The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-13

larged for the purpose, or whether a new
gun factory should be established on this
Coast to produce artillery not only for San
Francisco. but for the mouth OF the Column
bia, San Pedro, San Diego and the new
fortress in Washington State as well.
General Miles, who favored factory on
this Coast, stated before the Committee on
Coast Defenses that 10-inch guns could be
cast here now, and General Benet, who pre-
ferred enlarging the WatervIiet factory, adj
mitted that its present capacity was only
forty guns year, and if it was doubled In
size it could only produce eighty. The de-
partment decided TO increase II, and an ad-
ditional wing is now being built.
The record of its performance, as given IN
the report of General Flagler, Chief Of Ord
nance now Just published, shows how slow
the casting of heavy guns is and how made
auate the Watervlet establishment is to
supply the wants Of the country. Of mod
ern guns that factory has only turned out
up to date two S-inch, one 10-inch and one
Pinch breech- loading steel rified gun.
Appropriations have passed Congress for
the parts required for the manufacture OF
16-inch gun. But the time required
for the completion of such gun is SO long
that General Flagler. in calling for new APP
preparations. adds that if the money re-
quired is available by June 30th of next
year the gun. can hardly be tested before
June 80 1895 while the other three l6-iucf
guns, of which the parts have not been cast,
will not be completed before 1898. 1t is evil
dent that it would not do to trust the de-
Tense of our coasts to guns which take six
| years to make. The world is hardly likely
to witness another war lasting six years.
| The European powers have guns Of the
| caliber of 15$. Inch to T7$4-inch; but work
! on them was begun long ago.
| If, as officers of the army have decided.
/ the defense of San Francisco absolutely re-
Quires guns of the largest caliber, and II
| they take four or five years to manufacture,
it would seem absolute folly to delay the
| beginning of their construction. And Judg-
ing from its performance in the past. the
! Watervliet factory-even with the new eX-
| tension-will have all it can do to turn out
the guns which are required for coast de-
Tense on the Atlantic. Sooner or later, the
| department cannot fail to come to the con-
clusiOn that the guns needed on the Pacific
must be cast on the Pacific. II was long
! ago decided by General Benet after careful
| inspection, that guns of the heaviest cali
| berS could not be sent across The continent
| by rail unless the railroad bridges were
greatly strengthened, which would involve
a considerable expense.
The Wateryliet guns, such as they are,
| are turning out well. An S-nch gun,
| charged with fifty pounds of German smoke
less powder, drove a protective with a
| greater velocity than was attained with 125
| pounds Of black powder. and the gun did
not appear TO suffer from the strain. 1t is
| fair to assume that tie experiments which
: are now being conducted by the officers of
| ordnance with a view tG the u discovery of an
American smokeess powder will result in
the production Of an article superior to the
| German.
But S-inch guns would not be of much
| service against such vessels as the war hip
| which the French have just launched. That
vessel cost 2S, oO0, 600 francs. and is expected
| t. be impenetrabie by ordinary Shot or
| shell. To encounter such craft 16-inch
guns, loaded with smokeless powder OF
double the strength of ordinary powder,
are indispensable. And such guns, TO be
handled with effect in actual warfare, must
be supplied with disappearing carriages.
OF these, there is not one anywhere in
this country. There are q few in Eu-
rope, but they are not giving satisfac-
ton. having a way of getting out of gear
every time they are tested. A gun of large
caIibrr without carriage which will per
nit It's being loaded under cover. would not
be satisfactory in modern warfare, 1t has
long been admitted that the manufacture OF
guns and disappearing carriages ought to &C
hand in hand; and yet the latter have been
neglected even at Watervliet, and no seri-
Gus effort has been made to obtain an APP
Precipitation for a carriage factory on this
Coast