Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-11
CASTING GREAT GUN.
The Largest in the United States-An In
teresting Event at the South Boston
Iron Foundry.


Iron Foundry.
The improvements in the construction
of heavy ordnance have been quite m arked
during the past few gears, says the Boston
AdrertiSer, and profiting by the expert
ence Of the past, large guns, especially for
coast defense, are now made of far more
strength and durability, and of greater
projecting power, than those in service
during the'late civil war. In the fulfill
ment of a contract, recently made be-
tween the United States government and
the South Boston Iron Company, there
was cast yesterday afternoon at the
foundry of the latter, the largest gun ever
constructed in this country. The preli-
minary work necessary to the casting of a
gun OF any size is considerable, and re-
quires to be done by skilled hands, for the
slightest imperfectiOn will seriously inter-
fere with the usefulness of the gun itself
when completed. In the upper portion of
the ordnance foundry of the South Boston
Iron Works is a, large pit which is always
used when guns of any size are to be cast.
This pit is about forty feet deep, and
dozen feet wide, built in a circular form,
the outside being of large iron plates
riveted together, and as there is only
depth of about twelve feet to tide-level,
these plates have to be anchored down to
keep then in position and to withstand the
pressure of the water Next to the iron
plates is a brick wall twelve inches
through, and inside of this thick layer of
cement and sand. This pit originally cost
| $4,000, and to make it available for yester-
| days work it had to be made deeper, and
a number of other alterations made. Into
! this had been placed for the casting what
| is termed a flask or circular mould, which
| exterior body of iron, with a layer OF sand
| and cement on the inside about six inches
| thick, which is covered with a compost
| ton of backing. In the interior of the
| flask, which was about four feet in dame
| ter, was placed the core, consisting of a
| long wrOught-irOn fiue, around which is
| placed layer of rope, and over this
thickness of sand and cemeLt. Into the
| interior of this core, during the casting,
| cold water is run in by pipe down one
| side, and forced out boiling hot on the
| other side. Near the pit are located three
| furnaces, each of which yesterday con-
| tanned about SO tons of iron, which. at
| four O'Clock in the afternoon, after having
| been subjected to an intense heat for u
| hours, had been reduced to a molten
mass. Connected with each of the fur
| naces were long trOughs for the convey
| ance of the hot metal to large iron tank
a few feet from the pit, known as the pool
or mixer, and from which two short
| trOughs ran into the flask.
AT a few minutes past four O'Clock it
was announced that everything was in
readiness. superintendent Asbrand and
! Foreman Woods took their positions near
| the pit, and the begrimed wOrkmeh, with
| ladies' in hand, arranged themselves on
each side Of the trOughs, and near the
| flask. Each one was silently and patient
ly waiting, when at 4:24 O'Clock, the fore
| man sung out, "Let her CO." and imme-
| diatelY from each of the furnaces there
came a stream Ofmolten iron which threw
| out thousands of sparks in every direction,
| and to the behOlder in the further end of
| the gloomy surroundings of the foundry
| appeared like a Fouth of July firework
| celebration on distant prominence. The
| hot mass ran into the flask with a secthing
| noise, and to the observer who dared to
| gaze into the depths of the flask it seemed
| as if one was, indeed, looking at a Yerita-
| bic lake Of fire. During the filling Of the
| flask the scene was quite novel, the
| dusky forms of the wOrkmen, as they
| hurriedly moved to and fro, being in
| strange contrast to the bright golden color
| of the hot IRON, While the silence of the
| assembled company and the low, quick
| orders Of the foreman gave evidence of the
! Importance OF the work. At the end of "a
| minutes the flask was filled to the brim,
| and those in charge announced that, as
far as 1t had gone, the casting had been
| very satisfactory.
| While the iron is cooling the stream of
| cold water will be kept running through
the core, and a wooden fire will be ke pit
burning outside and all around the flask.
| The core will be removed as soon as the
| iron is cooled sufficiently, and the latter
| VIII probably be in a condition to be
| worked upon by Tuesday next. This
| casting was made with the breech up,
! and, in order that the gun may be per-
| fectly strong, the mould is constructed
about five feet longer than what the gun
is intended to be finally, and the part not
| wanted is cut off. When completed it
| Will be about 80 feet in length, of Pinch
rifle, weighing $4,000 pounds, and worth
| SIS, 900, about half the sum that steel
gun would have cost. 1t is calculated to
be able to throw a prOjectile six miles.
! The last large gun made by the South
Boston company was In 1877, when gun
was cast which weighed 80 tons. This
company is also under contract to furnish
to the United States a 10-inch WIRE
wrapped cast-iron rifle gun, and 12-inch
| rlied mortar, and another gun similar to
| the one cast yesterday, but shorter. Be
fore being accepted by the government.
each gun has to be submitted to a critical
test by the proper inspectors, and, if not
| perfect, it is rejected.