Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-19


these astonishing machines, ammunition for
them Is furnished on shipboard by an end
less leather band furnished at intervals with
hooks, which reaches from the magazine to
the main deck. By this means one man can
supply constant stream of cartridges
The likelihood seems to be that rapid-fre
guns will before long practically superceede
the great cannon OF the old style, which
have grown to be SO gigantic As to be un-
wieldy. They are mnch cheaper also. A,
llO-ton gun costs $50, 900 Its average life
is only 95 shots, which means that it is
worthless after it has fired that number of
projectiles On this basis Of reckoning,
each shot costs about $500, without counting
the powder and projectile, which cost $3.50
more. Sixteen hundred and fifty dollars
pop is good deal to pay. It is true that
when missile from such q weapon hits
anything the latter is likely to be seriously
affected One experimental shot with no
ton gun sent the projectile through 20
inches Of solid steel, inches of wrought
iron, 20 feet of solid oak, 8 feet of granite,
II feet of concrete and feet of brick back
OF all this The striking energy of the con-
ical bullet amounted to 81. 800 foot-tons,
which was equivalent to the power necessary
to lift five giant ships of the size of the
steamer of New York one foot out of the
famous Jubilee shot," fired from similar
gun on the occasion of the Queens jubilee,
fell at distance of 13 miles, attaining at
the highest part of its trajectory an eleva-
ton of four miles
Europe Using Smaller Rsflss.
It is q remarkable fact that the caliber of
the rifles supplied to the armies of Europe
has diminished within the last four years
from 45-100 to 26-100 of an inch. Several
very interesting results are accomplished by
this change. To begin with, owing to the
less resistance opposed by the air to the
smaller bullets, they 60 straighter and the
marksman can use his sights for point blank
range up to 800 yards The Improvement
in accuracy is very great and the velocity of
the projectile Is so far increased that the
latest pattern of weapon will kill man at a
distance of three miles. So much greater is
the penetrating power Of the smaller bullet
that 1t will 60 through the bodies of four
men in row when fired from distance of
one mile.
This was ascertained by the French, who,
for the purpose OF accurate experiment,
stood up four dead men in line and prac-
feed upon them. Another advantage of
the new departure is that one soldier can
carry as many as 100 rounds of cartridges.
Last, but not least, the smaller bullets are
much more humane for use in war Indi-
viduals wounded by them, if not killed out
right, are likely to recover. During the
late civil conflict in Chile an excellent op-
portunitv was afforded for comparing the
relatively slight injuries inflicted BY the
new-fashioned projectiles when contrasted
with the wounds caused by the bullets Of
the old size.
kea,izing Julss verne's Idea,.
- One of the most astonishing inventions of
modern times IL the new torpedo boat now
undergoing trial at Detroit under the eyes
of Government experts. Readers OF THE
DISPATCH will remember that 1t fairly
realizes the design of the imaginary "Nauti-
luz" created by the fancy of Jules Verne
It is cigar-shaped, pointed at both ends,
and has small dome-like turret on top,
through glass In which the steersman
looks along the level Of the waves While
running thus the twin screws are driven BY
a steam engine. When the vessel wishes to
sink the little smoke stack is unshipped,
and down the cigar boat goes beneath the
water, which closes over it while it pursues
its way at depth of 10 feet or more. It
can stay under water for half an hour COM
fortably, the supply of air suficing for that
length of time. While it is submerged the
screws are run by batteries in which elecI
tricity lie stored by the steam engine. The
interior is lighted by electricity.
A new kind of automatic torpedo, which
does not carry men, is called the 'eVictoria"
and has been recently offered to the British
Its motive power is COM
pressed air contained within it, and it is
steered and controlled by means of an cleo
trio wire from shore. 1t moves beneath the
water, approaching the object OF its hostility
unseen. If the operator wishes to see Just |
where 1t is on its course, he touches a but
ton and it jumps out of the waves like a
dolphin. The torpedo most favored by the !
Navy Department is the invention of Cap /
tain Howell, U. s. n. described in THE
1t is worked on the principle |
Of the gyroscope, having q wheel which is |
spun up to tremendous rate of speed be- |
fore the torpedo is discharged from the gun.
Owing to this device it maintains a per- |
Whitehead torpedo Is that 1t is |
hard to guide and is very apt to go crooked. |
The Effectiveness of tho Ram.
Naval authorities assert that rams will be |
he most effective weapons in the naval con- |
1icts of the future. In the building of every
nowadays much attention is given
% making the stem as'powerful as possible,
n order that she may ram an adversary |
effectively. Methods of conflict on the sea
ire reverting, curiously enough, to those
practices 1000 years ago, when Rome was
mistress of the waves Then vessels of war
we're propelled by two or three banks of
,ars; now they are driven with two or three
crews Then, as now, the most deadly
blow was struck with the ram. Tlen,. as
low, the commanding officer stood in a
coming tower" directing the movements
If the ship, issuing orders for the launching
# missiles against the enemy, and at the
'ritical moment '.giving the stem" to an
opposing craft
In order to conceive the power of a mod
I'm ram, imagine ship weighing 5000 tons
lriveh at speed OF 10 miles an hour against
floating antagonist. The force of the blow
an be figured out by multiplying the mass
INTO the square Of the velocity. Twin screws
lelp quick steering so much that vessel so
quipped is hard to strike, but practice in
his kind of maneuver is obtained by
European officers witk twin screw launches,
Thich, with well-padded bows, rush at each
ther, and fight as men do with soft gloves
In Bulwer's novel, entitled 1.-THE Coming
Race, the strange people calling them
elves the Vril-ya were represented as pos
essing such tremendous means of de-
ant, that they never thought of making
var among themselves, since to do so would
ave signi1ied universal annihilation. One
) tempted to imagine that some such state
t affairs must actually arise in the world
efore long when nations will no longer
are to fight because Of the frightful power
t their own weapons. RENE BACHE.
A PECULIAR CHANGE.
wo Z orksnire Farms Alternate Yearly In