Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-29
TESTING A BIG GUN,
An Immense Cannon Records q velocit
1,7O2 Feet . Second.

An Immense Cannon Records q Velocity OF
1,7O2 Feet . Second.
The first shooting at the new proving
grounds Of the Bethlehem Iron Company took
place yesterday afternoon. The grounds are
situated in large quarry at Redington. six
miles from Bethlehem, Pa. They are equipped
with a six and an eight-inch gun. Tho forg-
ings were made at the Bethlehem iron works.
The guns were built or fabricated at the Wash
ington gun foundry. The largest are velocity
and armor plate butts. Besides there are
magazine for powder and projectiles and an
instrument house.
The grounds were built and the shooting was
in charge Of Lieut.. ]. F. Meigs. The eight-inch
gun was used yesterday. The gun il q monster,
having a rebounding force Of 1000, 900 pounds.
The shell weighed $50 pounds. The charge was
eighty-one pounds Of prismatlc powder. The
purpose Of the firing was to determine the
velocity. According to the standard 1t should
have been ZOO feet a second.
THE TEST SUCCESSFUL.
The gun was armed 80 the projectile would
fly through two electrical screens and bury
itself in the velocity butt. 1t Is an artificial
embankment Of earth backed by high cliff
and inclosed within two parallel walls twenty
five feet apart. 1t Is fifty feet deep. The
screens were connected with the electrical
house by ordinary copper wires. In the house
is q very delicate machine called the Boulange
chronograph, which measures the velocity
The distance between the screens was ninety
meters. As the ball struck the first a bar Of
steel demagnetized and began to fall. As the
ball struck the second screen a lever in the
Boulange was released. This struck the bar,
and left an impression from which the velocity
Of the shell was computed. The ball, speeding
onward, was buried in the velocity sand. The
instrument recorded Q satisfactory velocity.
1t was l. 02 feet. 1t was In charge Of Robert
Segur. Lieut. Meigs stood on the gun plat
form and had charge of the general shooting.
The test was witnessed by President r. p Lin
derman, Superintendent Russell W. Davenport,
Capt. Jewett, H. Jaques, ordnance engineer,
and Lieuts. Niles, Brainsrd and Rohrer. As
the first round was satisfactory an addi-
tlonaI shot was not necessary.
TO FIRE AT THE ARMon PLATE.
The test determined the velocity and now the
armor plate can be fired at. The armor plate
butt is situated beside the receptacle for the
shells fred to determine the velocity. 1t is
more substantially built. First Ia a wall built
against the irregular cliff 30 a. to present an
even surface Of drst-class masonry. solid
floor has been constructed, at the sides Of which
are two walls about twenty-five feet apart. The
space between these has been Allied with heavy
oak tmbers sixteen feet deep. In front of the
twenty or thirty feet deep, separates the crib
bings from the three feet Of oak timbers and
forms the immediate backing Of the armor
plates. The projectiles are not expected to
pierce the armor plates. II they do they will
have o backing Of three feet Of timbers. twenty
feet Of sand, ten feet Of cribbing, about twenty
feet Of fall and q mile or two OF mountain to
stop them.
The plate 10 be fred ct II ten feet by eight
and twelve inches thick. It was tested by the
Harvey process and made there. It was clamped
to the cribbing Of the srmor plate butt. The
the machine shop there twsnty-four holes had
been bored at the back for the insertion of thu
olamping bolts. The plate viii be fred ct or
Saturday. The transportation Of Bethlehem
Company armor plates to the Warrington and
Annapolis testing grounds b now superfuous, q
they can be tested hereafter on the company,
own grounds under the supervision Of govern
ment inspectors.