566 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



the size of the one containing it, and was held in position by 12 

 or more gun barrels that projected through openings of the exte- 

 rior shell and even with its surface. 



The interior shell was designed to be filled with common pow- 

 der. Intermediate between the two shells was to be filled with 

 what is termed unextinguishable fire. The gun barrels were to 

 be all loaded to the muzzle, other apertures were left in the exte- 

 rior shell sufiicient in number to permit the escape of the unex- 

 tinguishable fire. The opinion entertained of the destructive 

 qualities of the shell may be easily imagined on learning that if 

 fired from a fort, or ship on another ship, if it but partially em- 

 bedded itself in the ships side the unextinguishable fire would 

 immediately set the ship on fire with no hope of extinguishment, 

 till the material contained in the shell was exhausted, and reach- 

 ing the interior shell the whole would burst and tear the ship's 

 side in pieces. 



If the shell penetrated the ship's side, remaining between 

 decks, or on the spar deck, it would set fire to everything com- 

 bustible it came in contact with ; all attempts to remove it would 

 be certain death to those making the effort, as the gun barrels 

 would be at slight intervals discharging their contents, thus 

 barring all approach. In 1847 I took this shell to the War De- 

 partment at Washington for the adoption of the Government, but 

 the Secretary at War although highly pleased with the ingenuity 

 displayed in it's construction, was averse to adopt it deeming it 

 too dangerous to handle by any but the most careful persons. 

 The second projectile in which I was concerned was during the 

 war between England and France against Russia, and was the 

 joint production of my son-in-law and myself, and was designed 

 and termed by us the Peace Maker, considering the effects to be 

 produced by it so destructive in their character that if as suc- 

 cessful as we predicted it would be, its tendency would be to 

 reduce all future causes of war to be settled by diplomacy. 



The description of the Peace Maker is as follows : A boat, or 

 vessel of the required size to be made of boiler iron somewhat 

 flat bottomed, but with a deep keel and very sharp at the stem, 

 decked all over, with a small hatch amidships to shut perfectly 

 tight.- The hold of this vessel to be filled with powder and such 

 other destructive material as may be thought advisable. Through 

 the stem was to project a pin to the interior end of which was to 

 be a box of percussion powder. This vessel was to be propelled 



