 35, 10,000 yards, or 

 about 51 English miles! 



A very beautiful gun of small calibre, and 

 constructed of cast steel, was forwarded from 

 Russia. A label attached to it informed us 

 that it has withstood a test equivalent to 4,000 

 charges. This argues a degree of tenacity in 

 the metal of which it is composed, second only 

 if second, indeed, it be to that of which the 

 Prussian cannon are made. 



Prussia contributed an interesting collection 

 of gun barrels of the famous steel of Messrs. 

 Krupp, of Ensen. They were shown, together 

 with various specimens of the metal, including 

 one ingot of thirty tons weight, in the western 

 Annexe. ' "When we examine the illustrations 

 here offered of the texture (so to speak) of this 

 steel, we cease to be surprised that the guns 

 made from it have borne with impunity the 

 rigid test that has been applied to some of 

 them. This consists of sealing securely the 

 muzzle of the gun, after having previously fill- 

 ed the barrel with powder ; when, on applica- 

 tion of the fuse, the whole charge burns away 

 harmlessly through the touchhole, leaving the 

 barrel perfect and flawless." 



New Cartridge. A new seamless skin car- 

 tridge, the invention of Capt. M. Hayes, excited 

 much interest. The advantages which it pos- 

 sesses over ordinary cartridges are its water- 

 proof qualities, greatly increased facilities of 

 loading, cleanliness, and cheapness. In addi- 

 tion to the natural damp-resisting properties of 

 the skin used in the manufacture, it is chemi- 

 cally prepared, so as to be impervious to wet. 

 The ordinary paper cartridge cannot resist wa- 

 ter, and naturally absorbs moisture. The facil- 

 ities in loading gained by this invention are 

 extraordinary. The cartridge requires neither 

 biting, tearing, nor puncturing ; but by one ac- 

 tion is passed entire, viz., powder and ball in 

 one complete whole, into the muzzle of the 

 arm used, and goes clean down to the point of 

 ignition. The spark from the percussion cap 

 penetrates the skin, and the charge is exploded 

 without the chance of hang or misfire. 



Marine Engines. As might naturally be ex-, 

 pected, the most important part of the exhibi- 

 tion of machinery was that where the object 

 was marine propulsion. There were no less 

 than seven pairs of marine engines fitted up 

 complete for work, the aggregate power of 

 which could not be less than 2,000 horses. But 



