The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-03
Let usput it in intelligent form for COM

1CuBNu OF gum. 70 fl
Weight Of gun. 40 tens (lOS, 467 lbsl
14Wder charge; ..........-.....-.-......-4 25 lbs
Weight Of shell $50 lbs
Effective rsoge for distance destruc. !, miles
Thickness of steel which projectiie o.,>
will penetrate at muZzle. -. 800. ~o7a ms
lt Is perhaps unfair, however, to call this
12-inch gun young Commodore Folger's
triumph, seeing that he is yet but kid, and
has already contra 1ted for twelve still bigger
guns. That he can make them goes without
saying, for the steel forgings are already
contracted for. These are twelve 13-
inch guns, four Of which are TO be mounted
on each OF the three new tattleships, Indi-
ana. Massachusetts and Oregon. 1T is
astonishing what an inch increase of caliber
leads to in calculating the power Of modern
ordnance said the young commodore, as
he showed the writer the plans, speciflca-
tio7s, and cute little steel model of this
Infant" of ordnance.
Almost as much in proportion said
Capt. Barber, who was present, las an inch
in addition TO the length Of a mans nose"
Here are the figures on the 13-inch gum"
said Commodore Folger; compare them
with Dahlgren's triumph"
Galoer Of gun ............. ........ ......13-in
Length of gun ............. .. 40 II
Weight of gun. ...........6 90 tons (l35 400 Ibs)
Powder charge .............,..... $50 lbs
Weight OF prOjectile ..................l.l00 lbs
The range and penetrating force of these
guns will be but slightly more than the IL
inch, but the crushing force incident to the
impact and explosion of a 1,100-pound
projectile must be much greater. l ought
to say here" continued Commodore Folger,
that the length of 13-inch projectle will
be about 40 inches. Stand one up along
side an ordinary man ard it would reach
nearly to his arm-pits."
How one of these gre It guns is made is
an interesting study. The evolution Of the
ship Of live oak into the steel cruiser of to-
day presents no more striking contrast than
the evolution Of the gun which is to arm
her. The huge furnace with its weight of
melted iron is no more; the great casting
pit with its sand mold has gone to keep
company with the old Spanish bronze re-
tort All the etfete traditions are cast
aside. The manufacture Of ordnance
has become science. There is re-
qutred the same genius, the same skill,
the same delicacy of manipulation on the
part OF artisans, which a century ago was
required to make a watch. Picture the
ponderous machinery required to make a
l2-lnch rified gun for the Monterey, and
compare it with the deicacy of the machine
which turns out Waltham OF an Elgin
watch. Both are beautiful both run
noiselessly, both are controlled by man in
a blouse, representing the very acme of
development in American skilled
labor. The great and more impos-
ing difference is the magnitude Of the
operation. The machine which makes the
watch, or its various parts, could be put
into Kodak case; that which turns, bores
rifles and polishes the great artillery to de-
fend Uncle Samuel, a1oat and ashore,
weighs hundreds of tons. Yet both sets of
machinery work with almost equal preci-
sion Of touch and perfection of result.
Commander O'Neill of the navy loves to
show no" big 12-inch gun is finished. He
is at the head Of the big gun foundry. He
is on duty at the Washington navy yard as
inspector of ordnance" If any body comes
along with an interest in such things Capt.
O'Neill usually details young officer to
show everything. Ensign ArmIstead Rust
is the young gentleman VINO best fills the
as gnment, according to Capt. ONeill's
idea. Young K lst knows all about the new
guns. One II these days he will be big
figure in naval Ordnance-probably as
big figure as Commodore Folger himself
The nucleus OF the big gun of to-day Is not
a sandpit and pot OF molten metal, but a
tremendous cylinder Of forged steel. 1t
comes from Be- hlehem or the Midvale steel
works, and it takes several fiat cars to carry
it. ltwelghs about fifty tons. 1t gets into
the Washington yard on trucks of the Penn
sylvania road, and 100-ton crane jerks the
thing up as grocer's scale would lift a
pound of cheese, and puts it on steel
carriage. Before the big cylindrical BLOCK
knows it, huge tubular bore is at work
at its vitals. The lore cuts slowly but IN
erringly. A core comes out in a solid mass
This being bored in turn becomes the basis
Of the four or five inch gun. One set of
machinery cuts out this core; another set is
at work on the rear of the monster, planning
and turning it for the reception of the
Jacket" be jacket is the first reinforce
ment of the guns strength. 1t is huge
cylinder received also from the Bethlehem
or the MidvGle works. 1t, too, is turned on
the inside to make its inner surface smooth.
Then when the great steel forging, now by
the action of the boring machine become a
tube, is ready, the big crane comes along,
lifts it out Of the lathe cradle and carries it
off to huge pit, where it is turned muzzle
down, seemingly into the bowels of the
earth. Then comes along the 40-ton crane,
holding in its arms the jacket. The jccket
is lowered into roaring furnace, built in
one side of the great pit, and there it is lett
to its own reflection for some time, while
Satan and his imps get in their hottest
work. Nobody sees the fire. Nobody feels
the heat, but when all is
reported to be ready, Commodore Fol-
ger. Capt. O'Neill, Capt. Bob Car
mody and Lieut.. "Regy" Nicholson get
8Da Inc Sklll6u WOThi0eu are Gil LQeT0
with their hands covered with asbestos nit
tens. When the gray haired man in charge
of the furnace declares that all is ready, the
Acton crane comes over, giant steel hooks
seize upon the cover Of the retort, land away
it goes. Great flames shoot up. Down goes
another set of steel hooks, and they grapple
the lotion jacket and in five seconds more il
is dangling in the air, sizzling and sputter-
ing in its white heat. The point is then to
carry it and settle it upon the big cold tube,
whose stern is in the air to receive it.
By this time everybody is busy. The
man controlling the crane gets orders at
the rate Of sixty a second. Men with guy
ropes to direct the descent of the jacket
almost dance jigs in their intensity Of pur-
pose. Copt. O'Neill keeps his arms going,
and tries to shield his face from the awful
heat. The cry of 10 yer away" comes
from every throat, and Steady ~ "Steadyw
fills the air. Sparks fly from the
great mass Of metal, and when
anything goes amiss Commodore
Folger takes a hand. Then the fnu begins.
The sparks. the heat. the general excite
ment 90 for naught when Folger bursts
forth. The brilliant young commodore 10
charge Of gun manufacture has vocabu-
larry CT invective which for forceful pict-
uresqueness and variety would shame any
body in Satan's dominion. When the
jacket does't 60 on just as il ought, the
atmosphere Is not only hot, but It is sui
phurous.
But usually evervthfn0 works suootblv