THE ARMSTRONG GUNS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 107, 17 March 1864, Page 4

THE ARMSTRONG GUNS.

iT.-.', In-"Sydney Ilc'-iia.'. .M:.,vh !.. '["hi: (.••..iiU-ovir>v as to t "is* ? eGn-truction of artiiltr-wa-ys a- hotly as ever, and -c nis tobo far from resultinir in :iny (U'linite and incontrovertible conclusion, . A vitv elaborate iiive.-ti-cilion has h-on made iulo . tin- history ;niii i-Mii-i" nrv of tin- Arm.-iromr -mis. . 'I'll,- result" has been somo'what to dcpreoial- til-- .-»T----viY-s r-udor. d bv t)u ir in-.i nlof. but by iio mean- to ' prov- that tiny- iinvr hcc:i so valuoh— !,s liis detractors a-.-cri. It is admitd d that Sir William Aimstionir lias produced an impiovid -un. ami one that in the Chinese war roial.-ic i important .service.; lmt til" eosl has lu'i-ii excessive ami disproportiuncd to ■ tin- lvsnit, and tin- nnjiiiiaiiiy of many of his iilfitn - i have been ili>[niti>i. I,'ivaj patentees have Im-i-ii the . ' liio.-t- industrious opponent- if til.- Ariiistrc/iiir yini: • ! and tiny liru'c wit!, -..„.,■ shv.v of lnimii, that the ■ ' Covenum-iit ha> -iMiit.da monopoly <>i" its patrona-i: ■ ; In one in-iouior in-toad of distributi'ii-; it fairlv anion-; i'J all. Tiny eunKiid tiiat if they had pos-i'-s.-cd the • ! same command of public ro-u'ri■'•> thcv would have :' ! Mii-pass-d ill..- r. -till- achiev-d. K.vi..-1-ii-ii.-.-ti ].;.v;il t oliiiris have expressed a hiih oi.iiiion of tin.- Arm- ! stroii-; '-I'liu f'T ii-.. l!i hoard ship. I'or action at 1 close i|Uaiti:is they all.;;, that tin- "id fashioned -;un - ; i- preferable, lmt 't«r lirin-; at lorn; run tie thr Aim- ■ .•iion--im is uin.|iiai:.'.!. The oll'-oi oi recent eni i|iiirirs and discussions has h-eii trial Sir YVliliain - i Arm.-troit-ha.- r. tired ti-iu hi- nllici.d j o-ition. but < the manufacture of his unus i- i.niti;iu.-il at W'oid- . wirh. I Thr recent porf-imame.,! hi-.-ix-huiidr-d-poundct 1 at Sliocburyne.-s ha.- shown that the big-un is 011- ,• ' t.ibdv imt a failure. It .-■ :i! a :l.e!l at a ili-laiico of - a thousand Yard- el.'an throii-.ii tin- • Warrior ' t.i! - - -.. !. explodin- i'ft In:' mor thioe-b the hole in a w.,v - that scattered a perfect shower el iron splinters about. ■ Whether a -mi of this .-ha- .-an be callicd and woik. d ■ ; on hoard ship is at present donbtlul. thoiiyh the .• Americans profess to woik -.tins of more than hall : that, weight, on hoard lh-:r ,Monib>i\s. with the ■ -ivatct ea-e. J'.nt th- perforinaneu of this i . would .-eeni to -iie i..rts a -n-at suoerioiitY „v, i- : shii,.-. and to uialo- li;,i-;.,.iir„ j.raetieallv iinpri-iiald.-. t 'I'll.-• Warri'.r ' i- the -tioiiuo-st iron ship that has 1 hither!., h.eii luiilt, y.i. half a dozen shots sueh as » that uhi.'h Mas .-.lit throu-h lh- eentre of the tar-it - would he ...aut-h to kill or maiiN.-vi-yhiMly on hoaid. . and t.i .-ink the .-'nip. (inn- of aiiv si/,> ean h. I M-,nli.\|..ii stationary !..tt-. w hen iixe.l' and j.ioti.eleil - niaeliinei'Y .an la: mad. avai'ai.le 1..r pointing tln-ui. 1 No 'Warrior' i.uid liM- v.ithiii a thousand yanls i of a fort thai menu;.-! .aa- -;ah -no. I'.y means ••! 1- 1 ins or other oWti ueih.u-. that u.a'.id' delay the .• advanee of a iieet and ke. p it under 1n,., viil'iain;i into ii h.arhour may he eliivtu.iliy jii'i-vciileii. 1 On :i smaller scale this re.