Daily Kennebec journal., 1891-08-14
II IfLEGRapK
ran lAonsvsa gus
FRED Win Charge ct 40 Peunds
Hsw Pewdss.


NEw Yo.x. Aug 10 The great ls-iuch
all steel built mp rihsd qua which Uncle
6sm has BEEN at vurx on for the iAst sniee
wears vas hred o6 Tuesday for the second
time, as the United Ststss rrovlns gFounos
as Sandy Hook.
This special object Of the trial US to test
The nes Du oons ce Nemours lSd-f hieh
vas manufactured espe cisil, for h Is re-
suited in showing that the powder vas tooi
slow, and that = new powder WI have ~
be made.
IocidsntAlly 1900 pounds OF prejectile
we're husIed miles out to ses, and The Two
b;Ssest charges of euoposder ever put in .
cam on IN til. eide Of the Atlantic were
fi.ed tf
The trst time the big san was fred ~a'
.bont three weeks Bgl. Then Q German
powder which had been brought from abroad
especially for the purpose Was nsed The
i.rees, angle chArse fred was S'5 pounds,
which broh the record up n thst Time for
,his e., t,p.nt NJ heavier charges were
then attempted, for it sss proved with the
fret aischsrge that the posder VAS far TOO
ou;e X Ia ne sction for gun Of such length.
The obi ,cs Of . long gun 10 that the pr. &C
tile may be subjected to the expansive force
OF tno txPiVsi'e Aos - AoH uA7 - foss'
Bile.
The German powder burnt out and Lost
its force b. fore the pref 90. lie reached III,
muzzle of the gun. Il Was Decessafy to
ses q slower actin powder. and the Dapont
De Nemours Company Of wiluipg;on was
directed to make . powder for the purpose.
That used yesterday was submitted for
experiment. The company will try again
l. ~ ina IA
show that the right proportions Of insredi-
ents have been hit upon TO utilize the full
| ler z b Of the gen As this 10 much the
large., gun ever fred in this country, the
QUE elton OF powd.r is necessarily ore Of
| experiment G fl ct.
The gun was desig cd to stand a pres
snrs Of 81 500 pounds 10 the q isre inch
| during xplosi3u Ard 10 hold ,a' agsin.t
this enormous sta'n 'der larg c3n'inu"d
| uye. To p'odace ms e'repg h the Pun
was made IN n les OF concenIic is.rs
or i,ck.ts of st7el. Tbs tnhe Fl 81
j.oset were originally imported from
! France The outer steel jack t. Nerr
| .lpp, d Yer them ~hie hot At the Water
Wiz Ars.nsl ut West Troy and "shtu h
on by C .o,ifg like wheel tires. This gun
ga. de.i. .ned to carry maximum. charge
| Ot ffU puuhus VI PoW'' ~h'Sh "os
pec'.d to propei pri ,ciiie veiahne
| 1000 tounds with an iait.Al or muzzle vs-
locuy Of l eco feet secoad.
| This Iesui', ho~avsr, csnro. be K )ected
except With a rowder s. prop ,ttioned 4, TO
SC on the proj.c lie I'll he way to ;he
mrzzle.
Four shots were fired yes erday. The
gun was pointed 10 eea, and ~ mi ial
l a, 4. 81 nh nf -
the test, II was simed low. The nieasure-
msn,s Of v.le civ were taken by the B,u-
lanee cropogrsph. Two streens of slender
crossed wires were set in the pathway OF
the pre- jectile. jas. in from. of the muzzla
They were 100 feet sp.rt, and so pls"ed
that the prof ,ctile would pas, through first
one aod thr ii The other
The exact difference Of tim, between
the pieroipg of the screens is registered by
an electrical dev ee, and from these data
ard the known distar ce het-' en- the scree ms
The velocity Of the projectile may be calcu
lated with great ex,ctaess
The pressure i. test d by in.fr;iog a
metz! cylinder Of, x.ct'y kn' W i dimensiop'
in the back Of the tube. IL Is mesu d
ag.in after the dis tharge, ard the diff+r
ence in its dimensions, through some drii
cate calculations, gives the vet pHessor.
Of the p'wder.
| The fleet charge WAS $50 pounds oi
popd This showed pressure OF lie,
thsn "a 600 rounds to the square irch. a7d
and started The prof cite wrh 4 velocity OF
I4i3 feet. Then charge Of $50 pou d.
of powder was USED with pressure "a
600 pouats and velocity # 1881 feet II
WAS now clearly seen ,his the Iowd'r ~as
very slow and it WAS decided t, test the gua
up TO the maximum change.
Four hundred pounds OF powder wtra
ne 1t showed ioto the br ach This wss the
heaviest charge ever used in the c,untry
The big gun shook the air with its voice
The csonogfaph registered velocity ol
1850 feet, and the metal cylinders showed
a rtrain Of 2S.900 pounds to the 20 isle
inch
The last charge was up to the limit OF
the gnh's capacity. 440 pounds Of p,Tder
IL hurled the 1000 pounds Of cast iron from
the csnn,n's mouth at speed of 1892 feel
a second, ~hile it tested the strength Of the
gun fy "a COO pounds to every "a lsre inch
VI surface. That WAS the las. shit.
1 Capt. Frank Hea'h, in commsnd Of the
proving grounds, who is in charge Of the
experiments. then expressed himself sa,i.'
hed thst the nsw powder was much OF
slo~. 1t lacked nearly 200 feet q se cond
in velocity, while it fai'sd to exert ,hs
maximum pressure by 300 pounds to tn,
quae inch
1.-The Dupont people" sad he, have {
rlsrty Of lee~ay. II they can give US ,hi
additional velocity without coming up t.
The maximum Of pressure, so muth tht
better for tine CUR. They will Try sgai'
and ve'l have q new s. within Q month
The big gun can carry shout 10 miles
1t will have an f ective fah'irg range o!
from siaht to n miles