New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-17

by lever exposing the whols length Of the barre
to view and allowing the load to be put directly u
the chamber instead Of being pushed long way Ia
past lateral opening, as IN the krupp system, To
reach It's position.
NEED OF A SETTLED ORDNANCE POLICY.
It Is high time that Congress should adopt some
settled and liberal policy for supplying our
harbor defences with improved guns OF the highest
efficiency. In our present condition, If war with
naval power should occur we should have to de-
pend on torpedOes to protect our seabQard elites,
for we have no Navy worth mentioning and no guns
In our forts capable of repeling the powerfully
armed and armored ships of England, Germany and
France. We might, perhaps, buy few guns
of Mr. Krupp If we had long enough warning
Of the probable breaking out of hostilities,
but we could not make any ourselves
in time to meet the emergency. What the policy OF
Congress should be Is plain, An ample appropriation
should first be made for fair competitive trial OF
all systems for heavy breech-lOadng rifed ordnance
possessing obvious merit that the most efficient sys
tenn might be adopted for the standard Government
arm. Then there should be regular appropriations
sufficient to build q considerable number Of such
guns every year, until the most important fOrtica
lions could be provided with Them
A visit to the Sandy Hook proving ground 10 IN
teresting to people who know nothing OF thascence
of gunnery. The huge unfinished stone walls or an
enormous fort stand staring. on the sand, monu-
ment to the fasity of the old theories OF defensive
works. They are not completed because they would
be good for nothing against the heavy projectes OF
the new artillery and they can serve useful Dur-
pose save to furnish support to sand embank
ments. Some day, when Congress gives the engineers
money for the purpose, they will cover all this
costly masonary with sand, and make q good
modern work, capable of repeliug irOn-clads before
rows. Beyond the half-built fort Is big shingled
tower. looking like an exaggerated Dutch wind
mill deprived of its sails. whence incoming ship
ping IS signalled and reported by telegraph to the
Ship-News Office at the Battery. Near by
is the ordnance proving ground, where all
the Army experiments with guns and shot
nTn q
with targets dotted along it, and group of small
buildings and sheds at one end, around which are
rows of guns and piles of shot. AT little distance
away is q big brick house, looking like Summer
boarding house. That is what 1t 49, in fact although
the bOarders officers civil dignltares aud Tor
elgn ministers, who occasionally come 10 see bne eA
pcrments, and for whose accommodation the mousse
was erected in fit of hberalty, if not extrava-
gance. on the part of somebody IN authority.
When gun IS tested it is tried for endurance, ac-
curacy. range, velocity and pressure. The endu-
rance test is now 500 rounds with ordinary charges
Formerly an additional test of q few rounds with
double charges was required, but this was found to
strain the gun uselessly, and has been abandoned.
Accuracy Is matter OF correct mechanicai con-
structiOn Of tho piece The velocity OF the shot IS
measured by an ingenious electrical apparatus,
which registers TO q thOusandth part of second
the time required for the shot to travel between TWO
frames placed 100 feet apart the proving ground.
Strings are strung on these frames, ana as Inc
shot cuts them it breaks an electric current. To
ascertain the range OF gun at dlnerent eeVations
shots fired out to sea. Two observers arc placed
at equal distances from the gum each provided with
table marked off for triangulatiOn, on which re-
wolves brass rod with sights at each end. When
the shot strikes the water the observers move their
rods to point to the spot. Then having already
the base Of the triangle they have the direction Of
the two sides and can easily ascertain how far Oh
the apex is where the prOiectie struck.
The pressure of the powder IS gagged By little
instrument enclosed in a cartridge having punger
with knife at one end, which IS pressed by the ex-
plOsiOn into copper disk. The length OF the gasn
determines quite accurately the force of the pres
sure. a mechanical contrivance having aScertalned
inst how many pounds force will produce similar
gashes of various lengths. We make the best pow
der in the world, and could undoubtedly make the
best guns If there were sufficient encouragement to
private enterprise in that direction.
visit to the Hook Is dOubly interesting If
the visitor goes on day when artillery experiments
are IN progress and is so fortunate as to be COM
mended to the intelligent and polite officers of the
Ordnance Board, who will take the trouble to ex-
PLAN all the nice scientific features of their expert
ments. These gentlemen handle their guns and
shot as if they were dealing with scientific appa-
ratus only, and not with instruments designed to
destroy human life ut the longest possible range
and III the most Wholesale manner. v. V. 8. ;