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Show CUNS IN THE WAR OF 1813. Two t'lassea nf Naval Cannon American nil llrllUh rrrfrrenres. There were In Hios- day., twp principal prin-cipal etnupes of navnl cannon lung guns, often simply culled "guns." and enrronades, snya n writer on the War of H12 III rVrlltticr'a. 'The guns hnd long mii,'i', with light weight of shot tired; the ca"roiiadcs had abort range mid heavy Mint. Now In long guns the Americans wcie four times us slroug us the British, while In enrron-adca enrron-adca the British were twice ns atrong a Hie Anicrlcntix. It follows that the American "ouiuioilorc should prefer long range to begin with, wncrcus the llrlihh would be careful not to approach ap-proach within loi'g mime unless with siieli a breeze as would carry li 1 lit rapidly down to where his carrouudes would come Into play. There wna another very decisive rcn. son why s' rh abort range favored the British ngiiliist the Americana. The schooners of the hitler not being built for war. carried their guns on a deck unprotected by bulwarks. The men, be. Ing exposed from the feet up. could be swept away b- ranlle. which Is it iiuautlty of seiiill Iron balls packed In n case nnd llrcd from a cannon. When discharged these separate nnd spread like buckshot, striking many In a group. They can malm or kill a man, but their range Is short nnd penetrative penetra-tive power small. A bulwarked vessel ves-sel was. o to say, armortd ngninst canister; for It makes no dlffeaence whether the protection Is six Inches of wood or ten iff Iron, provided It keeps out the projectile. The Amerlcnn schooners were 'n this respect wholly vulnerable. Over-lnalBtenee upon details of advantage ad-vantage or disadvantage Is often wear. Isnme, nnd may be pushed to pettifogging, petti-fogging, hut these quoted are general and fundamental. To mention them Is not to ehsffer over details, but to state principles. There Is one other thnt Should be noted, although Its value may be differently estimated. Of the great Img gitn superiority of the Americans considerably more th'.n one hnlf was In Vie unprotected schoon. ers, distributed, that Is. among several vessels not built for war and not capable cap-able of acting well together, so as to concentrate their fire. Thre Is no rcpinllty between ten guns Ir. five such vesaels nnd the same ten roncentruted on one deck under ono rnp'.nln. |
