424 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Mr. Norman Wiard said a great advantage in the breech loading arm, 

 lay in the greater number of times a piece conld be fired without heating. 

 He said much heat was stopped by the copper case, and prevented from 

 striking into the gun. 



Dr. Ricli advocated the kind of arm known as the Maynard Rifle. These, 

 and other breech loaders, have been fired fifteen times per minute. Muzzle 

 loaders cannot be fired as fast. 



Mr. George Bartlett spoke in favor of the Clark's Patent muzzle, which 

 is applied to cover and protect the muzzle of a rifle while loading. 



Mr. H. L. Stuart, the associate of Mr. Wiard, stated that all of Mr. 

 Wiard's inventions and improvements in ordnance had been made inde- 

 pendent of all assistance or co-operation of the government ordnance 

 authorities, and, in fact, in the face of discouragements and direct opposition 

 on the part of the chiefs of the ordnance bureaus. He said that after a 

 prolonged and careful investigation, he was fully satisfied that no radical 

 or really important discovery or improvement in the method of fabricating 

 great guns had been made by the ordnance bureaus of the army or navy, 

 and that the real cause of their bursting, viz: unequal expansion by the 

 great heat, 6,000" Fah., resulting from the combustion of gunpowder, had 

 never been considered at all by the ordnance authorities. He said that he 

 believed that Mr. Wiard had discovered the true cause of failure, after long 

 study, and a large expenditure of time and money. 



Mr. E. Stevens thought all the breech loaders would shoot nearer than 

 common soldiers could see; in his opinion either style of gun therefore 

 Avould do for accuracy. 



Mr. Stetson called upon Mr. Wiard to explain the mode of taking in the 

 air which he had invented for iron clad vessels, and adverted to the fact 

 that Mr. Wiard does not content himself with merely finding the faults in 

 the vessels already built, but brings out definite plans for remedying them. 



Mr. Wiard proceeded to explain by diagrams his mode of taking the air 

 through hollow columns and hollow deck beams from a great multiplicity 

 of holes on the deck. Provision w^as explained for drawing foul air and 

 rejecting either water or the gas from any burning mass presented to any 

 portion of the deck. 



The exhaling of the air through the wheels or screws encased within the 

 vessel and only projecting through the bottom was further explained. It 

 •would, among other advantages, make the vessel appear less like a steamer, 

 and would appear to be but a sailing vessel. 



Mr. Wiard proceeded with his remarks, and spoke of "projectiles " sub- 

 stantially as follows: 



