THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
245 
Ordnance Select Committee's Abstract of Reports received in 1863 from the 
several Stations abroad and at homey upon the practice made with Dia¬ 
phragm Shrapnel Shell.* 
Fobeign Stations. 
Stations. 
Results of practice. 
Premature 
bursts. 
Spread on targets. 
Remarks. 
Barbadoes. 
No practice. 
Inferior to improv¬ 
ed Shrapnel. 
Most satisfactory in 
all respects. 
Bermuda. 
Cape of Gooc 
Hope. 
— 
Effect inferior to im¬ 
proved Shrapnel. 
The only advantage of the 
diaphragm, is in facility 
of loading. 
Colombo. 
Several shell fell in 
a lump, like round 
shot. 
Practice from 8-in. and 
32-pr. guns. 
Corfu. 
Most satisfactory. 
Practice from 8-in., 32-pr., 
24-pr., 9-pr. and 6-pr. 
Gibraltar. 
Satisfactory, from 
heavy guns. 
Penetration good at 
1200 yds., and effect 
much more destruc¬ 
tive than common 
shell. 
guns. 
Halifax. 
No practice. (See 
Remarks). 
m ‘" al 
Previous local records shew 
that results have been 
satisfactory. 
Hong Kong. 
Satisfactory. 
From range reports in 
March, 1863, and former 
experience. 
Jamaica. 
Good as to the on¬ 
ward velocity of 
the balls. 
4 out of 43. 
Lateral spread very 
uncertain. 
Practice from 8-in. and 
32-pr. guns. 
Kingston. 
Satisfactory. 
Very rare— 
1 out of 100. 
Instances of blind shells 
more frequent than with 
common shell. 
do ( 2nd report 
included in 
Montreal ). 
Malta. 
Satisfactory. 
2 out of 113. 
5 out of 113 blind. 
Satisfactory. 
Per centage 
small. 
Effect good, judging 
from spread on water 
Blind shells—per centage 
small. 
Mauritius. 
Montreal. 
Great improvement 
Most satisfactory. 
Per centage 
small. 
Effect certain at 1200 
yds., but beyond that 
distance the bullets 
appear to strike the 
water in one solid 
mass. 
Practice from 8-in., 68-pr., 
32-pr. and 9-pr. guns, 
and 8-in. and 24-pr. how¬ 
itzers. Blind shells fre¬ 
quent. 
Quebec. 
Very satisfactory. 
Nil out of 62. 
Effect on target not 
ascertainable. 
6 blind out of 62. 
St Helena. 
32-pr. favourable. 
24-pr. unfavourable. 
— 
— 
— 
St John’s, NB. 
No practice. 
_ 
_ 
_ 
Toronto. 
Highly satisfactory. 
Nil out of 50. 
— 
—* 
* See Extracts from Reports and Proceedings of Ordnance Select Committee, Vol, I. p.386. 
