SIR W. G. ARMSTRONG AND HIS GUN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 707, 17 August 1859, Page 2

SIR W. G. ARMSTRONG AND HIS GUN.

The" following is a 1 full report' of Sir W. ftArmstrong's .speech at the banquet, given in his honour,at Newcastle:— :"! •■ « Sir William Armstrong, in responding, said,-— Mr. Chairman/it is difficult,--in fact, it is impos; sible for me to express the sense I entertain of the honor you have done me in thu»inviting me to meet you. Com ing^-as this compliment does—from the inhabitants of a'Jocality in which I was born, and m which I haVe=;Bpent' nearly my whole life, I iook upon it .as a marlc of personal kindness rather than a, publio approbation.; and as such I will remember it with pride and-! gratitude as long as I - hve. (Cheers.) I thank you all most sincerely; and I thank your chaiirimn in particular for his commendations, which I feel I very inadequately deserve. The subject which has called forth this democstia-

tioubnyour liart is one which some "inay> regard as tendin,g^to > bloodshed,1 and'if. I thought that war would lie fomented* ipflthat the in.terests'.pf humanity. w,ould : suffer, by;.;w^atf;I r hayJß dpn,e,;l 'would greatly a-e^ret'thej course I : haveJakeiu, .jJJu.t; I have, no such 'apprehension, l^ha powjer ,wln6li! science'givesy wither'as'a^il.ife'd^ peace war,& always oh. the Side of oivUiz'atiott; and tW spread of civili^|&n .'lhiist te^:'heces!sfeiily;to''diinin!ish; war, and-tbiVehder it;les3 barbarous. 1 u(Applause.) We,, as a- nation, hay^few.men^jtpi spare v fbr ; ; ,wfar.: (Hear.) We have need of all theaid that, ijoieneej •can give us ,tp r secure us , against,1 aggression, and" to enable us to hold, in subjection, the, numerous «hd seini-bal'fyirdus have to' rule in the East. With.Respect'fe tliesgun 6f which so much has been said, it is absurd to Suppose that; there is any,8 reci%ett "about its .general-construction, which; is:a)ready s Jtnown s ,tio;hqndreds ,of • persons* and which- hasl>een A alre^3y i approximately described, iii many p'uplicatipiis'; ( b«t'^hereis"a greatdeal'of. detail abdut it winch will1 not be readily niadeouty and which would require to be mastered' before' other.: nations could tuake it. Now, without dis- ■ closing any of this detail, I niaygive you in an authentic form some general information'respecting the weapon;.. ■-■ ,X ■would begin, then, ;by tell ing you that it is.'made wnplly^.of, wrought iron., My K»riginal'giih was partly of steel; but I how use iiothing: but wrought iron. It is a 1 built-up giin— that is to say* it is composed of separate pieces, ■each piece being of "kuch moderatesi'ze<as to admit [ t)f beingforged-without risk of flaw or failure.' By" -this mode of construction great strength anb\ c'onsequentlyy great lightness aresecured; !It has been stabed that two of my gans"burst at-Shoeburyness,' but this, like many other statements on this'subject, is wholly without foundation.4 ; -A; 32-------pounder has already been imade upon this* principle, besides smaller gans, and I expect you will soon hear of 70-poundars and !100-pounders as well. With regard 'to the ■■; breech-loading,; all' the writers- who have-professed, to describe this gun have spoken of the large screw workingjinthe breech end of the piece and; pressing against the stopper■; for the purpose of: closing the' bore;; but they have; all either^ ignored- the fact "pf this screw being)hollow, or they have;misunderstood the purpose of its bemg-'so. • 'I'b.er'e :can !be ho secret in a'process which'is'now"'(daily- practised by\ Jthfe'- artillervjand I.1 ma therefore state that 'the •gun is both loaded and spongedthrough the1 hollow *CTew.; iaiid^ that ,it is :a to suppose sthat it would be possible"'to iiitroduce-either the; projeefile-orfche charge' at the:contracted;sl6t^ which rTeceives- tW-stopper;; -; The' stopped isl apiece "o£ • small dimerisioiis, Widely diS'ereiitsfr6m'wha^ has been -shown ih' thef several fancy portraitsl whioh: hare appeared; of my guri,; aud^is^chained to line" : ogan:; to"present its' -beirigcasuaHy Ipst.