Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-26
NAVAL ORDNANCE.
Annual Report of Commodore Sicard-
The Gun Factory i'm this City.

The annual report of Commodore Sicard,
chief OF the bureau of ordnance, to the Secre-
tary OF the Navy, contains the following esti-
mates Tor the fiscal year ending June So 1890:
Fuel, tools, material. labor, prizes proofs, bat
teries OF new types for two ships now in serv-
ice, general armament with secondary batteries
and small arms, S5l4,150; general repairs to
ordnance buildings, magazines and append
ages. $4,000; freight and miscellaneous. sl0.-
0OO; civil establishments at navy-yards. S24 $50;
torpedo station. so 900; towards the armament
of vessels authorized, s4.077. 600, and for COM
pletlon of gun plant at the Washington navy
yard. S625, 900; total, 1886. $780, The high
power steel cannon for the navy completed to
date are two 5-inch, twenty-four 6-inch, eight
S-inch and three 10-inch. Since the last report
a new design of 6-inch gun has been completed
and thirty-two of these guns are in construc-
tion at Washington, Cold Spring. n. Y, and
Boston. Ten have practically been finished at
Washington. This design is in several i'm
portant respects
SUPERIOR TO THOSE HERETOFORE IN USE.
The tube is hooped to the muzzle, thereby
greatly strengthening it against strains in the
chase. The powder chamber has been reduced
in diameter. thus making it possible to reduce
the exterior diameters and to save sufficient
weight there to hoop the muzzle without in
creaslng the weight of the gun. The groove
of the rif1ing removes less metal from the gun
than the ordinary groove, and will probably
be subject to less erosion from powder gas.
The twist increases from zero at origin to one
turn in 25 calibers at the muzzle. The gun is
considered to be rather superior to the best
types of guns of its class and kind now extant
abroad. The standard type of thes-inch gun
has been improved on the same lines. 10
inch gun intended for the u. s. monitor Mian-
tonomah has been lately fired at the proving
ground the projectile showing a velocity of
2,OO2 feet per second at the muzzle.
QUIcK-FIRING GUNS.
In Europe considerable attention has lately
been given to the development of the rate of
fire of cannon of moderate caliber. and what
are known as ''quick-firing guns" of 3, and 6
inches diameter of bore, are being experiment.
ed with. Reference is made to the powder
now used, to samples of shells submitted by
manufacturers, and to the work on carriages
for the new guns
The armament for the Boston has been COM
bleted, that for the Atlanta virtually so. while
that for the Chicago will be completed by
about January l. The work on
THE NEW GUN FACTORY AT WASHINGTON
is progressing rapidly. The walls of the large
gun shop are practically finished Great diff
Guilty was experienced in excavating the shrink
ing pit, owing to the existence of quicksand.
On this account the expense of the pit has been
very much greater than expected, but it is now
entirely safe.
The gun sent to the bureau by the Pittsburg
steel casting company IS now at the proving
ground awaiting tests, while that of the STAN
dard steel casting company is at the Washing
ton yard, undergoing the finishing processes.