New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-14
A DAY WITH THE BIG GUNS
THE SANDY HOOK PROVING GROUNDS.
CANNON OF ALL KINDs-How TESTS ARE MADE
SOME INTERESTING POINTS.

| c,NNoN OF ALL KINDS-HoW TESTS ARE MADE
SOME INTERESTING POINTS.
Sandy Hook has become a familiar name to most
New Workers, but to few people does the name co"N''
more than the thought OF long, marrow tongue VI
sand with a convenient landing place about TWO mrs
from the point Looking toward the extreme point io
the boat the passenger may see small COLLECTION Vi
Ionq low buildings with white lighthouse and great
onare tower standing out boldly against the deep
Green OF the pines and the peaceful blue Of the sea
sky while narrow beach OF dazzling bare Whitehess
| furnishes a strong contrast Occasionally the deep
| rumble Of a gun from the point and SHAKES
| the air But 50 far definite knowledge OF the
place is concerned, 1t mlght as "eh DC huhuie"
| miles away from the city.
Most people know only that those distant buildings
snfround the Army Ordnance Proving Grounds anu
chat is ALL There facilities for getting thero
from the landing place Of the sandy HOOK boats e1-
cent by walking rather laundering through almost
two miles of loose white sand, with every
inch OF the way defended vioiOusly by that cars
nivorous game animal OF New-Jersey, the mosquito
soon the distance between the grounds and the near
est railway station will be vastly increased, as the
Central Railroad Of NewJersey has received orders 10
move away. The tracks OF the company and the lano
ing place. are now on Government ground, ana as tne
tracks run along the beach which is badly needed l0f
a firing range the trains interfere with tests
LOTS OF ROOM NEEDED.
To fire euns that carry ten or twelve miles requires
free room and The ordnance officers are afraid that
balls may rcocet and tear the tracks or do other
dangerous damage The railroad was bnit Oh "io
Government property Oh the Hook dnriDg lle war
To carry soldiers apd arms. II has renlslneu Uei'
ever since. When the landing place is removed TO
Highland Beach, and no trains run on THIS phrt VI "le
Hook IL will give the officers greatly Increased saie
firing space The added distance from railroad
station will not make much difference TO them as the
officers aud men employed on the proving grounus
20 TO and from NewYOrk on the GOVERNMENT
steamer General Wool, which lands them on Gov
eminent pier near the grounds
The appearance of the place changes considerably
as one approaches IT, Instead Of bare, sandy,
water swept peninsula, il is fund TO be busy ana
picturesque with roofs peerlng here ana there out
of the masses Of vegetation so rich ana theh' that
II would be difficult TO imagine the sea close al mana
did not its sound evernore Emerging Iroui "'e
candy foot path lined on either side by great, green
bushes among which thu bright red beach phins'
soon to turn blue and ripe, glow like sparks, the
,,,s,tor Comes ON a broad plank walk, which leads
toward the end of the Hook, where the onices ana
sbons are situated with the great line Of black guns
nointiug seaward. Behind them rises the SQUARE
tower whence the OF incoming shlps IS
flashed 10 the city. At the extreme END rises tne
Hook beacon. There two other lights on inc
PENINSULA and these, with the Western Union tele-
graph office and the lifesavlng station are the only
ment.
THE OLD GRANITE FORT.
large part Of the grounds Is taken up oy inc
great granite fort which was begun before the war
and left unfinished. 1t is a magnificent piece Oh
masonry and looks IL ii had been built only yester
day Before IL had neared anything Ike completoh Tue
progress OF science had changed the cohultols Vi
defence that its design became worthless ana the huge
walls became monument Of bygone engineering
AM
incs that were to hold deadly weapons now look
borrIessIy ont on the great guns which are
no,o in front of the walls The works are not no"
put TO mich use except TO act as powder mag
There are four of these magazines ana rs Vsso guar
utv ~ new nowders and explosives come TO the looA
for tssts through the year. they contain tons on ioS
of it, .,o. d
then only after drawing rubbers over their shoes et
a. shark might be struck from nail in the bools' 1t
is novelty to enter one the dark cool places ana 10
find how deadly a row Of mere kegs may appear
Beyond the magazines the shops, Where great
Iathe and engines are prepared for doing almost any
reasonable piece of work. in the way of altering or re-
pairipg. guns reshaping and rebandng proeces that
| have been fred so they may be used agnin etc
Adjoining the shops the office, where the results OF
the tests are calculated. This ONCE alone sa as IL
| is would repay days Of study. Instruments, so III
eenious that thew bewider the ayman, econ here the
|
Of its flight. the amount of recoIl of the gun, the
| pressures, etc.
To explain the action Of these instruments is a
diflcu, fash Their accuracy and wonderful minnie
ness Of action may be imagined when 1t is said that one
OF Them the Sehert Nelocimetre regularly records
spaces Of time Of one-One Ousandth part Of second
and can be made to record intervals Of one eight thou
sandth Of even that incredibly small fraction OF see
! ond.
SOME DELICATE INSTRUMENTS.
To measure the force of reco Of gun, this in
strnment is bolted on a strong stand the muZ2le
end of the weapon. long strip Of thir steel is
passed through aperture made to receive it, and
one end Of this steel band is attached to the gum which
is 50 placed on a special carriage that IL has three
feet Of perfectly free horizontal recoi. The face OF
the steel band is blackened by being smosed. and
a delicate tuning fork which is in the velOdmetre. Is
so arranged that It's sharpest prong just touch the
black face Of the strip Of Steel BY electrical cur
rent the fork then set vibrating thousand times
second The gun Is fired. the recon Jerks the steel
through the instrument, and when II is taken out,
wavy line marks the touch OF the vibrating prongs
each wave denoting a thousandth part of second
This record enables the officers calculate the force
OF the recoiL The same instrument, and several
Others also denote the velocity of the shot at differ
| ent parts Of its path, from the time II leaves the
muzze.
Screens of wires connected with the electric bat
eres are erected in the line Ct fire. at different dis,
snces, and the shot goes through them. the snap
ping Of the wires breaks the circuit, which is then
recorded by the instruments in the Office. These
records as made by the instruments. however, give
the officers only the data on WHICH to base the in
rcatc calculations which follow before the result OF
| the test is determined. The amount Of work de
manded by each shot, and the great knowledge
necessary, are something which was I'M
dreamed Of not many years ago. Then,
| plans must be drawn for each gun and
carriage that is set up; In short the ordnance officer
of the present time must be- and is, a master of al
| most every branch Of science.
Scattered around the Office and shop, about the FORT
throughout the grounds, lie cannon balls projecles OF
| all kinds, carriages and guns. Guns are everywhere
PceriEg from embrasures, some carefully wrapped in
canvas, Others old and useless covered by verdigris
and rust, wherever may look, the eye rests on
l ~ ON damn