Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-03-20
rRu E-FIKIxe CONS.
The n mai Test of the Cruiser
yesnYius, Ordnance.

The nal Test OF the Cruiser
vesnyius' Ordnance.
The long delayed offioial test Of the
dynamite guns Of tho Vesuvius took
place Thursday of the New Jersey shore,
opposite Marcus Hook, In the Delaware
rivey, and proved great success. The
cruiser was taken down the river from
Cramps ship.yard in the morning and
anchored OF buoy which marked one
end Of measured mile. Che carried
the shells containing gnn-cotton with
which the test was made, and everything
had been put in perfect order for the trial.
Later in the day Preaident Schuyler OF
the Pneumatic Dynamite Gun Company;
Messrs. Rapief, Seweli and Merriman,
consulting engineers Of the company;
Commander Royal b. Bradford, Lieu
tenant Commander Henry N. Manning
and Lieutenant Schroeder, who comprise
the trial board; several members OF tho
firm Of Orsmp j. Sons, Lisutenant Gar
ton, Lieutenant Commander Ksily OF the
navy, and others went down to Chester
by rail, and taking tags proceeded to
the soene Of the trial. Tho Vesuvius
was In charge of URptain Steele, repre-
Henting the Cramps, and Captain Rapied,
one of the gun compsny's experts, took
the direction OF the firing.
When the time for the test came Lieu-
tenant Schroeder Of the trial board, took
his station on beard the Vesnyius, which
he Ia to command in tho eveat of her
acceptance, aud Commander Bradford
aud Lieutenant. commander Nancy
boarded tug, which steamed of short
| distance to point where an excellent
view could be mad Of the whole courso OF
the shells. The fl 1T ptojectile thrown
were wooden plugs Of the kind which
have frequently been used, and which,
while of the required weight, contained
no explosive. With an air-prsssure OF
about 700 pounds to the square inch two
or three OF thess were thrown from eacn
gun to point considerably beyond the
mile target.
When the guns were well warmed TO
their work the crucial test was made with
the steel shells containing 200 pounds OF
gun-cotton each. Dynamite WAS not used
because of the great risk in handling 1t
and because equally significant results
oould be obtained with the less dapger-
Gus Run-ceston. Only three OF these
shells we're used, one for each gun. The
guns were tested satisfactorily for rapid
ity of fire pcme time ago, and the only
point to be determined by the trial was
the degree OF safety with which high OK
plosiVss could be fired.
Each of the shells used had different
fuse. One was timed to explode the gun
cotton 81 seconds nfter the shell struck
the water, another j seconds aud the
third wos to explode the shell at the
moment OF its impact with the water.
The different results were watched with
great attention. With the pressure OF
700 pounds all three shells went about a
third of mile beyond the nile target,
going atraight ns an arrow, and leaving
the guns with the sharp, quick report
that is peculiar to the pneumatic guns.
The shell to which was attached five
and-a-half seconds fuse worked to perfec
| tion, ns did oil the others. Exactly o
| the right time after disappearing beneath
the water it exploded with force tina
, sent huge column of black mud snt
water high into the air. Tie explosion
of the shell with the shorter fuse pro
+ duced an even more telling effect, as chs
I water seemed to be thrown upward 20
or 800 feet, and when the third shell ex
ploded, at the moment that 1t struck tn
) water. the conclusion was no tremendou
) that il not only shook the vessels in tn
. neighborhcod of the trial, but was salt
l Chester.
: The firing of these three shells consti
!, tuted the test WITH which every one wa
l delighted. The projsctiles described
a beautiful curve in their flight throug!
p the air, and the effects of the explosion
o were entirely satisfactory. No gres
0 effort at accuracy OF aim was attempted
: es in previous tests the guns have show
o that they are reliable In this respect
8 During the test there was no steam up o
Y the Vesuvius, except that used in CON
i pressing the air, aud she was not put
q any trials OF speed, this point also hayin
been previously determined. The reco
of the guns was considerable, but wa
said by those informed on such matter
to have been no greater than it haoul
a have been.
a While the members of the trial boar
4 refused to mako any defiuite statemer
h as to what report they would make I
/ Secretary Tracy on the test, there
n every reason to believe that 1t will be or
q tirsly favorable, and that 1t will be mad
at once, probably this week. II az
! proved by the Secretary tho Vesuyiu
1 will be ready for acceptance, after hayin
& been several years in the hands of til
a builders and tho gun company. For
q long time abe has been mourning q pei
!. atty o: $500 o day for delay in compile
p ton beyond the contract time, bus,
" view of the many unforeseen diffioultie
to be Rurmounted, and the many ne
points invn vud in hsr construction, it
expected that the government will rem
large part, il not all, OF this penalty
y which now amounts to many thousan