The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1892-12-15

rmployol as n bursting charge in shells undor
ordinary conditions. Careful and prDtracted
experiments have ut iast dcycloped a high OK /.
,losvc that can safely bu used in she lie fred
!com high power guns with sorvico powder.
giving service velOcities The shrlle charged
with the new explosive arc not only uninjurod
by the discharge of the gun. hut can be nrod
through tha armor plates and burst at will bs.
yond them.
Work OIL the vessels IN course OF opnstruc-
tlon is progressing rapidly. The Detroit, Mont.
gomery. MGchas and Bancroft will soon be
placed IN coinmssien; tho Indiana nnd Massa-
chusetts nro about reidy for launchinC and the
Oregon Will DO launched next Dfav. Tho New
York is almost completed aud will he ready for
hor trial trip within three months TheColum
bia will maze her triad trip mud tho Minneapolis
viii >bo launched early in the spring. The
Olympia win be triri next Jnns; the Maine
and Texas ara almost completed aud the moni-
tors lack only thor ari1or
DEVELOPMENTS IN ORDNANCE.
In reference to the ordnance of the navy iu
general, three d. eaoisn,nts havo been
reached during the past yerr which promise
greatly improved results. Th, FIRST OF these Is
Tho application to guns OF medium caiber OF
an improved breech mechanism aud fixed am.
munition, which form tho two essential
features OF thu so called rapid. fro typc. Ur
to recent period, the rapi l.nrc system was
only applied 10 guns Of tho secondary battery,
oil winch tho largest was II G.pIuuier. Since
then further application has been success
fully made 20 4.inch, 5-inch, and oven
6'inch guns, Notwithstanding thu predictions
generally made abroad tha: the 5.lnch was the
cNtrome limit of rapid fire. The 4-inch of
which thirty-1vc have b9en completed has Mt.
tanned III actual trial a rupiltty of fire OF Ave
rounds in il seconds, OF twenty ono shots a
minute. In the 5.nch n rato of five rounds in
" secanis has been attained. For tho G.inch
IA In n.t, Al
manufactured; but even without thia nNccsaary
feature tho application OF tho new braecl,
mechanism to the gun has resulted in a rnto of
fire of ten rounds in minutes 81 seconds, or
nearly double tho ratio of the ordinary service
tyre
Tho second change. which IL indirectly con.
nected With the improved breech mechanism
for large guns, consists in M improvement in
mounts. Tho general direction of the i'm.
lrovcmcnt is In the substitution OF hand power
Tor hydraulic power This feature has been
worked out acccssfuly in the design of car.
r'age" Tor the S-inoh gun, which can now be
manipulated by hanl power throughout The
practical results arc great decrease in weight
which has hitherto bean required for tho
hydrau H. machinery, and tho elimination of
the possibility OF putting the gun out OF action
by an injury to tho contemplated hydraulic,
mechanism.
Ihe third change consists in tho application
" h"Iio VI tuS cNnerlln nus wnlcn, IN Otler
directions, hnve been ono of tn, marked
features OF this administration, in the uss OF
Gickcl
ARMOR.
The amor contracts are siill the cause Of the
greatest Geoy in tic cousti uciion Of the now
nEvy. The Ectll hem Iron Co, the contract
with which was mFdo in 1897. has only dcliv.
tred 05o OF th" $40 tons OF amor. pate con-
tiactcd for hut tho establishment is now in
running order ana tho delivery of plates is ex-
pected to be rapid and continuous from now
On Secretary Tracy says that the establish
mont OF this pant and thc ono at Homestead /,
worth to the country all the money that the ar
NOR contracted for will cost
The following table gives the number Of guua
completed, partly completed and af!ont