I 
the: royal artillery institution. 95 
0‘33 per cent.; proving that the very low velocity was not caused by 
moisture." 
Stovings 16 and 17. 11. 71 call for special remark. Every enquiry was 
made as to the possible cause of the low densities and high pressures and 
velocities, but nothing could be traced, excepting that the Chief Eoreman 
believed that the charcoal had been overburnt. As this fact at the time was 
thought calculated to produce the opposite effect, the real cause appeared 
to be a mystery. 
The change from the old to the new gun does not appear to make much 
difference, as it will be observed that there are low velocities with the new 
as well as with the old. This latter point was not, however, left purely to 
speculation, for Colonel Younghusband tried identical samples in both guns, 
with the following results :— 
Stoving. 
Density. 
Experiment. 
M. V. 
Pressures. 
Date. 
No. 
A. 
B. 
C. 
26. 6. 71 . 
1-772 
14. 7. 71 
1 647 
1460 
21-5 
20-6 
18-5 
Ditto. 
do. 
do. 
648 
1461 
21-4 
21-0 | 
19-4 
5. 7. 71 . 
1-789 
12. 7. 71 
638 
1368 
13-6 
13-5 
13-0 
Mean of above, 7 
mixed, 2 to 1 5 
— 
— 
i “ 
1436 
18-8 
18-4 
17-0 
1 ("650 
1420 
18-9 
17-6 
16-5 
Do., 2 to 1 in ^ 
_ 
14. 7. 71 
!■] 662 
1450 
19-5 
19-5 
18-1 
old gun .3 
(.653 
1454 
20-4 
19-8 
18-7 
( 7 
1439 
17-6 
! 17-2 
16-3 
JJo., & to l in / 
— 
31. 7. 71 
) 8 
1453 
18-7 
18-9 
17-5 
new gun ...... ) 
l 9 
1449 
19-8 
1 19-8 
18-1 
The plan of mixing the stovings, as already stated, was at first by hand, 
but towards the end of 1871 a four-way hopper was made, which materially 
assisted this process. Sometimes the stovings were mixed two and two, and 
sometimes four and four, according to the circumstances of the case. 
The following woodcut will give an idea of this hopper:— 
Fig. 6. Scale aV 
This brings the manufacture at Waltham Abbey down to the end of 1871, 
and it will be observed that the old tendency to low velocity again begins to 
manifest itself; and as this tendency appeared on the whole rather to get 
worse than better, it began to become troublesome. Not only at Waltham 
13 