- There are; ■<na any pebuliarities; '•■■ about' the- carriages ? the 'sights' ; anct other appendages f6f' these guils/with;whicK-1 meed oot^irGubfe you,' further Jtkati? Mby observing ■ •4liat-in the "carriage for inaval pr garrisPh'iservice^ an elide' is';:applied; iiipotff:- which-; thY- guiil recalls W: feeing;-'fired*-.and* &cni-slip3f&rwaisd into ©rigißfal position by'the action* k>t gravity; This i«; of>;greatt'iiaportan.ce in'the1 case^of IhearyA-guns,-inasn^ obviate the- neces- i stty «f-%ißpl6yirig ar^lafge1 'sisinaber of men for the -•purpose Pot 'the 'gJlii "after each discharge] -rl'Will-iiow^ speak "of the projectiles, which -Are in all cases made of cast irpay ttoijy coated with' :lead,aHd~bemgpfspmewha*lißrger diameter than the :bore of the • gun, the lead is crushed into: the 'rifle 1 ;gro6v«si by m'earis of whacii the oeeeiJsAry jrbtatipn is c-given'i whUe: all ißhak«'a«d wlncfage'are prevented, ■^he-projectile('for field service adii^ts v <>f: bbidg used as;'sslid' shp^>sheli^6ri^nim6Q: '^casev ;;'lfrlg coinvjposed of separate-pieces^isbtemjpj^flybouni ! "thei;'that it >ha^l»en T:^ timber, oine:feet•ifl'tliiek»^ fracture. '"■ When used las a she'll i£ divides iato 49 regular-pieces, and about 100. irregular pieces. It -•combines the pririciple o£ 4ihe'-*hi?apnelt!andv;pei> ; Hussion shell,—i-aj.'it ;«iay; jbe ' : made; to r i -either as it apprpacHes^e(ob"ject<i6T:asJl^strikes it. Amongi, fciejids, ; ifo. {is\.-9a\ that;\ it;, may be ■thrown t pff :&e iiwg o^ : hpus«vwithp(ut exploding, butV-ambngf ekeoiie's iit.:is;-sQ sensitive and mischie- ,; \TCjis ':'&&s 0 ; .vwitli i' touch..''''iTne reason '.is,.: ?tt^'fi£et«lioclt^^^^ cu'sipn -OTra,ngem,ent,-Asnt werei!froir\-;'' jialf[; epek, to iviU cock, aiic^^i";t^e^s^ecomes^o■S'eli|Baj» thatit ;^iit- burst .% be^ti.proved'at Slipeburyness. '^orp. over,,'it may Be, made .tip;explode'a£ the'■inst4nt ( «f r leaying tlcie i gun, in W'hieh case: the jjieces spread oat J like a'fah, aud. prpdue^i -the liisual'ieffecjfe of,gra^e or cannister,! In , sk&h', it inivyibe'made^ or very' shprt distances^ and eilhW'by im'jjapt -&c by j "the actjipn oif' tlie 'time' fusej'and^her'ever it^bursfe Iti opej:ate^;'iiice'" grape;!-Bte>j;V''.''3j.; cpuld!: give you hundreds of examples of,'the .'effects ■ prpdueed by ; i;hese/sheilsJdu.ring. th& exgenm^n^.pfVthp "'cpm-,^ mititeedri'nfl^ to a'single instane^ which' I select merely; bp6ause an unusual number pf : persons happenedfto be present,^ 'cprhp'rising : the I)|ike' of ;Cainbridg&. and seyeraL officers pf'distinction. Tw.o targets, each - of nine^ feeti' s^uarie, \vere piaoe;d at a distance of' l.SOb'yards ftpm':tae gun,"anU'seyen'^sbjeUs.'were.'.. fired^'at thVni.' ;|pw; the' effect^ tlie,seseven shells' was that;the .'£\io ta^fe,^re 596' places., Similkr effects werie oia. pther .pccasipnsrpjpduced at d|stanfces; eiten.ding i fe 3,00j9'^ 1:p judge what wi6uld/.^e?'th.e"effe^ in, TOaikirig aii enemy keep his .'For' breachiug"purposes^or for blowings .