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Percussion tubes for cannon
11'1 Progress of Practical and 'rhcorctlca! Mechanics and Chemistry.
Percussion TubesJbr Ctmnon. 1t.7/Jaw,::sMausu, of tile .Royal Jrsenal at II "oohvich. Mr. Marsh~s invention is peculiarly adapted to ships ~ guns, and consists of two distinct improvements, one relating to the tube, and the other to the explosive composition with which the lube is lille& In those shil-s~ guns whici~ are discharged l)y means of a common flint loclq a cord (ia sea phrase a lanyard) is fastened to the trigger, in order that the gunner, while standin,ff clear oJ the recoil, may be able to tire it at the instant that the object aimed at comes in a line with the sights; tbr, as both the antagonist ships are in a stale of motion, it is evident that the least delay will, in all pr-bat,ility, m:ca~iml|he mark to be mis~ed. In adapting percussion powder to lira ,}i~
Silk, Raw and Manufactured, f r o m Lower ,~ssam~" ~!~:~ l~fI~ introduces a plereer up the middle, o f the larger barrel, and a smalleF On~ up that of the lateral barrel, thus forming a connected tube from theioiilb~ end of the lateral barrel to that of the other. T h e consequence of thl~:~ that when the hammer falls the percussion powder instantly explodes, sebcb ing a flash through the middle of the gunpowder, and setting fire to that likewise. The flame of the gunpowder, meeting with no resistance t d i ~ descent, rushes through the perforation and instantly fires t h e g u n . ,rr~e effect of this arrangement was shown by an actual experiment on the modld of the breech of a gun before the committee. A charged quill was putinto the touch hole, and a metal pipe was screwed to the bottom of:the touch hole, making the entire length, from the quill to the end of the pipe, at least two feet., About halt" an ounce of gunpowder, tied up in a pieec~ofihe same kind of thick woolen cloth as common cartridges for cannon!are achl~, ally made of~ was laid on a board just beneath the end of the tube, alad~i~ pulling the lanyard, the contents of the primin~,quill exploded, and a bCd[3¢,..., of flame darted down the metal tube, pierced through the woolen clotheattd set fire to the gunpowder wrapped up in it. Mr. Marsh's priming quills have been tried, by order of the Board of Admiralty. on board the Excellent, the expe,'imental ship at Portsmouth, with entire success, there not being a single missed fire in 900 rounds. Irt consequence of which the Admiralty have made him a pecuniary present, and have already adopted its use in many of the ships of war now in commission. Mr. H. ~Vilkinson, one of the committee, stated, that he has made comparative experiments with percussion powder, made of chlorate of potash and sulphuret of antimony, and Mr. Marsh's composition, and finds that the former requires a fi~r sharper blow to cause it to explode than Mr. Marsh's does: he has also ascertained that neither fulminating mercury, nor even fulminating silver, alone, are so easily exploded as Mr, Mar'siPs powder is. Trans Society of Arts.
