Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-26
Big Steel Guns.

TWO TEN-INCH RIFLED CANNON TO BE MADE AT THE
WASHINGTON NAVAL ARSENAL-wHY THE STEEL Is
IMPORTED FROM ENGLAND.
Besides the two S;x-inch steel rlflad guns In
course of construction at the ordnance machine
shops at the Washington naval arsenal, formerly
the navy yard, In this city "a description
OF which guns was published In The STAR
recently, there Will be two ten-inch breech-
loading steel rifles begun shortly, probably next
month. The construction OF these guns will be an
important step in the manufacture OF ordnance in
the Am arlcan navy. The government has never
made CUR, land Is In possession OF only one gun
OF this character IA slx-nch rfe), which was made
at the South Boston steel works, and Is kept at the
naval experimental station at Annapolis STAR
reporter yes erday afternoon stepped into the ord
nance department at the navy yard, presided over
by Capt. Howell, to get some facts about the pro-
posed new & guns When minis finished ed thy VIII be each
breech, and will weigh about "a tons each The
tubes and the jackets will be imported from Eng
land. The jackets, which are heavy cylinders OF
steel, are Shrunk on over the breech OF the guns
TO increase their strength.
BROUGHT FROM ENGLAND IN THE ROUGH.
The reporter was informed that the object of i'm
porting the tubes and jackets OF the guns in the
rough was not for the little workmanship on them,
but simply to get the metal, which cannot be Oh
ta1ned In this country. "The reason for this" said
an officer, ''S because neither the government nor
anybody else ever wanted such heavy steel before:
1t requires tremendously heavy machinery and
hammers to manufacture 1t. II the contractors
here were sure OF getting large contract, they
would put up the machinery. but as it Is they will
not make the large outlay on an uncertainty" In
reply to question from the reporter as to the IA
ciliGies OF the yard for dong such heavy and i'm
portant work, the officer said: eve have the very
best facilities, for we have corps OF experienced
machinists, who have been here for years Then
we take in apprentices, who are seldom changed,
and they pick up great deal OF this peculiar sort
OF information that makes them useful In the con-
struc;ion Of ordnance work. Then. as to thema-
chinery; ours is the best owned by the govern
ment, and IL we have fair show we can do any
kind OF work that is done anywhere"
The steel out of which
THE TWO SIX-INCH RIFLES
are being constructed was obtained in this coun-
try after considerable delay, and was furnished by
the Midwife steel works, OF Philadelphia. The
carriages Of these guns were tested at the expert
mental station few days ago and We're found to
work perfectly. The advantage OF steel rifles over
iron guns is their superior strength and length. A
long gun Will burn more powder than a short one
No powder is blown out Of the muzzle, as is the
case in guns OF shorter pattern, and thus the
prOjecte is driven with greater force All OF these
guns will be used In armng the new steel cruisers,
unless some other vessel Will need them first 1t Is
estimated that the ten-inch guns will throw pro-
Jectiles that Will weigh five hundred pounds.