New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-03
IMPROVED GUN-CARRIAGE FOR HEAVY ORD
NANCE

The need of suitable carriage upon whicA
to mount heavy siege gGs has felt ever since the
invention of this class Of ordnance while the intodsc-
ton Of the is and 2opch guns has shown ofeary as
radical change must be made In the method empOycA
for serving them. Their great size ana weight, bs
weight Of the projectes thrown, ana the dhcuity OF
handling the saue large number OF men required to
servo them witt anything like rapidly the severe labor
to which the men are subjected. and the wear and
nous strain upon the caused by the reco whom
fred have virtually decided that the carriages In
worthless To provide one that would overcome thcss
objections and at the same time dispense with most Of
the manual labor at present employed Mr. j. b. Fades
has invented, and there 10 In process Il
construction at Fort Hamilton carriage be worked
by compressed air. and 10 Is thought by engineers wise
soiidty and durability and also to provide sucest
support for the and carriage weighing together
81 tuns circular excavation is feet IN depth was made
and upon the bottom riago Of timbers each Is inches
square, constructed Then six Feet OF earth nnsy
formng the grage, and upon top Of the EARTH sboss
five feet iR thickness $50 uDs 10 weight OF concrete s
ing 2 tuns sunken into the granite aud fastened TO
by ten bolts, "a inches In diameter. ana reaching ~
same diameter reaching through the granite only IS ss
bed plate weighing four tuns Resting upon hnmerv ~
center Of the bed plate is the gun eSriage an asn,.,
triangularshaped affair substantially Dmlt "a
IRON arm which is securely boited to 2 piston.
rod working in cylinder; The cyhhnano n.,,s
pump worked by a small steam engine, the pressure IN
The cylinder being pounds to the square incb When
the gun IA red the reco is received IN this cylinder and
upon the compressed air. by OF the pstonLod cea
Meeting with Tue guncarrage The pressure OF tue CON-
pressed air. IL is expected, will check the reco ana
throw the gun forward TO its place. or by the use o.
lever 1t can BIO held back until II Is loaded Bur.
rounding the gun. and with an inclination ,owssa
the mu5zle, Is O wroughtiron apron, upon the 70
Of which is track OF groove, IA wn, sn , s
balls or shells placed the inclination OF the tra
forcing them around directly under the muzze OF Ac
gun. this point the ball drops upon frame ooitsa "
al tnu -rnHv rOr
rises carrying the ball with t, until IL is opposite NE
ipuzzle, when by Ingenious arrangement the irans
holding the ball is tilted and the BALI rolls INTO tns
gun. This cylinder is bOed to the gun carriage ana
OF course always position TO raise the projectle
The gun being revoyed, run forward ana
the principal part OF the loading done by the aid OF com
pressed air. but little remains TO be done Dy hsnd ase
the invent coudant that the can be loaded ans
fired six time minute than thirty times as fast
rs by the present mode. II the invention success the
advantages aceruing from 1t will be inestiuabie In NM
itary point OF view aud the principle can Dc applied
shpsOfwar In fact to any or all neayy guns ~ xhas
ever position they may be placed The CARRIAGES beisf
constructed under the immediate supervision OF Mr. Wn
Lane engineer IN charge OF Fort Hamilton ana ne Ok
poets to have 1t ready for use within week.