The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-01-16
STEEL GUNS FOR THE NAVY.
The Washington Navy-Yard the Hest
Point of Manufacture-The work
Reing Done There.

A Representative OF THE CRITIC made the
discovery to.doy that there was more being
done In the navy-yard or naval arsenal, In
this city, TO furnish The Government with
large guns than tho country, or even tho
people I'm ihs city, are aware OF. Steel rifles
are very expensive and require tho most skill
full and experienced mechanics In their con.
struction, and, as heretofore mentioned In
THE CRITIC, there is only ono steel-rifled gun
In the Navy, ond that Is a sx-inch gun and
was not manufactured by the Government A
gun OF this character costs the almo3tin.
credible amount OF $4,000.
Besides the two G-lnch steel rides In course
OF construction In tho large ordnance machine
shops for about six months, there has been an
S-inch rifle put under headway in the past few
weeks, and the steel tor three moro such guns
and one 10-inch gun 10 expected soon. This
heavy ordnance is to be used In arming the
new steel cruisers, and Its construction Is uu.
der tho supervision OF Captain Howell, Iu.
epector OF Ordnance.
"rhese large rifles are q big thing FOR the
Navyf" remarked n CRITIC scribe this morning
to an officer.
" IL is without q doubt
The biggest Thing that Ever Hap.
pened for Our Navy
In tho way of gune," the ofllcer replied. 'Just
think OF a country like this having only ono
six-inch steel rifle in the Navy and that the
best gun In IT, for n steel rifle Of stx-lnch bore
Is better than smooth bore OF twice that. But
when you take Into consideration that we are
making eightinch steel rifles aud arc going TO
begin ten-inch gun OF the same character,
you can see that we arc getting away up In
tho heavy ordnance business, because guns
much larger than these would be very uu-
handy to work afioat anywhere, because au
eight.inch ride is twenty- nine feet long,"
''Why arc they made so longY
"Because long gun drives proIectile with
more force, and they burn moro powder and
can stand the extra strain, where an iron or
other gun cannot"
In reply TO interrogatories as to why the
Government imports steel from England to
| make its guns, the onlcer explained that It
| was for the reason that 1t required an immense
| outlay OF money to establish the plant for
making such heavy steel, aud rs there was
| little demand for such enormously-heavy steel
here, no onehad yet started such an enter
"An s.inch steel rifle is u simple.looking
piece OF machinery, but its weight when fin-
ished Is 10000 pounds and costs In the neigh
borhood OF $4,000, and also the labor OF a
| host OF workmen for months"
| A Boom for the Washington Yard.
"rhen this will be a big boom for this yard,
aohl decidedly" was as t he answer. oYou
| know this place has been turned into 'msnu
featuring arsenal and, as we have better IA
| ufacture of these guns, the work will be done
here" was tho reply. where Is twice the
number OF men employed In the ordnance
| chops now than there were before this work
| could BIO employed. They are using six large
lathes OF the Bureau OF Steam Engineering,
and are not getting along as fast as they VIII
| when they get more room aud build more
heavy machinery"
s'Couid not tho Government have those guns
made by contract cheaperS' was the next In
| "Wo can make them cheaper" was tho
\ prompt reply. 1--WE manufacture our own
take them in as apprentice boys and they gem
| orally stick to the shop, and we can say with
| out prejudice that we have
The Best Mechanics for this Work