Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-03-20
MAKING BIG ARMY GUNS
THE ARSENAL AT WATERvLIET
AND ITS HEAVY WORK.

THE ARSENAL AT WATERvLIET
AND ITS HEAVY WORK.
Making Gun Thirty Five Feet Long
That Will Throw a 1OOO-Pound
Projectile Fifteen Miles.
The big army gun factory at Water
vliet Arsenal, says an Albany On. "
letter to the New York World, has
passed safely through the experimental
period, and is now fairly established as
one of the two extensive ordnance pro-
ducing plants of the Government. Rapid
firing field guns and eight-inch and ten
inch steel rifles have already been made
here, and there is now in process of CON-
pletion twelve-inch rifie-the largest
gun yet attempted by the Government.
There is only one step more to be
taken, the manufacture of the sixteen
inch guns, ,and this will not be attempted
until the south wing of the new gun fac
tory has been built.
The new 12-inch rifle has passed
safely through the ordeals of the shrink
ing pit and the first of the boring pro-
cesses, and now rests fawless and in all
the majesty of its fifty-two gross tons of
cold steel upon lathe in the old shop.
1t is an imposing-looking affair, but does
not bear very close resemblance to
cannon from layman's point of view.
1t is thirty-tive feet long and about three
feet across at the breech, and looks like
an exaggerated lamppost lying upon its
side. 1t is not yet ready for its breech
mechanism, so if any one has mind to
climb up on the lathe he can look
through the gun. This giant is the big
gest piece of ordnance ever attempted by
Uncle Sans gunmakers, and the officers
in charge of its construction watch every
movement of the workman and inspect
every tool used upon it with the greatest
care. Thus far every gun that has gone
out from Watervlet has withstood the
Government tests most successfully, and
they do not intend that the 12-incE rifle
shall prove an exception.
This gun when completed is expected
to throw a 1000-pound projectile, with
an initial muzzle velocity of 1000 feet
per second, distance Of fifteen miles
with charge of about four bundled
pounds of powder.
All the guns made at the Watervliet
foundry are known as "built up" guns,
and are made by shrinking a series of
bands of rings upon steel tube.
The most delicate part of the work is
yet to be done upon the gun. That is
the rifing. 1t will have seventy -four
grooves, each .O6 of an inch deep. The
cutting of these is a very particular piece
of work, as a single cratic movement of
the cutter will ruin the piece. AS soon
as the boring of the gun is completed it
will be once more adjusted on the lathe,
and fine calculation made to determine
just the proper twist for the grooves.
On the lathe, next to the 12-lnch gun,
is the 10-inch wire wound gun, cheaper
arm and an experiment. On central
tube is wound square steel wire at ten
sion of about two hundred and fifty
pounds, and over this is forced, without
heating, steel jacket. This is just in
the winding stage atpresent.
In the central section of the new gun
factory is the shrinking pit where the
guns receive their jackets. This pit goes
down fifty feet into the solid rock, and
will accommodate any gun that will be
made at Watervliet. When gun is
ready to receive its jacket it is placed in
the pit in a vertical position. The jacket
is placed upon an iron car and run into a
big oven made especially for heating
jackets. When the workman in charge
of the heating thinks that the proper
degree of expansion has been reached,
the doors are opened and he makes
test. In testing he uses stick
with steel points which are set at the re-
quired measurement. This stick is fast
ened crosswise to the end of a long pole.
If the steel points on the end of the cross
stick will pass inside the diameter of the
jacket, the proper degree has been
reached, if not the heating must be con-
tinued. When sufficiently hot, the car
is run out, the jacket hoisted upon a
crane and swung over the gun. Then it
is carefully lowered into position. Great
care is taken to prevent excessive heat
ing, as that causes the metal to scale,
yet it is necessary to heat it enough or 1T
cannot be fitted upon the gun.
Outside of the gun factory proper
probably the most interesting point with
in the arsenal yard is the projectile foun-
dry and finishing shop. 1t looks very
much like an ordinary foundry, save that
the imposing array of cranes suggests
heavy work and rows of 10 and 12-inch
projectiles indicate the kind of work.
The 12-inch projectiles weigh 1000
pounds, and standing on end reach about
to the middle of the thigh of an ordinar-
lily tall man. 1t takes a day to cast one,
the pouring being made in the forenoon
and the sand shaken out of the TASKS in
the afternoon. The metal used is mix
ture of cast iron, wrought iron and steel,
Asmbined in proportion that makes it
very heavy and tough. From the mould
ing shop the projectiles are taken to the
finishing shop, where they are turned
down smooth and have copper band