Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-11-17
GUNS. CARRIAGES AND pRoJEcrILEs.
Busy and Valuable Work ON the Naval
Ordnance Proving Grounds.


WASHINGTON, November 15.-Sinee
the famous armor-plate trial at An
napoliS there have been various other
experiments on the same grounds which,
although less sensational in result, have
yet been important.
one of these is the test OF pneumatic
gun carriage by Board of Officers con-
siSting Of Capt. f. o. Matthews, Com
mander W. K. Bridgman, Lieut.. c. G..
Bowman; Ensign p. K. Alger, and En-
sign X. Il. RaShiell. In the former trial
OF this carriage it had shown some de-
cided advantage, but it was not recon-
mended for adoption, More than four
years ago Board, of which Capt.
Howell was President, advised the pur-
chase of pneumatic carriage, and Con-
greSS appropriated $500 for the pur-
pose. Designs were submitted by the
manufacturing company for pivot car
rage, To be used with the cight-inch
gun, on the principle that had already
been applied TO the tifty-four ton gun
At Sandy Hook. Last year the carriage
was tried at Annapolis by Board con-
SiSting of Capt. Howell, Lieut.. Com.
Mackenzie, Lieut.. Schroeder and Lieut..
Staunton. Several rounds were fired
with success, but the mechanism seemed
/ TO the Board too intricate, and its
weakness was shown by 4 leaking at
/ the valves.
In the TRIAL made the other day the
pneumatic carriage worked better, and
twenty pounds were fired from an $
/ inch gun mounted upon it. While the
report OF the Board is not yet made pub
/ lie, an improvement in the carriage over
I last years trial seems TO be conceded.
In this system the work of loading, de-
pressing, elevating, and aiming the gun
and Of checking the recoil, is effected
by pneumatic apparatus. There is a
gain in weight, but the great feature is
that one man can manage both the ele-
waiting and traversing apparatus, and
handle the carriage with ease and accu-
racy. OF course, such Il result, II IL can
be regularly relied upon, is Of
great Importance. Again, since
the recoil is taken up by
compressed air, which forms an elastic
cushion, both the carriage and the deck
are relieved from sudden strain. In
hydraulic carriages the gun is made to
recOil up an incline so that it may come
back into battery, and this produces a
diagonal strain which comes partly up
on the deck. In the pneumatic car
riage the slides are parallel to the deck
and the air compressed by the recOil
sends the gun back into battery. The
facility of training was commended by
the Board last year, as well as the re-
duction in the force of men required for
handling, so that If the objections then
made to the carriage have since been
overcome the result will be gratifying.
Trials of armor-piercing prOjectileS
are also among the latest experiments
carried on upon the proving grounds.
The Hotter and the Firminy shells are
undoubtedly the best manufactured so
far At last years Paris Exposition
were exhibited three chrome steel
shells. Firminy, Hotter, and st.
diamond, each l6i5 inches in calibre.
and weighing l,72O pounds, which had
perforated plate of iron about 20 inches
thick; and the Firminy had gone nearly
One-tlfth of mile beyond. The krupp
projectiles are very good, and one OF g.
inch calibre is said to have per-
iorated 9-inch compound plate
without being cracked or deformed.
Our Government has contract with
the Carpenter Steel Works of Reading
for manufacturing projectiles on the
| Firminy process, but il is admitted that
ut the recent armOr trial at Annapolis
the shells made by Firth 4 Co. of Shelf
field on that system did not appear to
50 good advantage at the Hotter shells
made in Faance. In 4 trial of projec-
tiles on Saturday at Annapolis a Hotter
shell gave excellent results. The trial
of prolcctlles will prove hardly less in-
tereSting and important than that of
armOr, and the victorious nickel-plate
will DC brought into requiSition for
these comparative tests.
While there is still some talk of put
ting an export duty upon the nickel
product OF the Sudbury mines in Cana
da, this is unlikely; and, indeed, such
an act would stimulate search for the
desired metal in other quarters, partic-
ularly in the United States. Although
Schneider and krupp are reported to
have been negotiating for the nickel
output of the mines, the prices given TO
Secretary Tracy for our Government
0lf NttAN " w luANt 0N A0NOA0OAN - Hbh
been hoped for. American capitalists,
particularly from Cleveland and Akron,
in Ohio, are among the chief owners
of the mines. which are in West
Ontario on the Canadian Pacific
Railroad. Up to recent date New
Caledonia, the French colony in the
Pacific. was the richest source of sup
ply of nickel, and probably efforts will
be made TO increase its output under the
recent increase OF demand. But it is
well known that the Sudbury mines
could themselves be pushed to produce
several times their present quantity.
Since for the last few years the price Of
nickel has gone down greatly, in spite
of the growing demand. the Govern
ment has little apprehension that cor
ncr will be attempted in il. In addition
10 the trials of guns aud projectileS, the
naval proving grounds here and on the
new site at Indian Head will, for year
or two, doubtless be the scene OF many
trials of armor plates, containing diff
| frrent allows Of nickel