The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-03
THE GREAT ENGLISH GUN.


THE COMPLETION OF THE EIGHTY ONE-ToN GUN
| AT wooLwICH- "A DESCRIPTION OF THE MON
! sTER.
The Woolwich correspondent of the London
| Neaos writes as follows Of the great gun at
Woolwich, under date of Sept. IA:
This ponderous gun which has just been
completed at the Royal Gun Factories, Wool
wich, has attracted large number OF visitors
| to- day, and multitude of applications are
| being made for permission to witness the
proof of the gun, which is fixed to take place
| on Friday next, at the proof butts adjoining
the Royal Arsenal.
The gun was lifted on to a platform this
| morning in order that photographs might be
| taken of its naked shape before being put
| into its carriage, and one or two good plates
| of the gun, surrounded by groups of the Of
portions, were taken by the photographers Of
the Royal Chemical Department. The length
of the gun is 80 feet, and its diameter varies
| from about two feet at the muZZle to about
feet at the breech. Internally the bore meas
| ures ~ feet, and in its present state will
| Just admit projeciile of 144 inches in thick
ness. 1t is, however, proposed to enlarge this
bore, after the proper caliber has been found
by experiment., and it is not unlikely that the
gun will eventually have bore OF l6 inches.
It is riff ed in eleven groves, and the spiral in
creases as the shot travels along the gun,
commencing with nothing in the powder
chamber and leaving the muzzle with twist
of l in 3d. The shot will therefore
turn scarcely once on its axis inside the gun,
but this has been proved ample to give it the
necessary rotation to the end of its journey.
The weight of the gun is a tritis over eighty
one tons, but it is to be Known in the service
as the S0-ton gun. 1t has been constructed
OF eight separate pieces, wrought IRON coils,
fitted and shrunk one into the other on the
Woolwich or Fraser system@a system which
has for several years been adopted IN the
! manufacture of all English guns, and one
which, although professedly discredited by
most of the great powers in favor of steel CT
bronze, or some other system, is known to be
at the present time extensively taken up by
several of the leading European nations. The
gnn was designed by Mr.. r. S. Fraser, the
inventor of the system, and deputy assistant
Superintendent of the Royal Gun Factories,
and it is beyond doubt the most powerful
piece OF ordnance ever produced.
The projectiles with which it will be proved
CORES pond in size, but not in shape, with the
shot and shell with which it will be fired on
service. They have been cast in the shell
foundry of the Royal Laboratory, and are
great DOltb OF SOlu lIou, CIVIL "oiSniAS LOW
pounds. They are fat-headed, and are filled
with great number of studs to fit the grooves
of the rifing. Special hammers, sponges.
and other apparatus have been provided for
the proof of the gun, q truck has been con-
structed to carry The shot with special con-
trvance for lifting it to the mouth Of the gun.
and the Government manufacturers OF gun
powder have even provided special powder.
The powder, in its way, is as remarkable as
the gun. Each grein of it is a cube an inch
and half in diameter, and the cartridge,
VIII Oh will be $50 pounds of this powder,
will be large bolster about the size OF an
ordinary man. 1t is proposed to increase the
powder charge if necessary to 300 pounds,
but this, like the caliber OF the gun and the
weight of the shot. will abide the result OF
experiments.
Assuming that the gun will stand the proof,
which may be almost taken for grented, 1t
will probably attain q range of about eight
miles, 1t might, therefore, be relied upon,
if required, to send a shot or shell weighing
more than half q ton completely over London,
from Hampstead Heath to Clapham junction,
or from Noting Hill to Poplar. The only
xiety remaining is with respect to the
strength of the railway by which the gun will
be taken to the butts. The total weight OF
the gun and carriage is 100 tons, and although
the bridge over the canal and other parts of
the line have been strengthened to meet the
strain, it is not impossible that there is
some weak point which may give way. Every
precaution, however, has been taken to
guard against such an unfortunate contin-
gency. The short section of railway upon
which heavy guns are now always fired at
the butts is thought to be quite equal to the
task before it, and the novelty Of this method
| of discharging heavy artillery upon field )"
carriages will doubtless be matter of inter-
est to the visitors expected to be present on
Friday This plan, which is attended with
many great advantages, was invented about
year ago by Major Maitland, Royal Artillery,
| Assistant Superintendent of the Royal Gun
Factories, who has, IN conjunction with the
| late Superin endent, Gen. Campbell, been
actively engaged in peifecting the many re-
markable productions which have distinguish
ed the Royal Gun Factories for some years
past The proof projectiles have been fitted
with crusher gauges to indicate the pressure
of each discharge, and the scientific method
of measuring the velocity by means Of cleo
tricity, which has been for some time adopted,
will be made use of on an improved scale
All the chiefs Of the army have been invited
to witness the trial.
Wants and 70 Rent inserted IN the BULLETIN for
| fifty cents.