New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-25
a HUGE GUN SUCCESSFULLY CAST.
SOMETHING NEW IN oRDNASCE-THE LYMAN-HAs-
KEEL ACCELERATfNG CANNON.

SOMETHING NEW IN oRDNANCE-THE LYMAN-HAs-
KEEL ACCELERATiNG CANNON
fFRoN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
READING, Penn, Oct. 24.-At the Scott
Foundry of the Reading Iron Company this afternoon
$4,000 pounds Of molten iron poured into a
gigantic mould, and the casting OF huge cannon which
win be twenty-five feet length. successfully ac
compsbed. The pattern OF this gun il departure
In ordnance 1t Is known as the LymanIaskell Aceel
Grating Multcharge cannon. The principle Is simple.
In other guns the ignition Of the charge and consequent
volume OF gas produce great pressure in the
breech which is however, diminished the shot passes
along the chamber and much less at the muzze The
design Of this pattern to maintain the pressure
upon the shot, making il great ut the muzzle "a in
the brcech. There four large globular pockets
line underneath the breeoh section, each
intended for charge Of powder In the
breech will be placed eighteen pounds OF hexag
ona slow burning powder and each pocket will
contain twenyeght pounds Of powder that burns rap
Idly thus the initial velocity Of the shot will be kept up
by the explosions OF the powder in each chamber
cessively the shell passes out and by this aeeumua
ton of power OF the penetrating force
of the shot will be greatly Increased
General Newton who has reported favor
ably experiments with smaller guns of this pattern,
states that the ten-ineh accelerating gun
would be as powerful the eighty-one-tOn
Armstrong gun. With halfineh gun of this
design. four and half inches OF wrought
iron have been penetrated at 200 yards. and the in
ycnor claims that the penetration of this gun, COM
pared with that Of any other under similar condi
lions, IL 10 lie IL il also stated that much more
powder be used than I'm the ordinary single charge
gun with much loss strain upon the breech.
Mr.. Haskell, the joint inventor with A. s. Lyman,
has been able. thus far, to experiment only
with comparatively small guns, Int through the agency
OF Captain Horace Tarrof the rm OF Tarr Pancoastof
New York, the casting OF this gun was negotiated with
the Reading Iron Works. the frs that has been cast
feet oug with six inch bore, and the greatest diam
eter twenty six inches.
Al o'clock this morning $4,000 pounds OF charcoal
iron. largely fFom mines In Virginia, were placel
in air-blast furnace and 10000 pounds
in another. At balf-past this afternoon
the iron declared ready to be poured into the mould
stood upright in great gun Pit in the middle Of the
foundry which used for the same purpose during
The mould, which had been east in halves ard
aferward bottled together fifteen feet In depth, tine
length of the breech section Of the The ten feet OF
the muZLle viii be east separately ana the Two
parts screwed together. The sides 81 the InOnlh
pert, with holes, that the iron might How down
and cOmG into the inside AZ the bottom and also with
gates 20 admit the of The casting was ac-
complshed without explosion Or accident The gun was
east little longer than necessary To allow Tor shrnkage
IN the two three weeks before the metal Will become
cool II east solid. and after being bored out viii
lined inside throughout with soft Mrrivale steel
which viii have something OF a cush1on-ke effect
Will deaen the force of the explosion In the spring
the gun viii be tested at Sandy Hook.
The casting made under the supervision ~ IL. ~
j. q. West OF the Reading Iron Works, ana among
Horace Tarr. Edward Barr, J. NJ Brady Colonel j. IL
Sfevcus Professor Van Der Weyde, and g. " Hartwel
and G. p. Young Of NewYork Robert Briggs, OF Phlla
drphIa Charles A. Brnley superintendent OF the Nice
Henry Rein J. v Craig, b. c. schninck and Horatio
IrcXteT, OF this city.