National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-10-17

The rain fell in torrents Wednesday FIRE
noon, says the Boston Post, when the car
riage drew up at the Vendomo to take the
members Of the congressional committee 20
the works Of the South Boston Iron Com
pany. The party consisted OF Congress-
men Samuel j. Randall, Frank lIiscock,
and Charles +. Crisp. They were escorted
by Lieutenant of Ordinance il. ID. Borup
U. $. A., who is on duty at the cumplny's
works experimenting the manufacture Of
the great guns. A short drive In the pour-
ing rain brought the party to the Office of
the company, where Congressman Tom
Reed, Of Maine, was in waiting. Superin-
tendent Hunt received his visitors pleas
antly, nut little time was spent In formali-
ties, for the commission was present on
business, and they went about their bust
ness Immediately.
Cor gresham Randall called for the draw
ings and Lieut.. Borup spent some time ex.
planning the different drafts A tour OF in
spection was made of the extensive works.
supt, Hunt and Lieut.. Borup were Mt hand
at every turn to show and explain every
thing to the visitors. Much interest of
course centered in the foundry where tho
preparations for casting the 54-ton gun are
about completed. The congressman
studied everything with interest. While
Supt. Hunt got Congressman Tom Reed to
poke his head into one furnace, Lieut.. Borup
was attending to Congressman Randall In a
like manner at the other. Then they all
looked down into the great pit dmly
lighted with small oil lamps let down by
strings, and speculated on the probable
success OF Fridays venture They went
out into the yard and looked ut n solid
chunk OF metal IL feet high and IL feet I'm
diameter, the sad monument of the last at.
tempt at casting a big gun breech end
downward
"There; $1,000 worth of iron in that
pile,,n' said Superintendent Hunt
"Wby don't you break It up" asked
Congressman Randall.
The cast iron guns ordered for the new
cruisers demanded attention, and then the
steel tube for the big gun. This tube came
from England and was two years In getting
here. Such steel tubes can't be made In
this country, and In fact, only In very
few places in the world. The lawmakers
OF the country tramped around in the busy
workshops, over piles Of castings, under
shafting, around heavy machinery, until
they brought up beside the mammoth pneu-
matte gun carriage. the first of its kind
ever built in this country. II is being made
expressly to mount the 5i-ton. gun on
which is now at Sandy Hook. II
is nearly finished, and is mounted
on heavy blocking SO that the work
men can labor TO advantage. Congress ap-
propriated $4,000 10 build IT, and when it
10 fully completed II will weigh I'm the
neighborhood Of forty tons, making the
weight Of the gun ana carriage nearly 100
tons. The party stood aud looked It all
over from the outside, and then the attend
ants led the way and the visitors climbed
up the wooden boxes which served In place
OF steps and got insiCe Of the huge piece of
machinery. Then they lifted up their coat
tails, so they wouldn't drag in the dirt, and
crawled up underneath and looked at the
pneumatic machinery. The workmen
stopped .,p,;. their pounding, so that the dis
tinguished visitors could tell whether they
were talking or only going through the
motions.
Three hours or more were spent In an in
spection of the South Boston plant, and
then the party were driven back to the Ven
dome. Congressman Randall, chairman of
the committee, expressed himself as sur
prised at the extent Of the South Boston
works and the completeness of the plant
He expressed a strong desire to extend his
visit until Friday, that he might be present
at the casting of the great gun. Imperative
business engagements prevented. The con-
Eressional committee left for New York on
the o'clock train on the New York and
New England railroad.
ihE INEtMAIlC GUN CAlRIAUE.
This carriage, which will be completed I'm
a few days, is being built for a Washington |
company under the patent OF James A. |
Powlett, an American inventor. Congress
appropriated the money to build this car
riage at its last session upon the recon-
mendation of the chief of ordnance and
the military committee of the House of
Representatives, Gen. W. s. Rosecrans,
chairman. The military committee said In
IN .,,,,. 1.
convinced the ordnance department that IL
may minister to what is now admitted an
imperative coming necessity in the handling
OF heavy ordnance" and expressed the view
that 1t mustbe of great public utility This
invention is to dispense with the old method
Of working heavy guns with hand power, re-
curing from fifteen to thirty men to manip-
ulate gun OF ffty-four tons weight. The
new carriage will do the work with two
men much better and quicker. The use of
hand gearing In modern gun carriage is
to the old style brakes on
railway train now entirely dispensed with
by the pneumatic air brake of Westing-
house. The operating of gun carriages,
either In forts or ships, by means of com
pressed air supplied to the working parts
rom pipe led to the breast OF the car
Rage and controlled by simple levers, for
-apid training, for rapidly raising or lower
Ing the gun to aim, for checking the recoil
without shock and for running in and out
when desired, is claimed by this company
20 be rendered absolutely practical and GER
tain In action.
This carriage will go to Sandy Hook be-
,ween the 1st and 18th of next month, and
viii be officially tested in the presence of
he War Department board Of ordnance and
he national fertilization board, composed
ointly by law OF army and navy officers
md two civilians. The 54-ton gun cast by
he South Boston Iron Works, and now at
sandy Hook, will be mounted ON this carri-
ge and worked under the Powlett patent.
The company and the mechanical engineer
constructing the carriage are confident
# the success OF the invention. The gem
raj manager of this company is Col. Amos
Webster, AN old Boston man, who served
n Gen. Grants staff during the war.