Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-06-05
MAKING STEEL GUNS.
The Work I'm Progress NJ the Washing.
ton Navy Yard.


HOW MODERN GUNS ARE FAbRIcATED-wHA7
HAS BEEN DONE WITH BUT POOR IACILITfEa
FOR UNDERSTANDING ON THE JAcgErs-A
VISIT TO THE ORDNANCE SHOPS
Heavy guns OF great power, with which the
new steel cruisers are 70 be armed, are being
made at the Washington navy yard. The
ordnance works there are extremely interest
ing. Whenever Congress concludes TO appro-
pirate money for the construction of modern
gums for ihe national defenses the work will he
done there. The results already achieved there
are marvellous, Notwithstanding the diseour.
aging fact that they have not been given money
for u respectable plant and are dependent upon
their ingenuity to contrive machinery for the
work. Though these works have been neglected
Dy congress, yet the nation Is honored by hav.
ing work done there equal to any 10 the word.
The ftorfca,ion OF heavy steel rifle guns Is ~
very oeiicate operation. A gun weighing thou.
sands Of pounds must be constructed vii h all the
care and exactness of chronometer or any
deiica mathematical instrument. Some of
the work is done under tile ma nifying glass
As carefully as jeweIer would work up a
wauh Ine guns are MarvelS Of fine work.
munship.
THE GUN SHOPS.
A STAR reporter was shown through the
works the other day by Lieut.. Com'r Impey,
The aid to the commandment, who explained
all Lhs intricacies Of ordnance fabrication.
the buildings that occupy the western part OF
the yard, near the Old wooden snip-nouse
where wooden vessels were built in the earlier
DAYS. The first thing that strikes one en-.
tering these buildings WITH their dirt Il ors and
great Internal space up TO the high ganled root
Is the massive and pouderous Character OF
the work. Everything abuut seems heavy.
The cannon lay Oh ,athes like baseball bats
being turned oat-only the lathes are ponder
GUS anu the bats are immense steel tubes,
weighing thnussn,is vi pounds, beside which u
man seems LOO small to cope with 1t. This Ia
where Tue yuns are Observation-Disclosures 10. put
tSether-made. The steel Is brought here In
the rough, - tried by tests must delicate aud
tests nioSt severe, Is bored aud sInootned aud
put tOsetuer aud worked into the finest and
iaOsk elective steel bIeeGh-iuiditig ride gus.
In the nrst shop the reporter entered several
men were working upon Que end uf al i'm.
which they were pouring small streams OF
water. II was the big ten-inch gun upon which
lle men were just putting the Jacket" Tue
Jacket Is the outside or principal band Of
steel which is put upon the tuDe while hot, and
WHICH, cu0ltug, ciiuxs close To it, ioruliux Tue
ds,cx, ssrH,g pat OF the gun just over the pow
uef cnamoef where the most strain conles.
COOLING THE JACKET"
The "jacket" had just been slipped on and
the men were cooiing 1t gradually with gentle
stream Of water. Under the chilling influence
oi the Water the '.jacket' was clasping the tube
In its steel embrace. Within its grasp it win
noiu Tie power 10 nurl AN Immense shell with
crushing force for ten miles. There was being
wrought mighty engine OF war. Putting ON
10 JaCAeb L ailltAt ttc let-L QulSulng tOuCl,
IL Las gone through many stages progress,
ami much work aud the greatest skill has been
put upon IL beiore II reaches Lnis point Next
" tn,s gun was u graceful steel tube, turning
slowly on 4 lathe, While u man wI,h u SHARP
instrument pared of lung, slender curls ot cold
steel. AN officer stood by with large hand
masnliylns glass, examining tue smooth sur
lace VITA great Care as IL revOlved before him.
No Matchmaker ever watched his work more
CLOSELY. Ihe works VI a watch do mol require
more care aud eXac.iIess. Tne reporter I,,un ed
Through Lhe tube. Through its entire twenty
seven ,eet vi bore the iIsnL s,lone Us GU = mir
ror; tue twisting grooves were u marvel Of ex-
actneSs.
EQUAL TO ANY IN THE WORLD.
The Work done here Is pronounced by experts
to he the best In the Country, and equal to any
In the world. Yet 1t is done under the most
trying conditions and without any Of the fucili-
ties that snuuid be had-without plant, aud
almost wit.Iuut tools. 1t is done with sucu
la the, and machinery could Oe got together
cueaply aud Tools tn 4 were borrowed fr,,iu the
steam engineering department. Tue means ui
Hitlns ana moving the neavy guns were prima-
tive aud insufficient Yet the work is doue
more rapidly. with greater precision aud very
III uch cueaier than siniiiar work is being duue
by CONTRACT. the FOREMAN assn ed the Reporter
that with proper plant lac Gould make these
guns lor NALL Tue price paid " Contractors.
