San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-19
pROLONGING A CANYONS LIFE
A Gun which Costs $4,000 is Good
for 227 Rounds Now
he Chicago journal of Commerce.

The Chicago Journal of Commerce.
Louis Gathmann proprietor Of the
Garden City Mill Machinery and Sys-
tenn of Milling, has method of load
ing q cannon which, 1t is claimed.
will prolong the life of heavy pieces of
ordnance indefinitely, and effect an
enormous saving of expense. The
life of gun which costs the Govern
ment S4S, 900 is good for 227 rounds.
4 forty-five ton gun, for which the
Government pays $50, 240, is good for
$50 rounds. By Gathmann's inven-
ZION these guns can be used certain.
ly twice as long as uader the present
methods of firing, and probably mucn
longer that. AT Fort Sheridan recent.
~ Mr.. Gathmanp has been expert
mentipg with gun weighing about
1000 pounds, with 7-pound charge
Of powder and projsctile of about
Is pounds in weight, varying in
length from to feet. 1t is claimed
that one of these projectiles, carry.
.ng 24.pound charge of explosive,
can pierce the thickest armor of three
miles. But It is not SO much the de-
structive quality of the weapon as its
enduring qualities that Mr.. Gath
mann is interested in. A gun is
worn out not by conclusion caused
by the discharge of the piece, but by
the heat, and he claims that by his
method of loading, the heating of the
ordnance may be prevented even in
COD tinuOus firing, and the life of such
ordnance prolonged. In his method
one or more capsules containing lique-
fed srbonic acid gas are employed
between the powder charge and the
breech block, the capsules being
adapted 10 open by the powder pres
sure. The gas released from IN cap
-ule will by its expansion, absorb the
heat produced by the pOWGer( either
ny its ignition or pr'ssure) and by
the friction Of the prCjeCtile. The alb
.Orba elton of the eXpendlng gas
prevents the penetration of the heat
into the. metsl Of the gun to any
APPRECIATE depth.
Mr.. Gathmann has also invented
\ cannon with which he claims the
best results in throwing large masses
of high explosives cau he 'Dtaihed.
The combination ia this IS with q
cannon having an expended p'wder
chamber of a diaphragm shOuldei ing
against an offset, at the front end OF
the powder chamber, and provided
| with central hole smaller than the
bore of the cannon. The powder
occupies only about One-fifth OF the
powder chamber. The chamber
| therefore, serves as a reservoir for 8
somewhat prolonged supply of pow
| der. Since the passage Is of less dia
meter than the bore occupied by thu
projectile, the full pressure of thu
| powder can not act upon the shell a
once; but on the other hand, it be
| comes more continuous in its action
The mode OF pressure action upon tn
prOjectile isstherefOre, similar to tina
of compressed air. while the degree q
powder is that peculiar to guDpowder
By using in this construction Of gal
the capsule of carbonic acid gas II
rear of projectile as spoke of in tn
loading invention, the cushiOnini
and protecting action of the gas is OBJ
tanned, so that an exceedingly igh
shell or torpedo may be thrown wit
perfect safety, and such shell or tor
pedO may be charged with as larg
mass of high explosives as can b
used in q pneumatic gun. Mr.. Gath
mann has been ordered by the Boar
of Ordnance to report at Sandy Hoo
next month, where his cannon an
mode of loading will be off cially tes
ed.