New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-10
TESTS OF Il NEW GUN CARRIAGE.
SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS At SANDY HOOK
WITH THE DISAPPEARING MACHINE.
Executive Mansion,
December 0, 1891.

sITcCEs-F11, EXPERIMENTS At SANDY HOOK
WITH THE DISAPPEARING MACHINE.
The erection Of the first pneumatic guncarriage for
big guns ever built In this country was completed Mst
week ut the United States Army Proving Grounds at
Sandy Hook, n. J. The first experiment was made
with the completed carriage on last Friday. since
then six shots have been fired from tie Sun en-nch
all steel breechloading rifle with steadily Increasing
charges The first charge no pounds. tie last
charge being 225 pounds Of powder or almost the full
ordnance charge 24O pounds, required for the ten
inch gun.
The working of the disappearing carriage agreeaoly
surprised even its inventor II had not been expected
hat the first trial would be completely successful, but
It was said last night by Mr.. sper, the inventor that
only a few slight changes, which had suggested them
selves would be necessary.
Many disappearing carriages have been lhVehted
lately and tried In Europe. Most OF them WOreu Oh
the hydraulic principle, or on tho hydo-pheuihauc
prinepe Those which relied Oh the hydraulic power
alone always worked less poorly in cold
weather as the ill which was used Instead OF water
CONCEALED at low temperatures Tie other carriages,
which were worked with the combination of water or
oil and air often proved inferior, the air at times
made the liquid froth and bubble. The carriage n3w
finished at sandy Hook was designed by ii. a. spier,
who is connected with the South Boston Iron WORKS
This firm built carriage for the Pneumatic GunCsr-
rage and Power Company, If Washington, who secured
Government. MIR. spiller has had many years OF ex'
perienee in the designing and building of heavy guns
and carriages and has been identified with some OF the
great advances made In recent years In ordnance
The carriage is set up on the parapets OF the Old
Notifications al Sandy Hook, and on Ii Is mounted one
Of the tell-inch allsteel beecoading rifles AT first
view. the carriage appears to be only bewildering,
ponderous mass of Iron and steel, with numerous
wheels, pipes valves and other attachments. But on
closer inspection and study, tie real simplicity OF the
mechanism and the perfection O@-e carriage become At
once apparent In the huge machine apparently nothing
has been forgotten. The carriage is really great
engine designed to be absolutely automatic the motive
power being furnished entirely by compressed air. The
storage air chamber in the gun carriage which furnishes
the motive power may be charged from either steam
power airpump, which can be stationed at any desired
distance from the gun, it may be charged by hand
from an air-pump concealed within the carriage. The
change firm steam to hand power is extremely simple
and requires scarcely second. When the airstorage
ch AMBER is once cha scd IL will not need renewing for
many hours. The air expands as IL raises the gun To
the firing position, and the reco after the shot com
presses the air again, tpat ii is ready to raise the
gun as before being somewhat the principle OF the
pneumatic dOorchecks which nave become common
Lately. This air power, which, al the touch OF a
finger, in the opening OF valve, eevaes the great gun
eight feet If ii feather, performs every other
operation required for ng IL raises the powder ana
the heavy sno 10 the breec rams 1t Into the cham
ber and traveseS By means Of an ingenious telescope
rammer. and sights the gun the recou IS checked 50
smoothly by the air piston that the gun settles into It's
| hidden position without the slightest shock.
In practice, tile gun and its carriage VIII be 90
mounted that the muzzlc will be just below the TOP Of
~ thworks fOrCa0ns OF some klnd, which VIII be
When ready for ming, the opening OF valve brings
the air pressure into play ana the carriage cfeVates the
| cannon eight feet ahove the rampa IT,. AS soon as
| the gun is fired the recol throws IL downward and
hides It, The carriage weighs fifty five tons complete