, 1876-11-12

= losO 61xA / AI1N AVlI0s
drives the cup forward, fills up the grooves Of
tho gun, and, gripping the shot tight, forces 1t
| to spin with the velocity impressed upon 1t by
the maxiinuE' inclination OF the crooycs-nane-
", ono t1rn III fifty feet ut its pr"1rvss. The
powder is tho same as that use'' Will, the eighty
one~ton gun; each grain has thickness Of one
and-a-half inches, and. when all details are set
tied, will probably weigh about $50 pounds.
1 Now, such mass as 100 tons of metal
/! leaping backwards with recoil from the effort
of throwing a shot Of 1000 pounds with high
velocity IS terrible power to deal with in any
case-1nuch more when it has to be stnnoei be-
| fore It has moved four feet. The mere lifting
such gun Is tao much for any chains, SO that
I crnne with solid rod to halg the run to. had
to BE- devised. Low, then, is tho monster to be
coil! And how is he to be pushed forward again?
! BY the simplest aud comlnonest agcnt-watcr.
! If water be confined in tube wthrit means uf
escape, it will stop ANYTHING So long rs The
] tube does not burst, anu Il it lc aliowel but
| small means OF escape, it will clie:k .hr ,t-
| ton OF any force aus! delay it while the
! liquid is taking tho necessary time to rs
cape. On the other hand. il water he
pressed through small tube, say one inuA
pound, SO TINT it rushes into large tube, sar
one foot square, it will act upon any oppasin..
body with force equal to the one poanI null
tiplicd by the number Of square inches which
there are il a square foot-thus is, r. This.
pressure of one pound in the small tute may
be made, speaking roughly, to move l4t pounds
in the large tube. Tl,rse two principles ri the
science Of hydraulics have becn brought to bear
on gun carriages. The rccoil is checked By
water in large tube unable to escape except
pressure OF spiral springs whicl. have
4 force Of ever fifty at:nosp:.crcs
and make the exit di}ficnlt. The gun is
moved forward, elevated, or depressed by forcing
f,,t,n ;r+x,. IL.
where it acts with greatly multiplied forre on
the weight to be moved Once accent this prill-
ciple and all becomes easy and snlple. No
more complicated apparatus OF wheels. ropes,
trunnions resting in two blocks Of metal: which
slide on fixed beams built in the floor Of the tur
ret. Guides prevent the slidinsFaRl9cks from
moving right or left or jun1plng Il Behind the
blocks are cylinders which act the part of the
large tubes spoken OF aboye-piston5 attached
to the rear OF the block work iii these cylinders
and can be driven forward by tho action of
water forced through small pipes into the
larger cylinders by means OF the steam power
always available on board turret ships. The
which again has hydraulic ram underneath it,
SO that the breech can be raised OF lowered as
may be wished-that is, the gun can be de-
pressed or elevated. The rear end Of the beam
spot the breech always comes when the gun is
run back, either BY the natural recoll or the
artificial running back. Thus, whenever tile
gun is fully back it must be horizontal, and all
danger OF IT'S strtsln& Tue Iop oi cue port IN ne
may be uplifted when the piece is fired, it bows
again TO the horizontal position rs II comes
back after firing.
The next point is the loading arrangements.
Imnk OF the dl1nculty 20 pe overcome. dcre IS
small arms and shrapnel, and the gun is so long
that its muzzle Is always outside the turret.
lnto tnat muzzle mus. -. oe spon.e " clean III
aJel OIL WAFER 70 wasn ls, any GAtlnSu!sn a1y r.
muhs o1 nIe ielt lroin Lne aiscnaIge' caleruge
Weighing at least as mucn rs tw1 9eagy men,
anu shot the We1snt OF Nnich 1alls llt1le shoft
OF ton; anu nll TINS must De done quickly
Win avoloance OF az nervousness;
snot must pc Promp.ly @ ~, 1ammeu .,, 1l.e nome
lest the gun should be strained or even burst.
Here again comes to the aid Of tue artil-
lercst tue silent, cam, nres'stloic lorce
or water. Inc muZzle OF Tue gun Is aepresscu
III! IL comes opposlIS 1ou1o ioh uoor 1eso'nG
eelow the aeek: Ing aoor, MHlcn Is IS GO covered
from the enemF's nTe ny = nood 1orlneu ps sIop..
ing Plates OF alon, g1lucs pack, aEo 5ne Aeau ot
an enormous sponge appears, earned ~ 'front.' OF
metal roo. swiftly and silently u ,c, cnters tne
bore OF the gun, lenethehing l1sel1 IKE tcle-
when spring is touched,a o valve opens, anu
deluge Of water rushes from the mead OF the
sponge, extlngulshtng every possible trace OF
ire obedlent TO tnc tonch OIL one man on q
nanule, Jug spoMSe MI "ovMies auo ietac ~
often as IS W1llcd, then ~ltndra"n, leaving
room Tor the cartridge 10 appear. Car-
fridge aud shot are sale below the Geek,
each shot with its charge on sepa-
rate truck in the magazine Always slowed ~
readiness 1or use az the moment o. as&lon; ~! -
freight Of ammunition to De run out on to
hstraon fhn cnonre-heai and the pun which
rana;va. y hv a ahort cp;c1r thrnet ri +he
ases s..re haed o.r hanaI1,a T. -ono.nar ann+hor
sbort iift hr thc Same mower. ALWAYS wafer and