National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-12-05


What he big steel guns at the navy yard
are, and how they are made, interests every
one. In investigating this visitors to the
navy yard spend considerable time. There
lie one disadvantage, however, under which
they labor But few OF the processes which
the parts Of the gums undergo can be seen
at one time. II would be necessary to make
dozen trips to the workshops to see them
all. To overcome this defect in facilities for
sightseeing, the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN has
made special arrangements TO take the visit
ora through the navy yard, in spirit at least,
while I'LL the processes are being performed,
and this visit II Is proposed TO make while
tie sightseer lounges In his easy chair.
~Ihus fatigue Is avoided.
Each OF the varlous departments OF the
yard contains much OF interest to the visitor,
hut the ordnance work Ia the branch of
Uncle CAMS factory that receives the great
! est attention. III the visitor DO congress
man who served In the forty-eighth Con
gees, he will recall the fact that during the
irst session he had for consideration a bill
which was finally passed, providing for the
construction OF several steel cruisers, which
have received large share OF public atten-
4 lion during their vicissitudcs up TO the
present time, and also for the manufacture
of treect-loading steel-riiled guns TO man
The cruisers.
THE WORK COMMENCED,
The manufacture OF n portion Of these
j guns WIGS begun ut the Washington navy
4 yard on Jan. /, 1884, as follows: Four s.
inch caliber, ten g. Inch, aud two
4 5-inch. In addition TO these II had already
been provided to construct two monster
Jp-inch guns for the Miantonomob, and the
forgings for a 101-inch gun have been re-
ceived This would seem to be of suiIl
Client size to wreck vengeance on any enemy
the United States will ever have, but draw
ings are now made of a 16.inch gun which,
1t is computed, will weigh 10 tons, and
will be able TO black the eye of the man in
the moon.
REVELATION TO NovIoEs.
To those whose ideas Of guns are formed
from the old style smooth bore pattern, the
examination Of the new steel guns, which
they have come to the navy yard to sec,
will be a revelation. Descriptions Of the
process of making these guns have been
given, but the technicalities IN which thcy
are so often framed are rs unintelligible to
the average reader as no explanation at all.
What is here desired is TO portray just what
visitors would see with their own eyes and
learn by asking questions as they proceed
through the shops and observe the vari-
GUS processes. III there is n lack of minute
details in such an explanation, II will, at
least, give good general idea Of the work.
q which is all the usual visitor wants, and
more than he generally gets 'doing" the
yard hurredly.
THE SUPREMACY OF HoME-MADE GUNS.
Those who worship everything that Is
foreign for the reason that It is foreign will
be awakened to the fact that tho steel guns
which are manufactured at the Washing
N ton navy yard are fully equal to similar
guns manufactured abroad, They will
learn that these guns are not only
ma1a lorUalv nf American nntp ial
the tubes and jackets Of the 10
and S-inch guns only being purchased
abroad, but are made entirely by American
woIkmcn, and are OF American pattern,
being designed by Commodore Sicard, Of
the bureau o. ordnance, Navy Department.
The work Of manufacturing was begun
under Comd'r j. A. Howell and continued
under Lieut.. Comdr G. L. Goodrich aud
Comd'r A. ii. Mccormick, who assumed
the duty of ordnance inspector about year
ago.
MASSIVE MATERIAL.
It is considerably over year ago since
the residents near the navy yard noticed
cumbersome wagons, laden with immense
bulks Of steel, being slowly drawn toward
the yard, six horses to each wagon. These
were the tubes and Jackets" out of which
are being produced guns that are as beau
tiful as they are destructive. The tube Is
the foundation of the gun, extending its en-
tire length, over which strengthening rings
are placed, the principal Of these being the
~'jacket," which is one-thlrd the length of
the gun and bands the entire breech. Some
of the single pieces weighed rs much as
15,C00 or 10000 pounds. They came, with
the exception Of those made abroad, from
the Midvale Steel Works at Nicetown,
Philadelphia, Pa. On being brought to tho
navy yard they were rough bored. This is
a slow process which many visitors watch.
scarcely knowing what is being done, as an
A..l... 81 Nl..I t.aIx
for instance, nearly feet In diameter and
273 feet in length, weighing about 10000
81 pounds, is seen on q lathe slowly
revolving while the chips OF the metal fall
to the ground, all tho while being con-
stantly watched by the machinst. The
as they drop, but let them fall rather more
eagerly. They find them rather too warm
TO hold, and content themselves to wait till
~ a chip cools before placing 1t In their
r. satchels along with other relics. AT last,
when the boring head appears at the oppo
site end of the tube from which 1t entered,
having made Its slow journey through the
solid metal, the tube is returned to the Mid
vale works to be oil-tempered, by which the
qualities Of the steel are raised to the re-
quirements.
THE oIL-TEMPERING PROCESS.
To be most effective this process is per-
formed after the boring. Though accom-
modatioDs for the oil tempering of large
tubes are not now had at the navy yard, yet
the jackets and smaller rings, which go into
the gun, are oil tempered there, and by
watching the method In handling these
pieces as good an idea can be had of 1t as
by going to Nicetown. In the brass foun-
dry Of the ordnance department will be
found tank sunk II feet In the ground,
with diameter.of feet, holding 1000 gal
Ions Of oil. 1t is here that the parts to be
tempered are brought. The oil has to be
at q temperature OF about "a degrees and
is lowered to that degree by water clrcu-
lated around the tank. This arrangement
is similar to setting smaller bucket within
larger. The tank has space formed
around its inner sides OF inches, in which
the cold water, which lowers the tempera-
ture Of the oil, is allowed to circulate.
y Formerly sperm oil was used, but expert
ence has shown that cotton-seed oil answers
. the purposes. of temperlng equally as well,
and, as It is very much cheaper, 1t is
WA substituted. Into this bath of oil the steel
# pieces, one by one, heated TO temperature
~ OF over 250 degrees, are immersed and al
Xxx lowed TO remain certain period, when
s they are lifted out and annealed, after
W which they are tested TO ascertain their
tensile strength, elasticity, and extension.
~ 1t would not be well for one to ask how II
Is that the change has taken place in these
F. conditions of the metal. II has taken place,
4. and under these certain conditions, which
81 is nearly as much as the inquisitiye can
IA learn, After testing the metal, II the con
ditions are not as required, II is necessary to
N repeat the treatment either In whole OF
in part. Annealing is not at all interesting
TO the looker-on, as 1t consists of simply
buying the metal IN tank raised above
the ground and filled with sand under
which fire is built and banked and allowed
TO cool, which finishes the process
F1NisHISG THE TEMPERED STEEL.
When the large tubes have been returned