THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION". 
145 
A PROPOSAL POP A 
YEBY HEAYY B11EECH-L0ADING GEN 
OE NOVEL CONSTRUCTION. 
A PAPER READ AT THE R.A. INSTITUTION, WOOLWICH, APRIL 12, 1870, 
BY 
CAPTAIN J. P. MORGAN, R.A. 
Colonel W. J. Shxthe, R.A., in the Chaib. 
In making a proposal for a new gun, it is necessary to prove three 
things :— 
1. That a new gun is needed. 
2. That it is not advisable to make it on any of the present systems. 
3. That it ought to be made on the system I now propose. 
I. Necessity for a very Heavy Gun . 
In order to shew the necessity for a very heavy gun, I cannot do 
better than quote from the very interesting book on “Our Iron-clad 
Fleet/' by Mr. Feed, the Chief Constructor of the Navy. Talking of 
the “ Hercules/' he says, at page 3 0 :— 
“ The total thickness of iron (neglecting the girders and frames) is 11J ins., and of 
this 9 ins. are in one thickness; the teak backing has a total of about 40 ins. The 
trial at Shoeburyness of a target constructed to represent this part of the ship’s side, 
proved that it was virtually impenetrable to the 600-pr. gun; and perhaps no better 
idea of the increase of the resisting power of the sides of our iron-clads can be 
obtained than that derived from a comparison of the 68-pr. gun, which the 
‘ Warrior’s ’ side was capable of resisting, with the 600-pr. tried against the 
‘ Hercules ’ target. But the limits of the thickness of armour carried must not 
be considered to have yet been attained. Coast defence vessels and rams are being 
built to carry 11 and 12-inch armour; the new turret ships ‘Thunderer’ and 
‘Devastation/ lately designed, will carry quite as great thicknesses, and ships 
have been designed for sea-going purposes, and may yet be constructed, which are 
to carry even 15 ins. of armour. There can be little doubt that, as improvements 
are made in the manufacture and working of heavy guns, corresponding additions 
will be made to the resisting powers of iron-clads built. It is hardly possible to 
foresee in what way the competition between guns and ships will terminate; but, 
