Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-10-15
The Great English Gun.

! TIE COMPLETION OF THE BIGHrY-oNE-ToN GUN
AT wooLwIcH-A DESCRIPTION OF THE MON
sTER.
The WoOlwich correspondent of the Lon
don Nelos writes as follows of the great gun
at Woolwich, under date of Sept. h This
ponderous gun which has just been COM
pleted at the Royal Gun Factories, Wool
wich, has attracted large number of visit
ors to-day, and a multitude of applica tions
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 ad
joining the Royal Arsenal. The gun was
lifted on to a platform this morning in or
der that photographs might be taken of its
naked shape before being put into its car
rage, and one or two good plates Of the
gun, surrounded by groups OF the officers
and workmen to show its immense proper
tions were taken by the photographers of
the Royal Chemical Department. The
length of the gun is 33 feet, and its diane
ter varies from about . feet at the muzzle to
about e feet at the breech. Internally the
bore measures - feet, and in its present
state will just admit proiectile II ID inch
es in thickness. Ii is, however, proposed
to enlarge this bore, after the proper calibre
has been found by experiment, and it is not
unlikely that the gun will eventually have
bore of l6 inches. 1t is rifed in eleven
grooves, and the spiral increases as the shot
travels along the gun, commencing with
nothing IN the powder chamber and leaving
the muzzle with twist of | in 35. The
shot will therefore turn scarcely once on its
axis inside the gun, but this bas been proved
ample to give it the necessary rotation to
the end of its journey. The weight of the
gun IS trihe over eighty-one tons, but it Is
TO be known in the service as the S0-ton gun.
Ii has been constructed of eight separate
pieces, wrought iron coils. fitted and shrunk |
one into the other on the Woolwich or Fra |
ser system-a system which has several |
years been adopted in the manufacture of all |
English guns, and one which, although pro-
fessedly tiscredited by most Of the great
powers In favor of steel or bronze, or some |
other system, is known to be at the present |
time extensively taken up ty several of the |
leading European nations. The gun was
designed by Mr.. X. S. Fraser, the inventor
of the system, and Deputy Assistant S1-
perintendent of the Royal Gun Factories,
and it is beyond doubt the most powerful
piece of ordnance ever produced.
The projectles with which it will be proved
correspond in size, bat 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 bolts Of solid iron. each weighing
| 300 pounds. They are Aat-headed, and
are filed with great number Of studs to fit
the grooves of the riding. Special hammers,
'ponges, and other apparatus have been pro-
Eided for the proof Of the gun, truck has
been constructed to carry the shot with
'pecial contrivance for lifting it 10 the
mouth of the gun, and the Government
Of gunpowder have even pro-
7ided special powder. The powder, in its
way, Is as remarkable as the gun. Each
grain Of it is cabe an inch and half in
iameter, and the cartridge, which will be
bolster about the size of an ordinary man
L Is proposed to increase the powder charge
f necessary to 300 pounds, but this, ike
he calIbre 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 grant
ID, It Will probably attain range Of about
eight miles. The only anxiety remaining is
with respect to the strength Of the railway
y which the gun will be taken to the butts
The total weight of the gun and carriage is
l2O tons, and although the bridge over the
anal, and other parts OF the line have been
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
uch an unfortunate contingency. The short
ection of railway upon which heavy guns
ire now always fired at the butts is thought
o be quite equal to the task before it, and
he novelty OF this method of discharcing )
leavy artillery upon d" feld' carriages will !
doubtless be matter of interest to the vis- t.
tors expected to be present on Friday This
Ian, which is attended with many and
,reat advantages, was invented about year
go by Major Maitland, Royal Artillery, As
istant Superintendent of the ROYAL Gln
'actories, who has, in conjunction with the
ate Superintendent, Gen. Campbell, been |
ctiyely engaged in perfecting the many re-
productions which have distin-
uished the Royal Gun Factories for some
ears past. The proof projectiles have been
tied with crusher gauges to indicate the I
ressure Of each discharge, and the scien-
tic method of measuring the velocity by !
leans Of electricity, which has been for /
ome time adopted, will be made use of on
n improved scale. All the chiefs of the n
rmy have been invited to witness the trial. b