The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-28
THE GREATEST GUN IN THE WORLD.
It's First Thunder-its Trial a Success
The Great PeacemnIser OF the Age. &c.

It's First Thunder-its Trial a Success
The Great PeacemRlSer OF the Age, tkc.
Fort Hamilton was the theatre of a very inter
essing and instructive scene yesterday. The trial
Of tie great twenty-inch Rodman gan came of
there successfully. As the event was noticed to
occur in the Herald II was widely known, and
consequently there present at the trial a
large number of citizens, well rs military and
naval officers. An excursion steamer, with good
band on board, came down the bay and remained
of the fort at the head of the wharf during the
time the "test' was being made. The band played
patriotic music, and the steamer displayed the
national colors; and all the circumstances, in
cluding the serene loveliness of the day, made up
q lively well as interesting occasion.
Around the gun was a crowd of several hun
dred eagerly engaged IN minutely examining
and wondering at its huge proportions. Though
this gun has already been described in the
Herald, it will not be out OF place here to say
that il weighs nearly one hundred and seventeen
thousand pounds The carriage is IN proportion
Its diameter thickness is nearly six feet at the
bieeCh, and its bore is twenty inches. Tho sohd
shot it tt rows Is one thousand and eighty pounds
In weight, and the regular charge OF powder is |
one hundred pounds, which may be Increased to |
one hundred and twenty five pounds, II great |
range or extraordinary momentum is redured to |
be impaired to its terrible missiles. II is caIcu.
lated that there few armored ships aAoat
whose sides this monster wo7ld not crush
PIRsT SHOT,
The gun was first loaded with the regular
charge Of powder tone hundred pounds) blank
cartridge, and fired amid the applause of the
spectators. The report was not louder than a ten
FOUNDER Parrot loaded with solid shot, nor was
Il near SO shrill. Probably 1t did not create so
great q conclusion of the atmosphere, and could
not be heard SO far. On examining the monster
% see the effect it was noticed that 1t had only
deigned to roll itself back disdanfully about Two
feet. The air was sulphurous for considerable
distance around it.
THE SECOND SHOT.
This time the ''big fellow" was loaded with fifty
pounds of powder and solid shot weighing one
thousand and eighty pounds The shot was driven @ a
dropped in the bay, ,ricochetted two three times,
knocking up flashes ofspray as large as q ship in
full sail, and twice as high, and finally dtsap-
peared in the water. On examining the gun
after this discharge, it was found to have moved
on its carriage just enough to show that 1t knew
how to work, and work easy
THE THIRD AND LAST TRIAL.
The final trial yesterday was by far the most
interesting and important OF al that preceded ";
Great impatence for the result was manifested
by the spectators. A heavy conclusion of the
Efound as well as the atmosphere was now looked
for and there just enough OF anxiety for tue
safety of the giant, who was now become pet
among those who were not familiar with It's
powers as TO lend the additional charm OF excite,
ment to the interest hitherto felt. The gun had
now In a full charge of one hundred pounds ol
powder and 1850 pound ball At lgng'G g s,i w@ wa
about 10 be fired. Every one rushed out OIL th
way, and many took shelter behind ne as Ied9uot S
Of the fort The fuse hissed and tiamed, bu
while all waited breathlessly for the flash 1t on
turned 10 be "a fash in the pan Inc ius
failed. An officer then went up, VINO must nav
bad great confidence in the gun, and snapped th
cap, and off went the big gun.
The report was very little louder than the on
which Immediately preceded it, There was nj
perceptble cOncussion of the ground, and ndee
very little of anything to lead you to think tha
the greatest gun known TO exist had then bee
fred The shot whirled through the air from th
angle of twenty-6ye degrees at which the gu
was elevated, and after describing beautifr
arc which was visible To the naked eye droppe
into the water about four miles of. The MOI.
made by the collision of the ball and the air
fhe flight of the former was like the wall OF
giant 1t was something like the peculiar moi,
made by hurricane passing through snip
rigging IL was the scream of the eagle.
The volume Of spray thrown up BY the 6a D,
after It's contact with the water was SO great tn
we could not sec whether it rcoche'ted or no
though many said it did. On examining Oh
effect on the gun il was discovered that this tim
the giant was foaming q little at the mouth, tn
smoke of the bHrut powder still coming from th
muzzle. He had consented 70 roll himself Oae
6ye feet, but in other respects was just us bctor
CONCLUSION.
The gun was now tested. The range is TO I
tested some future day; but at the proper eley
tOn, and with hundred and twenty-h'
pounds of powder, it is expected to be besweC
The following account of the method of testir
the gun was written by J. g. Barnard, Gener
Grant'r Chief of Engineers:-
Captain ROdman's method consists especial
in casting the gun hollow, instead Of solid, NJ
by means of current OF water Introduced IN
the core which forms the mould OF the bore, co,
InR from the interior TO insure the cooling SIN
be exclusively internal, the exterior OF the m0u
is kept heated during tue whole process. l.
effect of this is easily seen 70 be that the interi
metal Immediately above the bore) solidih
first and as the more distant portions solid
there is nothing to oppose their contraction. I9
therefore assume the sohd STATE without Ciusl
those injurious strains in the metal caused by
old process In reality, when the cooling Is p
perly managed the interior metal about the D
Is in a state of compression and tic exterior u
state of tension, exactly as theory showsit II shoj
be TO get the maximum strength OF the Wh
thickness Of metal when subjected to inter
strain.
Not only this but the metal about the b
first cooled and in contact with the COOL
medium is, il should be- the hardest a
clearest. BY the solid casting process it has bt
shown that the results as 70 both these coudlul
--of tension and Of hardness-Were just
reverse Hence the practical limit TO increase
strength with thickness by this process. In
Theoretical considerations have been fully G.
frmed by experiment Several guns Of sma
calibre were cast and subjected 10 severe g
previous TO attempting so unusual calibre' 1
i5-inch gun of which now speak has been 81
iected up 70 present date, TO three hundred a
ffty rounds with full charges. The ayeri
charge has been thirty-hYe pounds OF Ia
grained POWDER with shells OF three huno
and eight to three hundred and thirty-et
pounds weight
AT the three hundredth round mo later mi
ssuL,ement has been made belieye), the deic
sS;si sl;i applied 70 the bore failed 10 indicate
Kind. Kid'' management Or deterioration OF q
Fifteen inches Is the ealY,re ftbe gun rnode
an experiment 70 test the praotieab III nv ~ casti
guns OF extraordinary oalbre and Their efBeien
The result has convinced our ordnanc. o0sc
that il is not an extreme limit. A twepty- II
gun can probably be made, and moi oni y ~ ~
but used with facility and efheiency I'm FSosrn n,a
and expensive as they are, such guns may pr
their Emission" and a few Of them In our INN
ant seacoast batteries will probably be herea
deemed an essential part Of their armament.-
y. Hsruid