The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-11
The Realization Of His Ideal Fac
tory In the Bethlehem
Plant.
American Bullt-Up Guns the Finest Ever
Made-Armor Tests Did not Sur.
prise Him.

the progress OF AmeSlcau gun e6tdOllSo'
ments are of much importance. During
his three months tour of inspection in thi,
country he has visited all the great CUR
works and war-material establishments Of
the United States.
II consider the Bethlehem gun plant" he
said yesterday, Ito be superior to any gun
plant in the world. Bethlehem is the real
ization of my dream of what a perfect gun
establishment should be, and believe it to
be the only perfect establishment Of ita
kind in the world. The gunshopsof this place
aye prodigious in size, the capabilities Of
the establishment beyond the conception
of any one who has not visited it, and the
excellence CT the material turned out I'M
equalled in point Of thoroughness. This
say without a shadow of exaggeration. I
could only look and wonder, and return
to England firmly convinced that in Amer
lea exists the greatest gun and steel pro-
ducing plant in the world.
"As to the Washington Gun foundry
the Bethlehem and Washington are practi-
ticaliy the same establishment-my re-
marks concerning Bethlehem apply equally
we'll. At this latter place for the first time
sible to construct perfect 'built-up' gun.
This is result I have long commended was
impossible to attain. Inow see that was
in error. Mind you, ] do not say that
bell believe that the .built-up' gun is the
gun 90 of say Ii. ma United ne States naqP
as turned out at the Washington gun
foundry: is the most perfect gun in exis-
tence. will 60 farther than this and say
that believe. and know it to be fact, that
Inc .bullt-up' gun, as now used in the
United States navy, is the best and most
powerful gun afoat or ashore anywhere in
the world. There is not gun in Europe,
there is not gun anywhere, that can begin
to compare with it, and the credit due to
tho heads Of the ordnance department. of
the United States navy for this result is
inestimable. M
II ascribe the success of the 'built-up'
gun to the fixing Of individual responsible
ties on every one connected with the assem-
bling OF the pieces, The slightest error in
measurement is traced at once to the per-
out saying that such error will not again be
repeated. The proof of the efficiency of
the American built up guns is the results
OF the tests they have stood. Not one of
the guns has developed defects or shown
the slightest tendency to yield.
The reason is We are handicapped by such
firms as William Armstrong q Son, on
whom we have mainly relied for the fabri-
cation OF gun material. William Arm
strong aimed to be gunmaker. He also
aimed to make money out Of government
contracts. As Runmaker he is Q failure.
As money-making contractor he is a sue
bess."
Concerning the guns to be used in the
British navy in the future, Col. Hope says
ne predicted the failure of the 49, ton, the
6S-ton, and the 110-ton gun some time ago.
Now the maximum limit of calibre will be
the 67-ton gun, which calibre is superior to
those enumerated. As to field guns, Col.
Hope does not believe in giving horse
artillery any other than machine guns. and,
ne says, in giving the horse artillery ma
chine guns, it must not be given pieces
using the same ammunition as infantry.
Furthermore he said, II do not be-
lleve in running batteries all over the. field,
Station your battery in a commanding po-
sition and work it there. Now that the
effective range is between 1000 and 5000
yards, there is no necessity of rushing off |
whole battery to further advanced posi-
ton. as was the practice in times when the |
maximum range was limited to between |
300 and 500 yards. On the matter Of work |
ing battery efficiently there is but one |
way to accomplish it, namely, by concen-
tration. After all. this is the key to all sue
hard" >-'
1t was suggested to Col. Hope that Prince
hraft OF the German army entertained the |
same ideas concerning the service of artil-
lery.
"Yes,' was the reply, land it was the adj
herence to the principle that enabled
Z nnce Kraft to bring about such satisfac-
tory results during the service Of his artil-
lery IN the campaign of 1901"
speaking OF the recent competitive ar
NOR test at Annapolis Col. Hope declared
that he was not surprised at the result, and
that he was prepared to hear Of even more
cerned. oo
About four years ago." he said. 81 came
70 the conclusion that combination of
niokei with iron or steel would produce the
most gratifying results. I was not pre-
pared to say which combination would ex-
Gel, but ! talked the matter over pretty
thoroughly with Sheffield firm and then
Tor the time being, let the matter drop.
what was my surprise when, the other day.
IN conversation with Commodore Folger, /
learned that representatives of this same
Sheffield frm had not only been negotiat-
ing with the United States government for
the furnishing of nickel-steel gun metal,
but that for the past three years that firm
had been furnishing type of metal the ma
lure OF which was unknown to foreign gov
tougher than any then existing
gun metal. 1t appears, as has since been
admitted. that my ideas were worked upon
lent"
The present shrapnell project,le in use in
LAo A1A1tAou uIn ~ tu0 O6SlQn OF Lieut..
Col. Hope. Speaking of the idea, the colo
mel said: Il was placed in charge of
three-gun battery during the Crimean war,
composed of thirty-two-pounder smooth
bores. l was using round shot and shrap-
nell. but observed that in the service Of
shlapneu the tumbling of the shell some
times brought the fuse to the rear of the
of bursting, and again to the front
ut other times. When the fuse was to the
rear the shfapnell was thrown in a direction
IN prol0ngation of the fight of the shell.
and the reverse when to the front. found !
1t absolutely necessary, if desired to OBJ
tain the maximum of results, to devise
shell which should always insure the shrap-
nell charge exploding from tho rear, This
proJectile Is an elongated one, and is fred
BY q time fuse, which works most Rratify-
failed me.''
During the Crimean war Col. Hope vas a
lieutenant in the Royal Fusileers. He was
one of the few officers who received the Vic
torla Cross-perhars the greatest honor
mat can be conferred upon Q British sol-
der. Lieut.. Col. Hope stands IN Close re-
alton With the British war Office authorities.
and his opinions are acted upon moro read
ly than perhaps those of any other off3cer
n the British service.
Ut our gun material he has only one crit
s1sm to CHER. named. the accelerated twist
n our new ordnance rifles. He believes the
visit should be uniform. Other than thia
70 sees NO loom for Improvement.
i