^J^'^S?? or rjpping. a hole;in the sideipf a sh^ a different construction of shell is adopted^;th^i object;^in'tHatKcase. being' to introduce the • largest, possible' charge, of powder.; Nearly; all the writers who ;h^ve;undertakeh to enlighten the .public on; this sjibject have stated that j&e gr^nd 'dejTect of' ni^ ; -shell; was its ; Binalt capacity• f<)r powder, ' Now, if these writers ha<i,.stated that' .the/g^eaii advantage ;bf my .shell w^lta'lafge capacity for; powder thevywould have Jjieei .intich c ."nearer1. %f s ,\ truth:,;;ibjc; ", the faci^ is that tt c "slsL, of,!^my~ twice :'th'ie. ;(juayti|y' pfj-pojwdefi 'iiiatis;..cpntained'.in r tlie sKeil o^the cpmnaonjS^pounder. '■'„ I^hasalsp beenf.-urged~"as 'an.'robjectipn:^^ that it, would'n^jike* so smaC a, ho^ in.;passingi through thp sid^ ,pf j thex ship,, „ Sp' :; 'far as ; the; . «hot is eoncernedjihere/may^bej.some reaspn ,in objection, but as regards the'shell the smaUhole ii» ; tbe,very thing/panted, r^ pjode,at;tbe instant pf^assing^ 4Ui*d ]the ; smaller'"-."the•lhoiejm^ae.by,penetratipn the indreeppfine'd wiilbe. the ekpjofsipn* and the greater wiU,;bef #ieVshattering; effect produced. ;. The;gun ijficfs^.bp.judged,;not,in r^laij.6tt,to.tlie .sKbtj.but ; tp^ -tliie' sh^llj-iwhich is beyo/KL cpmgavißon, .the-, more fprmifeble.pr6jeet}le,; ■.aud,wluch'..will r b'e [almost .exclusively used with niy guns.j.; Togo back to the «pmmencement of my; experiments,,! ,niay/ ; tell.ypu thatj j.tjiuey;; began .upwards' pf;' four years ."ago,, my f\rst' guxL; haying,been}commenced in^XlecembQr,. and completed early Jin the/followingispring,; although the gun constructed upor> the.saßae principle as those wfiich^ I am now making, it did iijfc in the. first^n.stance rafford safiisfactory;reßults. Schemers, whose J-inventipnfi merely figure uppn yaper, have little ideas £ of,, the-sdifficulties that are encountered by who carry inventions- into practice.' myrpart, Iliad myiujl-share of such -difficulties, and: it' took me ■ nearly three years of ■coiitinual, application to; surmount them. In^^ the ■height "of■ Bummer my experiments wer,e for the anost'iiart carried b'ri at the sea.c6ast;;between;|he li'#o.f'S b'cloclc in'the 'morning and 6; fpr atter that time people began to niove about ;and,wer,eapt to;!&t^lihe"W lulled myself of the wild moors belonging"^ my friend

Mr. Befiumoht, at ■Allenheads, arid, there-1 iVad a! hut constructl& on a.mountain < ridge, 2,000 feet above the/level of the sea. i,My targets werei placed upon;the opposite side of; a deep valley, where nor" thing moreyaluable than.grouse:or:lean sheep ran the rjslj of being shot; and well it was that such : Was the .case, for. I likd constructed aii instTument ; for maintaining a fire upon an object (a'breach, foi^ example) after darkness 'had set inland I uW to awakeii; the denizens .of the heath by firing shells at my distant, target, in. the middle of the night: and I niay observe in passing that, when this in : strumeht wtts"' fully' peifescted; I was^ enabledl to strike a distant; Object iti a pi'f'ch dark night with the .same accuracy 'as in'broad daylight. At'ther end of ithe three■ years -!«' had: succeeded (in bringing to; maturity, both : guns and projectiles. 