The actual results obtained by a gun such as is above described are almost incredible. An ordinary long 32-pounder weighs 57 cwt.; Armstrong's 32-pounder weighs 26 cwt. The former requires 10 lb. of powder as a charge; for the latter 5 lb. will suffice. The former will send a shot or shell 3000 yards; the range of the latter exceeds 9000 yards. The fuses attached to the shells are so exquisitely adjusted that the shell can be made to burst either directly on leaving the gun, or half-way on its path, or when it strikes an object; in the last-named case, even a sack of shavings will afford the necessary concus sion; and yet, so close is the structure, that an uncharged shell has been fired com pletely through 9 ft. of solid oak, without the pieces separating. A.'s elaborate experi ments were made chiefly with a 6-pounder, 1g in. caliber, and so light that two men could carry it (without its carriage); this small gun could reach 1500 yards with won derful accuracy of aim, and had a range of 3000 at a certain elevation.
When A. had spent much of his time and thoughts during four years on this sub ject, the government, supported by the strongly expressed opinions of artillery officers of all ranks, proposed to secure the result of these experiments for the nation. A. offered to the government, without any stipulation, not only all his past inventions, but also all such as he might hereafter discover. This led to arrangements which the min isters in parliament charheterized as liberal and patriotic on his part; and the terms thus suggested were accepted. An office was created for him, that of chief engineer of rifled oriinance, for seven years provisionally; and a certain amount of salary was determined on, in consideration at once of his past inventions and of his future services. He was knighted by the queen iu 1858.
The peculiar connection, partaking in some degree of the nature of a partnership, between the government and the Elswick firm, underwent changes from time to time, and was brought to a close in 1S63. During its continuance, guns of gradually increas ing power were made on A.'s system; 3, 5, and 12 pounders; then 18, 20, 32, and 40 pounders; then rapidly increasing in caliber, until at length a 600 pounder was pro duced, weighing upwards of 20 tons. The coil system of construction, the adoption of a large number of rifle grooves, and the use of the beautifully formed segment shell, were continued; but A. made variations in the combination of steel and iron, and
adopted muzzle-loading for many of his larger guns. Elaborate experiments made by the war office led to a conclusion that the A. breech-loader has many disadvantages for large ordnance. Notwithstanding its range, accuracy, power of working in a small space, easiness to clean, and safety to the gunners while loading, it is neither so cheap nor so simple as the muzzle-loader; it is difficult to handle, complicated, apt to get out of order, and not so useful for general purposes. The comparative cheapness has had much to do with the preference of the-war office for the Woolwich gun, a muzzle-loader. A. supplies and has long supplied many foreign governments with his guns, chiefly of large caliber. The manufacture is of the highest order, effected through the medium of machine tools of exquisite construction; but the practical utility of the gun, as com pared with the Whitworth, Palliser, and other kinds, is still matter of controversy.
The great reputation and commercial success of A. depend on his skill as a con structor of water-power machinery. Early in his career, in 1847, when a plan was adopted for supplying Newcastle with water, he suggested that the power derived from the descent of the water through pipes from the reservoir should 'be utilized for work ing hydraulic cranes on the quay, and for various mechanical purposes in the town; this was done with marked success. The system has rapidly grown; until, at length, the A. hydraulic machinery is largely adopted in England and abroad for raising, lower ing, hauling, and other purposes in connection with railways, canals, docks, piers, har bors, lock-gates, manufactories, warehouses, etc. The fabrication of the machinery employs a very large number of hands at Elswick, where the works are carried on by a joint-stock A., who belongs to several scientific societies, was in 1863 elected president of the British association; be was instrumental in bringing about the appoint ment of the coal commission in 1866. He has also taken an active part in the inquiries concerning the operation of the patent laws. Cambridge and Oxford have conferred honorary degrees on A., who is a member of several foreign knightly orders.