The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-11-04
A BIG GUN.
with Four Hundred and Forty ONE
Pounds of Powder IL Sends q TwO-ThOu-
sand Pound Ball Forty Ave Feet Into n
Saud-Bank.

=
.and Pound Ball FOrty-five Feet Into n
[London standard.I
A disappointment which occurred in a
second attempt to fire the one-hundred-
ton gun whetted the interest in renewal
of the gun and a preliminary trial of the
hydraulic machinery, the port door of
the loading turret, technically called the
"cage," was opened, and the muzzle of
the gun depressed in the loading posi-
ton. The proof shot of two thousand
pounds weight was placed in the loading
truck, and the two cartridges were
placed in position behind it. The pow
der charge was now increased to four
hundred and forty-one pounds, and the
powder was of the character profession
ally described as "P g." which consists
of cube-shaped "pebbles one and one
fourth inches In diameter.
Loading was the work of very few
minutes. 1t was not performed as time
test, but it has been found that the whole
operation of loading, aiming, and firing
can be got through in less than two min
utes. Of the 80 feet inches, which is
the depth of the bore, the charge occu-
pies nearly 9 feet, and when the mark
on the hydraulic piston showing that it
had gone fairly home, the muzzle was
raised and trained to the left, the work
of very few moments, seeing that the
gun can be carried completely round in
eighteen seconds. With the aid of lad
ders Captain Morley, R. A, the proof
officer, and his assistants laid the gun so
as to direct the projectal through the two
electric screens which stands before the
butts to measure the velocity, wire from
| the instrument-room was connected with
the vent, and the warning bell was
sounded Then it was found that Colo
mel Inglis, r. E., who is president pro
tenn. of the committee, was to occupy
the turret while the gun was fred,
and after handing to Lieutenant vii
locks an official-looking paper, which,
by grim joke, was said to be his will, he
entered the exposed side of the turret
with lighted lamp and was fastened in
with chain and staple. Major Ellis takes
his stand beside the gun on tho open
side of the enaplacenlent, and Captain
Lewis. r. E., posts himself in the recess
on the other side, where are the levers
which control the machinery. ALI others
Withdraw to such distances and refugees
as prudence may suggest, and, without
| any long interval of suspense, the gun is
fred. As the spectators run forward
they see Colonel Inglis walking out of
| the turret, the door of which has burst
open, breaking the iron staple. He de-
scribes the concussion, however, as not
| distressing, and accounts for the door
| opening by the outside vacuum created
| by the expansion of the powder gases,
which, he thinks, can hardly affect the
permanent works, inclosed as they will
| be on all sides with heavy masonry. As
man will always have to occupy the
turret to work the loading apparatus
whenever the gun is in action, it was as
| suring t. have the opinion of Colonel
| Inglis that he should be quite comforta-
| BILE under the circumstances. The Off
GERS who stood beside the gun stated that
| the effect was much the same as they
might experience fifty yards off, and the
| impression upon the other observers was
| that the report was not quite so loud as
they had heard the other day. The i'm
preston was soon confirmed in various
ways. The recoil with the increased
| charge was but 2 feet inches, not much
more than half the recol OF the other
day; the shot, which then went forty
| five feet into the sand-bank, was now
found at depth of thirty feet only; and,
most conclusive of all, the velocity,
WHICH W1U1 Iu6 4AO-poulu CudISo WIS
1920 feet per second, now measured
with the AL pounds of powder only
| /, ,O4O feet. 1t was clear that there was
something wrong somewhere, and the
natural conclusion was that the projectile
had slipped forward while the muzzle
was depressed The gun was therefore
loaded again with the same charge of AL
pounds, care being first taken to wash it
well ont and search it with a mirrior for
| obstacles, of which none were found, and,
all being prepared, it was once more
fired. The report was sensibly heavier;
the recoil was feet u inches, the pene-
tration of the sand butt was 45 feet, and,
finally, Captain Morley came from his
observatory with the report of a velocity
of 1855 feet per second. As in this
round the shot was proved to be in its
proper position by measuring rod,
after the gun was elevated precaution
which was not observed in the previous
round-the suspicion that the shot had
slipped forward gained strength, and it
will probably be requisite to employ
wads in future experiments.