Thus has been realized an important desideratum--the greatest possible
power to do execution coupled with the greatest simplification of the
means.
[6] Philadelphia, Carey and Lea, 1832.
But, while we have thus improved upon the hitherto practised means of
naval warfare, we are threatened with a total change. This is by the
introduction of bombs, discharged horizontally, instead of shot from
common cannon. So certain are those who have turned their attention to
this subject that the change must take place, that, in France, they
are already speculating on the means of excluding these destructive
missiles from a ship's sides, by casing them in a cuirass of iron. Nor
are these ideas the mere offspring of idle speculation. Experiments
have been tried on hulks, by bombs projected horizontally, with
terrible effect. If the projectile lodged in a mast, in exploding it
overturned it, with all its yards and rigging; if in the side, the
ports were opened into each other; or, when near the water, an immense
chasm was opened, causing the vessel to sink immediately.
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