'Several new,, guns had; been, made on my pwn responsibility, and considerable expense ■ incurred on experiments ;,but ; all my disbursements. ; were| refunded;by We' CroV|&i >nment; as soon as the I results were- ascertained.' I mentibri this ' because1 ! some niisappv'ehehsibn prevails oh' the subject'; and! Intake the same opportunity of observing thats General Peel,;( Lord .Epmur'?,, and the; Duke of the vthfee of .War ;wbo..;b.aye" held office since toy operations commenced, have at ? all times afforded me all cburiteriance arid support ! that I could desire. haye1 the "same acknowledgement to make in ;regardi to, all the permanent authorities, at the.W/arotfice;; Early in last year a" t committee \vas apppihted to.investigated-'.the. whole' . subject of rifled'cannonV . They^ cpri;sisted r of naval ; and military' bmce'rs pf greafe 'lijlowledge and ex-. ' perience^ in 'gurinefyl and .'after';'havingf'given" tlie; gi-eater part of iheir timefor 'a period of'five month's1 ; to the;giirisjprojectiles, andfuses whicibjlfsubmittedl ; to;th'em; they "gay,e f fa unanimous verdict;in favour ofmy system.? With, Respect; to. the, precisjon : andi range which have been attained with these guns, Ir \ have but little to. r add to. what General Peel has > stpted, b^ut I!ma"y ooserVeih4t since his siatemehts \ were made very improved- resu'ltsliave been'pbta'rrted^' ,At a: distance'o^6oo yards an object no larger! 'than ; the .inuzzlb of an. ienemy's gun may be :stinicfc; lat : almost, every ; shot- V At '3^ooo yards,^ target of nine i feet square, which;at that, distance lpoksjlike a ; mere,. • speck,-has,on a calm day .been struck fiye, times in i 10' shots.', A ship^ wpulcL afford'a target large enoughi to be ' hi^ &i much'longer1' distances, 'ancl1.; ; shells niay be thrown iWtb'atbwri 'or fortress"'at 'a range of more than' five''miles. But to do full \ justice tb the weapon when used.at long distances;' \it willr be necessavy.that guriners should, undergo a more refined;and-scientific- v tj?aining,than at present; : and lI trust and believe that both the naval and\ i military departments of Government wiU' take the I necessary measures' to afford" the jjrbper.' instriictibn \ bbth to' officers iand men.:: It; is';','an;' interesting I questionl to: consider whatl would be the effect of the; I general introduction- of these, weapons :upon the' I various.conditions of warfare.; In the'case-of ships I opposed; to, ships,in; the open sea,it- appears; to; the ithey would simply, destroy each other,like cats ;ifboth were madei of.timber. .The day has gone by, forputtihg men in' armour, but I suspect-it is only approaching for putting'ships in. armour.; I^ortu-' natelyj hbwever, notation can play at thatL gairie; i like England; for we have boundless resburces both \in the prbduction' and application of jron, which ! must.be. the material for the .armour.: In the case \of a battery against a ship the-advantage would; be greatly in favour^of the battery, .because it, would. have a steady platfortn for its guns,,and it is made; of a less VuVnerable, material j supppsi'ng the' ship to ', be made "of-timber.-But; on the- other" hand,; in bombarding fortresses, arsenals, or dockyards, when the object.;to ,b.e \ struck is, very- extended^ ships ■ would be enabled to ; . operate from •„-a great distance,; where they could, bid defiance; to : . land defences.; In the case of invasion^ which is,' perhaps,, the most interesting, brie to consider, the possession ■ of: such an artillery • would be\ all -iitn : poi'tant1 to the defenders. It would probably be impPssible toi effect' a landing if: opposed '■ even' by field batteries- o&sueh; guns,; and if; a landing, were effected, the retreating force ■ would generally; be: enabled to avail itself of coyer, while the attacking party would have to advance on. the. open, where .they,would be awfully cut up; I, will now say a few words' with respect5 to the5 persoriar'arranleT nients between myself and the Government, which" are" 'not' at •■ present dearly understood. Erorii ;the. first I. never intended to