Evening journal., 1891-07-25
THEKRUPP GUN EQUALED
Our New Twelve Inch Cannon
Is a Terror.
DEATH DEALT AT A DOZEN MILES

The Test of the First Completed Coast
Defender Proves That c4Ie United states
Can Make rs Good a Piece Of Heavy
Ordnance rs Any Country.
NEW YORK, July 25-The first high
power gun OF l2-inch caliber built in this
country was fred yesterday at the United
States proving ground, on Sandy Hook
Point. The results, as expressed by the
ordnance officers present, were satisfac
tory from every standpoint They show
that American ordnance making is equa.
TO the best In the world, aud that seacoast
defenses with American guns can be made
effective against any ironelads on the fact
Of the ocean.
Not Fully Loaded Either.
This gun, which is a steei breechIoadfna
rifle, was sent from the National foundry
at Watervliet, n r., to be tested more
than a month ago. II has taken this time
TO transport the gun from the govern
ment dock aud mount ii IN its present DO
sition.
Lieutenant Gibson superintendent the
firing and loading, with the assistance -
Sergeant Joseph w. Warwick and a party
of ten soldiers. The tests were not for the
ordinary service charge, which consists %
a40 pounds Of powder, but were conducted
under a reduced charge of $50 pounds ol
German brown prismatic powder and o
proiectile weighing l,e00 pounds
He Touched the Electric Hutton.
At 2:90 Lieutenant Gibson reported &c
his senior officer Captain Heath, that tbs
new gun was loaded and ready for firing.
Red flags were waving along the line "a
fire warning passing vessels that one-ton
solid shot would soon be skipping along
the waters from Sandy HOOK Point.
Al 235 Lieutenant Gibson gave the sig-
nal for everybody to leave the gun aud "a
under the bombproof quarters, and then
touched the electric button which fired the
first i2-inch steel breechloading rifle, y
type that Is destined to become an impor.
tant factor in the problem Of protecting
our almost defenseless seacoast.
II shook the Very Earth.
When the shot left the muzzle Of the
great gun there was an explosion that
shook the very earth. As the heavy moss
Of steel cut its way through the cross
wires 200 feet distant IL plowed its why
through the water five miles to the east-
ward. II first struck the water about 1.lNo
yards from the shore aud then ricochetted
making bound about fifty feet in the mir.
II struck again about 400 yards further.
throwing aloft great volume of water,
made another plunge and was lost ia
view.
Initial Velocity f,4Ts Feet.
Az soon as the gun was cool Iientenani
Gibson and his corps Of assistants swunu
opened the 200O-pound breech plug aid
made an examination OF the effect Of thq
first fire. The pressure guages showed
10000 pounds to the square inch, with ian
initial velocity Of Lab feet per second.
These results differed but little from those
estimated by the experts before the gun
was even commenced
Equal Go the Best Foreign Guns.
Yesterdays test was an important one
in the history Of heavy ordnance in this
country, and shows that American guns
are equal, II not superior, TO any that can
be built abroad
The great krupp rifle OF the same caliber
can only fire charge of 357 pounds OF
powder; under ordinary service conditions
the American gun can stand 440 pounds
and attain range Of twelve miles The
forgings, tube and jacket Of this gun were
furnished by Schneider & Co. In France.
but the borings were made at Watervleit.
and the jacket shrunk on and built NJ
under the direction of Captain Il H. Bruu.
OF the ordnance corps. Since the building
of this gun the foundry at Watervliet h u
been enlarged and new plant added u Asre
aud at the Bethlehem Iron works so that
now all parts Of the heavy guns eau ,e
built in the United States, making uS a.
tirely independent Of the European manu-
facturers.