-tilt. is '.vitm-s.-cd at i fharleston. The Federal ironclads are not so stroni- as the ' Warrior,' anil the (.\mfcderate j;uns are not i equal to Armstrong's, hut the Ikct keeps at a dis- . tancc of nine limidred yards horn the forts. The ,- • Keokuk 'is the only one that has approached within ■ sev,„ hundred yards, ami .she penetrated and i sunk. It is said to hiiYc boon a. I'.rookc aim, cast in 1 : lJichnioiiil. that did thu nii.-chief, and the Coniedi" ■ j rates hoast as lomllv of (ho superioritv of their own t artillervas tile Federals do of theirs". y,. tj i„ the ; : conte-t benveou the • We.hawkeii ' and the 'Atlanta. - ■ ; the super;.,i-ity of the Federal ituii i.-onelusiYelv 1 j.ri.Ydl. for tiie 'Atlanta's' ■runs failed to make the , .slightest impression on the ' \\"eehawken"s' armoiu. , , while the sliot fromtla; latter smashed thiou-h the - sides of lar imtniroTiist. The ' Atlanta ' was" not a I r.irnlar iron-clad, heinu- only an iroi- steamer tittiii i up to the he--, , f Confederat*,. ahilitY. so that her f - • ; si-tmi;; p.iwer was small ; hut her oljensive j.ower -.va- - j also smaii. and her uanis wen.' ].o\ve)iess airain.-t a - • M..niter. Tim • We.liawkei, ' lias .-i,,,.- foumhre.,; s •■!!• '"j,,...; ;.,!i.n, and, ,'ik.. (h. ~r.: - inal '.Monitor' hai .-how:. h..w •,„l!t.,ucl, y.,se\ara to rid- ill a h-r ■;;.-■.i. T!:e ;.. idin- of the • I'rir,;-. ("oti-ort " ,-td i- . . | i.m:t:.w ~.. a... tii in .'oitmlcrinj; ..if the Itritisii en;.--, i ; al-, shows i,..w ditlh i-.lt i: xvill i> ■to l'c.l evulid-::. . | in the ouaiitiis f.f the hir---le-s.is that tieI j Admiralty is eenstiu. tim.-. The' problem of ii-a [ , ; -hii- id' war lV as mue'i uusolYed as that of \'Uii>. I Th- Americans are buildm-; two mu- iron-clads to l» 1 called the ' liict.itor" and the ' Puritan,' which thev ■ ■ assert will p;.,, V e stronyrer Ihan anythin-- Yet lmilt, < ; and the armour of which is to 1.,. absolutely impeii. - ; tra!,]-. I'.ut thou-h it may he impervious to aiiv ■ Anierieaii iirtillcry. thriv is no reason to suppose, tint i it could wiiie-taud the Miiash.n- power of the ho.' , Annstro!!- ;;uu. There is said' to be ~,,,. nions'.er j" ; I dak. ley .mm mounted on some of the inner defenc s • of ("narl.-.-toii harbour, an,! which may yet have an i opportunity of Irvini' its power oil" some of the ; ■ ' .Monitor...." Two -uns ran the blockade, hut one ■ was burs', in iirin- it -a fact that shows how critical ■ it may !■:• f trust the defence of u post to one or tv. ; pa-e, s of artillery that ini»ht in a. moinenl bci oin- . useh-.-. ■ _ ho..kill- at tb- h,ariu-- up-u our own loial .aI fences of all rccnt . \j.criments, both Jieaccful and i warlike, tiie conclusion ,-ccms to become clearer than • ever that tiie proper poli-y is to fortify the Head.-, ■ and to keep an i-n.-inv outside the luirbm'-.r. The iii- ■ tenor defeiics coiiid'„..t rc-i< the modern aitilleiv w1n1... they at!,.id no cU'eetual protection to the i itv. , \\ e have p;-,.-, iuu-iv pointed out. the U'ctler.ll analo-'v that -Yisls b-tu,,.n the shape of Charleston Harbour • .-ind I'ort .lacks,,,,. ||, W( ,„I,; probably cost a -o-d '■■al of mem y to turn the Soy.- and int.. -" • ■ island that would carry a fort. l!u(. t-v.-u withom ' thai, tiie harbou,. p!e,e..; s ~y..,.v |. : .m!;. ~ /',,,. elovJ).- : Hit! clamn.-l by b,,0,,,5, ir-.ri \hc:c ili*.'t