take < any compensation from Government fpr the. improvements which.l, expected, to effect; and^ abstained in the first instance from- taking atiy patents. .,. I soon; found niyselfj howevei', driven into the arms of the. patent laws—nbt'fpr- the"purpose of securihg' mbiiopbly, but to: pi;ote(ife; myself •from-'' liisafpiati'Pn;)! Finally, when the report of the committee had beehJ made, I addressed' a letter to', the ' Government, placing: at her ; Majesty's: disposal for,; the; public service.ali the improvements which the committee had recognised. Th.is : was followed,,b^. ah intimation from the: GoVerrinient, as stated' by General Peel; that they-werewilling to make me a pecuniary. compensation1, but this $ declined to. receive. Two ,!questi6hs, however, arose ; . first j1 how were the government to be instructed in the art of making these'/guns^ and,;secondly;' how were any future 'inventions originating .with me tp be dealt with?' for, ;consideririg that the whole subject was still.'in ia state of progress, it was not to;be supposed that my improvements would;; stop at tliat particular.'. stage.; To remove' all'difficulty upon these: points' I'proposedi that^ if: the'-Government "wouldl pay ime i'.:a; salary of £23Q0/afyear, commencing; froma'periodrof jthreeyiears. back,;during/which- nearly imy whole: time had beeni ; given to this subject,; ;knd continuing for a period of; seven years to come, I would-give them the benefit of all my information'and experience, and ■ would relinquish in their favour all future, inventions relating to the subject. Now, this is a; very different matter from .receiving compensation for; what I had previously; given 'up. It is in fact an arrangement ■applicable to services- and: prospective inventions, and if'my. services were, to ceasej as.they-might do death or oth.erwise, the salary would^termmate.. - ;Aithbngh/I.deepl^ appreciate the; gracious recbg-inition-of' my services whicK'has-been made'by lier' Majesty, yet11' do not value the'arrangement I have' entered into exceptjas?armeans of{;etiabling me to ride my hobbyi with .more effect as well for; the; public,advantage as, for my, own; satisfaction;, andif 'the Government should, at any. time. feeL that, ithey are not getting value for the salary. I. receive, I < jshall need buta slight hint'to relievbthem from ;the j engagement; Of course I never' dreamt of giving up my presentbusiness ; /on .the contrary, it was" distinctly stipulated that I should remain at liberty 'to carry on any business that I choose. This may or may not be in accordance with precedent; but ;I; trust the piiblic'will feel assured from the general course I have followed on this matter^ that persorial ; Aggrandisement is; not the object I have in view. -I am simply ambitious to perfect the matter I have j taken in hand,- and care little, for, the, emolument. ; I must not conclude withput adverting to a matter ;which requires some' notice on riiy part. .It h?is been perseveringly stated that some persons from, the Elswick, engine works have_gpne !'mto the service of some foreign state; taking witl;,; them {full: plans-of the gun. I can only say +,nat, to the jbeat of my knowledge and belioF, n% person who jh'as left.the establishment smce 'rjjjr operations ; be!gan, and. who was competent 'to give information '■ on the subjeot, has taken' any plans, or betrayed i any confidence, or gone,into the service of a foreign i Governmeni , (Sir; William's speech-was-received | throughput with enthusiastic cheeringi) , ; j

]■ What is it you must keep after giving, it'to j another ?«=Your. word.