Oaiy part VI Inc Ordn .tnce for the cruisers IL
being made here. ParL was given out by con.
tract " private Establishments, but OF THIS
nucn VI the preparatory wOrk Is done here the
Gouiractors iuereiy putting LIE gun, together.
Ine reason part oi Tue work " a. CONTRACTED for
was that there were not is..nes rnouya t,ere to
Work upou ali tue guns at once.
10 follow tue cannon tnruuln It's construction
Is very Interesting. IN style tney are the most
apProved-you may Say composite paa-luns,
anu greatest power known. Tue largest iuaIe
In Euiope are l4-incn bore. Such gus cynuut
be made here unIil Cousrcs, provides more
suit Die Hacuinery lt,hes. The luiucn
Is Lue largest now making, but Tue foreman said
he couid make u 11-iucn gun even with nis
present Imperfect pant.
FINISHED GUN.
There IL now lying III the shop one Of the
eightinch guns, all hnished and perfect ready
" SHIP TO Annapolis ~ be fired, and the work
Oh the ten-iDch guns Is we'll advanced, The
nnishcd guns are smooth aud bright like im-
Inense steel needles. They are ready " weave
thread VI ire through plates Oi solid steel.
One vi the great needs of The department ID
means oi moving the ueavy guus from Que snup
" another. Al present this IL done by neuus
vi cranes and hand cars, out this Is attended
with many difficulties. Wnen the tsn-iuch
gun, weighing 5o,vUO pounds, Is placed Oh Two
oi lie lille cars aud distributed over only ~
Ieet III track, the track sometimes sinks under
the pressure Handling the guns in his in All.
usr adds " the cost OF making Win AN eIs-
to another, tnese Immense weights could be
moved about almost rs easily a. u heavy crow.
bar. The steel OF w.on THESE guns are E,bri-
cAted-or "asSemDied," as they cali it's
brought here in the ruu ia, anu IL work ed W.
To tie highest Perfection vi modern ordnance
Tue wofA Ia all doue with great exactness by
the Yroundwora Oi the gun, II received from
tue aid aie steei works, aud Is here bored auu
turned oul ana then sent back t. MluVale IOr
OH temperins. Tnis Oil Ienpering, 1t ts stated
Can be AND nas been done just rs well, out
II Is ordained by tiIe powers t.aL be tuai IL
should have u second journey f.r This oil bath
W uen 1t Is returueu " the WashingLou yard IL
Is bored again, and then 1T Is placed on u Lathe
tie centcr being found on eacn end, and ID
turned ~ nnIsueu exterior diameter. The
"Jacket u received In Tue rougil-luaL ii, ia u
c. iiuuric,tl nass-irun tue SAME works. IL Is
rUu ia bored Aeie. Sometimes IL is sent oack 10
Midvaio ior AL Oil batu; sometimes not
PUTTING ON THE jacket"
The work VI putting the Jacket GU this steel
warrior Is very delicate operation, aud one
very Interesting " waLcn. Tue "jacket" ID nul
In u tire niade vi pine wood, aud Is ueated sui
ucieutly W remove u portion OF the surinKaxe
aiid IL In linen uorvd w the DIANE. Ell and ens.
0f the drawing. 1t il Luen "sLAr-s..uged," aud
placed On end, Ike u needle IN lis point. The
"JacHel" Is then heated sufficiently ~ expand
~ ABOUT O3 larger tuan the tuUe on its Interior
diameter. Tue greatest care has u he taken to
get just the right temperature. When sui
uciently heated the JACKET II slipped upon Li,e
tube and ciu,ued Its nrst cooled at TIE 10, III
nearest TIE inuzlie by means vi u gentle stream
itself there. the houps yariousiy tempered
sLsei MA. ked u, r, r, u are slipped ui,uu Inc
lube. Alter that the "A, Is, C' hoops are pul
on. Durins tIis process there IL various turn
lug AMI wording down. Tue chaInbe Is bOred
tue trunnion band put on aud In. screw box
liked. AiIer tuls the gun hits " be bored a.. ,iu
Next COMES tns rInipS, wilica requires skiA aud
caro-.
SIGHTING.