Silk~ raw and manu/actured,fiom Lower ~ssam. The Society of Arts have received from the Agricultural and hortieultu.. ral Society of India, some specimens of silk, both raw and maouthctured, sent to them by Captain Francis Jenkins, agent to the Governor General on the N. E. frontiers of Bengal. They are tYom the neighbourhood of GoW,. ahatty, in Lower Assam, and are the produce of two species of caterpillars, different from that which produces the true silk. One of them is called " the worm of the moonghatree." Of the silk o f this insect, two samples in the raw state, that is, melely wound ot~the cocoon, have been received, and two plain cloths manufactured in Assam from the same silk. Both the samples of raw silk have considerable lustre, and have a reddish east of colour. One of them i.~ too coarse for ordinary use, but appears likely to be valuable tbr sewing silk, tor which there is always a large demand, and~ the sample being more than usually clean for so full a size, it would, probably, meet with a ready sale, if reeled from the cocoon in large skins. The other sample is similar to, but of better quality than, the former. Of the two cloths manufactured from this silk, one bears a resemblance to Indian taffeta, and the other to China crape. From the state in which
Percussion TubesJbr Ctmnon. 1t.7/Jaw,::sMausu, of tile .Royal Jrsenal at II "oohvich. Mr. Marsh~s invention is peculiarly adapted to ships ~ guns, and consists of two distinct improvements, one relating to the tube, and the other to the explosive composition with which the lube is lille& In those shil-s~ guns whici~ are discharged l)y means of a common flint loclq a cord (ia sea phrase a lanyard) is fastened to the trigger, in order that the gunner, while standin,ff clear oJ the recoil, may be able to tire it at the instant that the object aimed at comes in a line with the sights; tbr, as both the antagonist ships are in a stale of motion, it is evident that the least delay will, in all pr-bat,ility, m:ca~iml|he mark to be mis~ed. In adapting percussion powder to lira ,}i~
Silk, Raw and Manufactured, f r o m Lower ,~ssam~" ~!~:~ l~fI~ introduces a plereer up the middle, o f the larger barrel, and a smalleF On~ up that of the lateral barrel, thus forming a connected tube from theioiilb~ end of the lateral barrel to that of the other. T h e consequence of thl~:~ that when the hammer falls the percussion powder instantly explodes, sebcb ing a flash through the middle of the gunpowder, and setting fire to that likewise. The flame of the gunpowder, meeting with no resistance t d i ~ descent, rushes through the perforation and instantly fires t h e g u n . ,rr~e effect of this arrangement was shown by an actual experiment on the modld of the breech of a gun before the committee. A charged quill was putinto the touch hole, and a metal pipe was screwed to the bottom of:the touch hole, making the entire length, from the quill to the end of the pipe, at least two feet., About halt" an ounce of gunpowder, tied up in a pieec~ofihe same kind of thick woolen cloth as common cartridges for cannon!are achl~, ally made of~ was laid on a board just beneath the end of the tube, alad~i~ pulling the lanyard, the contents of the primin~,quill exploded, and a bCd[3¢,..., of flame darted down the metal tube, pierced through the woolen clotheattd set fire to the gunpowder wrapped up in it. Mr. Marsh's priming quills have been tried, by order of the Board of Admiralty. on board the Excellent, the expe,'imental ship at Portsmouth, with entire success, there not being a single missed fire in 900 rounds. Irt consequence of which the Admiralty have made him a pecuniary present, and have already adopted its use in many of the ships of war now in commission. Mr. H. ~Vilkinson, one of the committee, stated, that he has made comparative experiments with percussion powder, made of chlorate of potash and sulphuret of antimony, and Mr. Marsh's composition, and finds that the former requires a fi~r sharper blow to cause it to explode than Mr. Marsh's does: he has also ascertained that neither fulminating mercury, nor even fulminating silver, alone, are so easily exploded as Mr, Mar'siPs powder is. Trans Society of Arts.
Silk~ raw and manu/actured,fiom Lower ~ssam. The Society of Arts have received from the Agricultural and hortieultu.. ral Society of India, some specimens of silk, both raw and maouthctured, sent to them by Captain Francis Jenkins, agent to the Governor General on the N. E. frontiers of Bengal. They are tYom the neighbourhood of GoW,. ahatty, in Lower Assam, and are the produce of two species of caterpillars, different from that which produces the true silk. One of them is called " the worm of the moonghatree." Of the silk o f this insect, two samples in the raw state, that is, melely wound ot~the cocoon, have been received, and two plain cloths manufactured in Assam from the same silk. Both the samples of raw silk have considerable lustre, and have a reddish east of colour. One of them i.~ too coarse for ordinary use, but appears likely to be valuable tbr sewing silk, tor which there is always a large demand, and~ the sample being more than usually clean for so full a size, it would, probably, meet with a ready sale, if reeled from the cocoon in large skins. The other sample is similar to, but of better quality than, the former. Of the two cloths manufactured from this silk, one bears a resemblance to Indian taffeta, and the other to China crape. From the state in which