EXHIBITION OF MECHANICAL INVENTIONS.
PERKINS'S Steam Gun, and other mechanical novelties, form a very curious and interesting exhibition, which has recently opened in Ade- laide Street, Strand, at the back of St. Martin's Church. The room has been newly built for the purposes of exhibition ; for which it is well fitted, being lighted from the roof, and of considerable extent, be- sides being chaste in its style. Mr. PERKINS may be considered in the light of a benefactor to his species, inasmuch as his wonderful improvement in the art of killing must eventually lead to the abolition of war. To give some idea of the powers and capabilities of this engine, let the reader fancy a metal tube of any given calibre, connected with a compact steam apparatus of pro- portionate power, and moveable at pleasure in any direction by means of a universal joint. With one-fourth additional force to that of gun- powder, it will propel a stream of bullets, whether musket or cannon balls, at the rate of seventy-eight in four seconds, for any length of time during which the steam power may be kept up. Nothing mortal, or i that s made by mortal hands, can stand against such a resistless attack. One gun is in itself a battery in perpetual and incessant action, moving horizontally or vertically, sweeping in a semicircular range, and pouring all the while a continued volley a balls, with unerring precision when directed point-blank. Two of these guns in a ship would sink any vessel instantly ; and what force could pass by such a battery on land? The very appearance of one on the field of battle, would clear it of living beings, either by putting them to flight or to death. The gun is fired every half-hour ; and it is fixed so that the balls can only hit a target at the other end of the room. The noise it makes in firing is little more than that caused by the rush of a column of steam from a narrow aperture, with the addition of the noise of the balls hitting the target. Strange to relate, there is not the slightest danger to alarm the most timid female. It is curious to see a small tube of polished steel spitting (for that term is most expressive of its action) forth a shower -of bullets and steam without the least apparent effort.
Besides this extraordinary and beautiful piece of mechanism, there
are other specimens of the ingenuity of the inventor, Mr. PERKINS, which we can only enumerate,-Apparatus illustrating his new mode of evaporating fluids in open vessels, and of generating steam under pres- sure; for compressing air for generating heat by means of friction, applicable to the fusion Of metals, &c. A new Paddle-wheel for steam-boats, by Mr. PERKINS, and Mr. HoLnswonm's revolving rud- ders, are shown in action by working models of steam-boats that pro- pel themselves round tanks of water, &c. &c.
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