The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1890-11-26
TREMENDOUS RAPID FIRING.
A Six Inch Gun Pours Out Shot AfEe
Shot at Enormous Speed.

Shot at Enormous Speed.
Some important experiments were car
RED out al the artillery range of Sir w.
g. Armstrong, Mitchell s. Co. The
principal object of trial was a six inch
quick firing gun of 40 calibers Of length
on a mounting of new design, specially
arranged to be suitable for eitner the
upper decks or the between deck bat
teries of our new cruisers. Another
feature of this trial was the use of cord
lte, the new smokeless gunpowder,
which has been the subject of extensive
trial during the last twelve months and
seems likely to make complete reyoIu-
ton in artillery warfare. The proof Of
tins gun was carried out by the Wool
wich authorities at Silloth, when the
remarkable velocity of 1860 (. s. was
obtained with charge of cordite pow
der.
The programme began by firing Eve
rounds with charge Of Z Il powder
and service projectile for rapidity. The
total time Of firing these Eve rounds was
| 1xty-one seconds. The same experiment.
! was then carried out with a charge of
| cordite, but after three rounds the firing
was stopped for a few minutes to remove
burr in the threads of the breech ac-
ton, caused by sand getting into the
gun. The first three rounds of this series
We're fired in twenty-four seconds, and
the second two in fifteen seconds. Five
rounds We're then fred with e x E.
powder (non-smokelcss) and service pro-
Jectile at a target which consisted Of two
casks dashed together with flag above
them, at 900 yards range.
There being no wind the smoke hung
o great deal, and the firing was there
fore directed by an observer who stood
clear of the smoke. The five rounds
were tired =! sixty-one seconds, the tar
get being struck swice, the other three
shots just missing
10 show the advantage of cordite over
the & K E powder Eve rounds were then
fired with the former ut the same target.
the flag and staff OF which stifl remained
upright, as the tide being low the target
rested on sand. 1t was found quite feas-
ible to fire with the utmost rapidity. and
yet, on account of tine smokeless quality
OF the powder, to aim each shot deliber-
ately. Tho result was that out of the
tive shots the target was actually struck
four times (Which completely DESTROYED
the casks and perforated the flag several
times, and the last shot was only five
yards short; and these five rounds with
the above remarkable accuracy were got
OF in the surprisingly short time Of fifty
five seconds
Five rounds with L x e were nozv
hired, changing from one target to an
other. three targets being placed at
ranges 900, 400 and 1900 yards, and
spread out so that the gun had to be
traversed through a considerable arc of
training in going from one to the other.
The results were as follows: 1, 900 yards.
hit target; 2, 900 yards, hit target; 3.
l,4OO yards, fifty yards over; A 400
yards, hit target; 8, 1900 yards, hit tar
get, cutting flagstaff.
The total time of these Eve rounds
By fey lwg ,secoItss ans, 43 seconds. h.aA
was only temporarily secured Tor these these
experiments, falling off in the gun
during loading, which necessitated re-
loading. Five rounds of cordite, under
similar conditions to the last series, were
now fired at the 900 and 1 400 yards tar
gets, the 1900 yards one being no longer
visible. The results were as follows:
/, 800 yards, hit target; 2, 900 yards, hit
target, cutting flagstaff; 8, 1,4O0 yards,
ten yards oyeri 4, 400 yards, five yards
over; 8, 1,40O yards, twenty yards over.
The total time for these five rounds was
minute 81 seconds.
The gun was then fired with dogs,
10 degs., IL dogs, 10 dogs. aud 90 degs.
elevation, with charges of EXE and
cordite, to test the mounting, and except
for little difficulty in running out when
at 20 degs. elevation everything went
peFfectly.-London Times.