Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-12-19
Making steel Cannon.

The Two new SIX lnch steel guns new
being constructed in the ordinances
shops In the navy yard at Washington
will probably not be finished for severa
months. The voSk of building them il
necessarily slow eoe All the labor i
performed in the shops here, except the
manufacturing OF the steel. That il
done at the Midvale Works, in Easton
Pa. The steel then is shipped to Wash
ingtop, and the work Of converting II
into cannon is performed. This is &
complex operation. and to the locker on
is decidedly interesting. The steel is
first turned by lathe working slowly,
but with emendous power until the
heavy mass OF ''steel in the rough, SO
to speak, becomes a long cylindrico-
conoldal column. In this condition IL
ls placed in proper position and hole
drilled clear through it by means OF
what Is called ''hog bit." The hog
bit is small rectangIe of very hard
steel. turnt d mp at ole end In such O
manner as to form a rude vertical Sec
ton of spherlcaI Triangle. The whole
rectangular piece is then clamped
down upon flat shaft of chilled iron
in such q manner as to fit in and form
sone piece with the shaft. The latter
has at the opposite end cylinder
shape, winch end is held in . frame
and worked by appropriate machinery
moved by steam upon one end of the
steer column to be pero1Ated. The end
of the column is first ''dug INTO" a
little, and then the ''hog bit" does its
work. 1t reyoIves on its axis and the
bit desciibes q circle, tearing out the
hard steel slowly but surely. As the
guns nave q boIe OF SIX inch diameter,
and the Lit describes circle of only
two and three quarter inches radius.
the enlargement of the perforatlon Is
accomplished by ether bits.
Once perforated the now hollow tube
of steel requires to be ''jlcketed, !"
"collared' and ''breeched" before 1t is
allowed to graduate into the society of
cannon. The jacket is an outside wrap
of steel, followed in the same way,
heated until it expands sufficient to be
slipped over the tube it Is intended to
jacket. Upon cooling this outside wrap
cont acts and presses upon the low in-
side tube with almost the same degree
oI cohesion as tue molecules of the steel
themselves. The object of the packet
Is TO strengthen the gun and prevent
accident The explosive force Of gases
evolved from gunpowder being tre-
mendous and occurring mostly at the
breech the primary object Is to strength
sn this latter part. Collars of steel,
great blocks of csrbOnlEed rron hsyiug
been turned into shape and perforated,
are next expanded by the heat and slip
ped over the breech part OF the gun.
When contracted they grow into and
become u part OF II. fhe breech head
Of The gun Il next latheJ and fashioned,
dIfterepr (crkn,en being emplo, ed Oh
CltteIeEr parts OF this. The nt;ng OF
the gun Is smother step. A difsren.
Alna Of 'bit from the "hog, spur
VI steel tempered 10 a gieat hardness,
Is cianped To the cel4tre of semi
Circular piece Of copper and iron, and
this issi device is slowly worked through
tue gun ON spiral turn, giving ihe
''rIne twist" The breech head is then
gTooyed and adjusted and the hreech
cap formally adjusted. THIS, as Is
hnogn to all who have ,xamined breech-
leaders, SWINGS back on hinge or
sprmg, aud when closed Ii securely
iUcked by a lever clamp.