166 
MINUTES OE PEOCEEDINGS OE 
made with the composition containing amorphous phosphorous, and occurred 
in the proportion of 10 to 37 fuzes of Royal Laboratory make, but in only 
3 to 45 fuzes of Elswick make. Pillar fuzes made in the Royal Laboratory 
with the Moorsom composition answered perfectly. The Committee made a 
separate report on this subject on Minute 10,266. There were no premature 
bursts with any gun except the 110-pr.; but the Committee are of opinion 
that the number of failures from other causes are considerable, and they do 
not consider the pillar fuze in its present state sufficiently sensitive against 
earthworks, particularly with low velocities of impact, such as occur at long 
ranges with the service charge, and may occur with charges reduced to give 
a high descending angle at any range. 
13. It also appears that PettmanY fuzes for spherical shells are not 
sufficiently sensitive against earthworks; the failures were many; in some 
cases the whole failed. The practice was very unsatisfactory as compared 
with that at Bexhill, in 1861, against brickwork, where only five out of 
seventy-three of this nature were imperfect. 
14. The Committee took advantage of these experiments, with different 
natures of fuzes, to try the effect of a pitching fire from rifled guns, the 
object being to pitch shells with low charges over the crest of a work, and 
explode them on striking the terreplein. The results obtained with these 
low charges were irregular, and the effect upon the work inappreciable. 
15. In prosecution of the test of fuzes, the Committee fired over 200 
rounds of live shells from the different natures of guns, at an artificial earth 
parapet of the following dimensions:— 
length at base ... 75 feet. 
Thickness..... 40 „ 
Thickness of superior slope . 25 „ 
Crest of parapet above the ground in front . 9^ „ 
Width of cutting behind ... 30 „ 
The practice commenced on the afternoon of the 3rd of September, with half 
charges, from the 40-pr. and 110-pr.; it was continued, with full charges, 
from the 110-pr., 70-pr., and 68-pr. smooth-bore. 
At the conclusion of this day the following rounds of live shells had been 
fired at this parapet:—• 
Half Charges . 
40-pr. Armstrong . 8 
110-pr. „ 6 
Full Charges . 
110-pr. Armstrong . 15 
70-pr. „ 12 
68-pr. smooth bore ... 12 
Total . 53 live shells. 
The parapet was examined, and photographed after the 437th, 443rd, and 
461st general round. 
