Evening journal., 1889-10-10
A FORMIDABLE SEA FOE.
The Vesuvius Can Hurl Dyna-
mite Shells a Mile.
SHE FIRES rwELyETONs AN HOUR

An Addition TO the New Navy which Can
Utterly Destroy Distant Enemy-- what
She C~uid Have Done at Aiexandria's
Isombardment.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. l0--The final official
trial OF the guns Of the vesuvius took place
here, Commander c. +. Goodrich, Lieut.
Seaton Schroeder and Lieut. Bradley A.
Fiske were present 70 witness the test and
report the result 10 the navy department II
was required by the remaining provisions Of
the contract that Eve shells, each having the
capacity to'ceutain 300 pounds Of explosive
gelatine, should be fired from each gnn in ten
minutes with force sufficient to attain
range Of one mile
How the Firing Is Done.
Compressed air, the firing medium, IS
stored in reservoirs at a pressure of 1900
pounds per square inch. These storage reser-
voirs are wrought iron cylinders, about fif-
teen feet long and fifteen inches diameter
Between the storage reservoirs and the gun
is firing reservoir.
Before each discharge communication ~
opened between the storage and the firing
reservoir until the pressure in the latter is
shown 10y two gaug,s TO be $50 pounds per
square inch The communication is then
sent off Seven hundred and fifty pounds il
alwaye the initial firing pressure. The fir
ing valve opens communication between the
firing reservoir and the gun barrel, allowing
air 70 flow into the latter in rear Of the she'll,
starting the latter ON its flight. The longer
the valvo is left open the greater the range
Of the projectile. II is the function of the
firing valve, therefore, to cut on this few Of
air atdiiferent intervals Of time in order to
vary the range Of the proiectile as desired.
she Throws shells a Mile.
II had been calculated that fall in pres
sure in the firing reservoir from 80 pounds
20 $50 pounds per square inch would throw a
regulation shell 10 a distance OF one mile,
and this calculation was shown 10 be correct
The time Of fight was between eleven and
twelve seconds.
Almost a she'll q Minute.
Five shells were next fired from the star
board gun in six minutes and fifty-eight
seconds, the losses of pressure in the firing
reservoir being IFS pounds ll2 pounds lUa
pounds, 100 pounds and liS pounds respec.
lively. With one shell loaded in the port gun
/ therefore the fifteen shots were fired ia six.
teen minutes and nine seconds or, taking into
consideration the time necessary TO load all
fifteen shels-that is starting with the three
guns empty-the fifteen shots were fired il
sixteen minutes and fifty seconds
Thirty shells without stopping.
When the test began the air pressure IN III
storage reservoirs was z, ,00Op pounds per squar
inch After the fifteen shots had been hrei
n IIIt d aII.
pounds per square inch, which was suilicien
for at least ten shots more Had the ali
pumps been kept running during the firms
five more shots could have been provided Tor
Il is thus demonstrated that the Nesuyiu
can fire thirty shells--all that she can carry
without stopping TO fll the air reservoirs
This is double the capacity demanded by th,
contract and the rapidity was nearly twic'
as great as was required
Tons Of Dynamite Hurled.
Thirty Of the iO-inch shells would carr
6,0OO pounds of explosive gelatine Tn
ability to throw 0,0O0 pounds of the higl
explosive to a distance of one mile in les
than a quarter Of an hour will be of grea
advantage in warfare. The full caliber shell
viii contain 500 pounds Of explosive and b.
increasing the firing pressure 20 200 pound
per square inch at least twenty Of thes
shells, carrying altogether 10000 pounds o
explosive, may be thrown 70 distance o
one mile in half an hour.
A Terrible Foe.
AT the bombardment of Alexandria Ad
miral Seymour's fleet deliberately nnehore,
at a distance e less than one mile from tn
forts and opened fire. Thf effect Of the higl
powered guns, even those of the heavies
caliher, was not as disastrous as was expect
ed. Mortar fire was needed, and comment
ing upon this fact Lieut.. Vreeland, U. S. n.
Of the naval intelligence Office, says:
"Had Admiral Seymour's feet included
Vesuvius that vessel could have placed her
self behind any one Of the huge armorclad
of the attacking squadron, and from tina
position could have easily landed within th
shore forts at an angle Of fall Of about .
! degrees projectiles filed with the enormou
charge Of 500 pounds OF dynamite, the eireC
! OF which can be imagined. Conversely, ha
the shore works possessed one or NOR
dynamite guns, the attacking fleet probabl
would not have calmly delivered its fiji
from an anchorage position within a ! ,6t
yard range