260 ARTILLERY 



Target Penetrated, by. Steel .Eloi\gattd Projectiles. 



plated sea-going Vessels (now afloat) could withstand the fire of our rifled 7" guns of 

 130 cwt., fired with 25-lbs.. charges, at#00 or even 1,000 yards' range ; 4 for wo must 

 remember that irt actual warfare, vessels are constantly subjected to a" continual fire, 

 and not merely a'fcw blows deliVerdd at certain intervals of time ; and that a structure 

 may thus be kept in a constant state of vibration by the repeated impacts of shots, 

 and will offer less resistance .than. when time is allowed between the rounds, for tho 

 metal of tho armour 'to resume its former condition of repose. We should also 

 remember that tho fe-tf plates upon which experiments' 'are usually made, are in all 

 probability of sounder" construction' than those produced in quantities for the plating 

 of several yessels ; also that when a ship has been for some time at sea, and may in 

 addition have been in action, the armouf (bolt-plktes and fastenings) will have been 

 subjected to many shocks and strains, and will, therefore, have been considerably 

 weakened.' 



One of tho most extraordinary of these large guns is. tho so-called ' WOOIWICH Ix- 

 FANT,' which has been recently (1873) severely injured by the' heavy charges which 

 have been fired from it. Tho report of the Inspector of Ordnance upon the state of 

 the interior of the first 35-ton muzzlesloadipg rifled gun built ! for the ' Devastation,' 

 after 38 horizontal discharges from its 12-inch bore, is illustrated by the accompanying 



.diagram, in which a section of tho" inner portion is shown to scale. A i* the inner end of 

 :the bore, where thb maximum pressure, varying from 20 to 66 tons per square inch 

 from identical powder-charges, was registered by crushing gauge. B is the vent, where 

 .the lowest pressures in Ihe chamber were generally, registered, c shows tho base of 

 ;the shot six inches in advance of its seat, where it experienced the greatest pressure, 

 varying from 18 to 6& tons per square inch from similar powder-charges. The posi- 

 tions of the 700-lbs. shot are shown with 120-lbs. powder-charge, 1st, in its seat; 

 ,2nd, registering the greatest pressure; and', 3rd, with the roar-studs coming into 



1 Ascertained for this range by using a 30-lbs. charge at 200 yards. . .. 



* 5J inches of iroi) and 27 UicHesof wood ; the wood and iron nqt disposed in such an advantageous 

 manner for resistance 'as In the ' Warrior' target." 



* Ascertained for this. range by using ft 35?lbs. -charge nt 260 yards. : ' 



* The result of a recent experiment shows ' that a structure such ns the '' Warrior " can be penetrated 

 at ?00 yards' range with elongated shot, and shot cast jnjchill when the form of the latter is elliptical, 

 'fired from a 7-lnch rifled gun with J <Jhdrges'; ' 'and the refcoft adds, ' b'ut it is probable that hafl .the 

 ,7-inch steel shot been 1 elliptical-headed, instead of hemtephericaUheadcd, poaetration would also -fee 



effected at the longer range .(1,200 .yards.) ' .. , . . ' . - 



