The Delta independent., 1890-07-15
The Pneumatic Dynamite Gun.

NEW YORK, July o.-About 1OO
persons went to Cold Spring on the Hud-
son yesterday afternoon 10 witness the
trial Of new fifteen inch dynamite coast
| defense gun made by the Pneumatic Dyn-
amite Gun Company of this city for the
British army.
The gun, weighing with its carriage
about eighty tons and about forty tons
alone, fifty feet in length, with an inside
diameter of fifteen inches, was placed in
position at the end of the long wharf
owned by the West Point Foundry Com
pany, which cast the piece. The contract
! with the British government called for a
gun which could throw charge Of 100
pounds Of dynamite in an eight-inch shell
distance Of {, ZOO yards, with compressed
| air as the motive force.
Owing to the service Of an injunction
upon the company, it was prevented from
throwing shells loaded with dynamite, and
had TO substitute q composition of sand
and ashes SO mixed as to weigh the same
as dynamite, and to fill shell ordinarily
used for that explosive.
After two or three preliminary trials,
four shots were made at q distance Of ,aOo
yards up the river to q point between
Crows Nest and Stony Point.
The first shot was made in an eight-inch
sub-cubic shell weighing 339 pounds,
which was of steel and coated with copper
to avoid corrosion. The initial pressure
on the cylinder at the time the shot wa.
fred was 200 pounds to the square inch.
the pressure on the cylinder after the shot
being s65 pounds. The detection of the
gun was 30 degrees and 20 minutes. The
prejectile revolved considerably after ar.
irving at its greatest height Its weight
was 339 pounds and its length about 81
inches.
The second shot was fred with q ten
inch shell, ninety and one half inches
long and weighing $50 pounds. Thi.
shell was intended to contain 200 pounds
Of dynamite. The proiectiie made a beau
tiful flight Of about two miles. Its course
was straight and there was not single
revolution Of the shell during its course
As it arrived at tho highest point it fell
perpendicularly in the river in twenty one
aud half seconds. The initial and final
pressures were 1000 and $50 pounds re-
spectively The elevation was 80 degrees
and A minutes.
The third shot was made with a proiec-
tile Of the same size and weight as the
last Owing to some mistake in filling,
the shell broke when nearly at the end Of
its flight
The last shot was made with an eight
inch shell. The proiectile sailed grace
fully upward at an angle Of 60 degrees
and 43 minutes. When At point about
two and one-haf miles from the muzzle it
fell as straight as an arrow into the river.
This shot was much applauded. The in
itiai pressure on the cylinder of the gun
was found to be only $40 pounds and the
final pressure AS pounds.
The three levers which were worked by
an engineer standing upon high platform
fired, raised and lowered the breech and
moved the carriage A motor supplied
the power and an air compressor stored
air in q series of l6-inch iron pipes, the
air being at pressure of 1000 pounds to
the square inch. The air is passed from
this reservoir to q second one and then
allowed to pass to the breech of the gun
Of valves.
1t was said by Mr.. Yate of the manufac-
turing company that the gun would be
sold Tor about $4,000. The cost of the
test, he said, would amount to over 81, 900.
1t WAS also said that FIVE more guns of
this kind are in process of construction
for the United States government. This
gun will be taken to Shoeburyness,
England, and experimental upon. 1t will
DO finally taken to Victoria, Australia.