New-York tribune., 1891-05-03
vation within its working range. and the rate Of dis
charge Is one round each minute.

vation within its working range, and the rate OF dis
charge Is one round each minute.
On each side Of the gun there is fixed small double
acting hydraulic cylinder, the plungers Of which not
only control the movement Of the loading slide, tray
for the reception of the poectle pvoted to the breech
trunnons but also, by their continued action draw the
projece up into the barrel where 1t Is held The slide,
all times when the barrel is elevated rises by hydrau
lie pressure 10 receive the projectle from tram troll
ley and by opening valve the slide Is made TO de-
scend with its load and is brought into line with the
barrel Of the gun
The brecchclosing block, suspended above the
trunnons by counerwoighs. descends after the pro-
jectlle is drawn mp Into the barrel and is drawn into
the breech by the cOsshead of the hydraulic pungr
and locked There are thirty two compnssedar reser-
volrs which, will be In tine cut connected
the gun In four sections Of eight each two sections
each side Of the gun carriage. These reservoirs
each four feet high and ten inches in diameter and
tested to pressure of four tons to the square inch
Filled with air compressed to 5000 pounds square
inch, OF about 1-34Oth OF its original volume, tile
capacity of each reservoir at the working pressure Is
II 900 cubic feet OF air. Any number OF the rser-
voirs out Of the four sections may be discharged ac
codng to the range desired or the weight OF the pro-
iectile The discharging valves are peculiar ar
rangement Of the piston type and arc packed on the
hydraulic system.
The proeetiIe IS six feet three inches long and
weighs 800 pounds when charged with GOO pounds
OF dynamite. The barrel pneumatic tube is thrty
feet long with calibre Of fifteen inches. The gun is
TO be discharged by the expansion Of compressed air
at pressure of 5000 pounds square inch, and is
calculated to carry the shell three miles. The shell
is lined with asbestos CLOTH the charge OF dynamite
being greatly subdlvided by being made up into small
pellets each inclosed In envelope OF brown paper
These pellets prevent tho cernc or other active
agent In the explosive, separated from the absorbent
with which 1t is associated, from becoming concen
trated in some part Of the charge when 1t would
assume the very sensitive and dangerOu. state common
10 nitro when not combined with all absorbent
material They also cushion the charge and serve to
prevent the shock OF the explosion Of the firing charge
being transmitted to the dynamite in the shell In such
a manner as to explode It,
THE gun can be loaded, elevated, trained and dis
charged by person Experiments are soon TO be
made with it In Europe In the presence OF Army ana
Navy officers OF this and other GoVernments.
The dynamite gun which is now mounted on the
yesuvius has been thoroughly described on more than
one occasion in these columns. and people who have
followed what has been published about war weapons
must be familiar with IL. At the present time two
miles is the limit of range Of these guns with pro
ectile Of amy dangerous size This fact causes 1t to