The morning call., 1892-01-22
BETSY AND OTHER BIG GUNS.

The j0-ton gun for the Monterey, which
Will arrive at the Union Iron Works tO-mor-
row, is the largest gun ever received on this
Coast. Indeed, it is more than double the
size Of the heaviest gun we have. It Is Sc
feet long, its CALLER is over 10 inches, and
It will throw an S00-pound projectile a dis
lance Of ten miles. It is one of pair
winch are To figure in the turret of the
Monterey. Those who wish TO note the
progress which gunneTy has made since the
close Of the War of the Rebellion can COM
pare it with the DahlgTen guns which are
still seen il our coast forts; two or three of
them are. or were TIL lately, lying Oh the
Sod Of AlcatraZ Island.
But large as il is it is much smaller than
the great guns which are in readiness for
use in Europe. 1t is twenty-fOur years since
the first 10-ineh guns were made in England;
they rest embed our Big Betsy. They were
coed pieces, but they were soon SUPERSEDED
by heavier weapons. KrUpp in Germany
cast a 71-ton gun for coast defense, the
British Government foundry at NOolwlch
betteTed that by an 60-tOn gun, and Sir Will
lam Armstrong succeeded in casting a gun
of 1@9 tons, Just double the size Of the gun
which is now on its way to San Francisco.
These enormous pieces Of artillery were
originally intended for coast defense, but the
maritime nations of Europe soon began to
ad Ipt them 10 sea service. Great Britain
armed her fighting ships with S0-ton guns,
throwing a projectile Of 100 pounds; four
such guns were mounted on the IntieXible.
France fitted out a whole fleet Of baTbette
Sims with guns ranging from so to 100 tons.
I.aly armed The Italia, the DuiiI0 and the
Laura with 1O0-t0n guns, and England, with
some nisgivings, but unwilling to take any
chances, equipped a squadron OF barbette
ships with two Hilton guns each.
But when these pOndeTous engines were
;red in practice it was found that the con-
cussion produced by firing them was more
than the ships frames could stand. Every
scharge WreEcbed bolts and beams, so
that after q few discharges the vessel was
leaking in a dozen places and was actually
unseaW0rtby. Thus naval officers Of emf
hence declared that whether the 1O0-tOn guns
did not destroy the enemy they would be
almost certain 10 put the vessels winch fired
them hOTs de combat. Again, guns Of such
enormous size cannot be handled by manual
labor. They must be loaded, aimed and
fred by elaborate and intricate machinery
aad the first shot put all this machinery out
Of gear one of the new English ships
which carried q Hilton gun was dispatched
10 sea 10 test it. Two DISCHARGES knocked
everything on board 10 pieces ami the
vessel was lucky to be able to regain port.
I; thus appeared 10 be demons trated that
the limit Of the weight Of marine artillery
had been reached, if 1t had not been crossed.
II appears certain that no gun weighing
over 100 tons can be relied upon for efficient
service in actual warfare; and il is not at
all certain that a I00-t0n gun would serve
any better. There are cunners who doubt
whether soften guns would be as effective IN
battle As guns Of half their caliber If efli-
Cirut,y served By trained crews.
During the period extending from 1859 TO
1856 when tile nations of Europe were
spending millions In experiments in heavy
artillery, this country was content to pursue
policy Of mastery inactivity and TO await
the results Of the experiments. The United
States IS now prepared1to act. And while
it is probable that the seaC0ast forts of the
future wiu be armed with guns as heavy as
any which have been cast in Europe. with
Disappearing carriages and other modern
Improvements, It is not likely that for the
pTes-n. az least the new navy Will be armed
81 la44 suns AEl-4-4l4- Dftl nay luis, auA ii
is possible that a smaller CALDER than that
may eventually De adopted. The two points
at which European gunners have aimed
have been muzZ.e velocity and peTforating
power. II it be true, as is stated, TIA. the
muzzIe velocity Of a projectile fred from Big
Betsy will be 3o00 feet per second, our gun
makers have already beaten their foreign
rivals, for the mUZZle velocity Of a shot fired
from an English 80-ton gun is only 1000
feet a. TO perfGrating power that Of
course, must increase in the proportion of
the weight Of the urojectiIa multiplied by
its velocity. But q fighting ship is not Grip
pied by a shot which goes through her. The
Hartford was hit ID times by shot and shell
during her cruise under Farragut. Vessels
with sIoping sides aud moving swiftly
through the water are poor targets. Glanc-
ing shots do little mischief Even on land
q shot from an 8O-ton gun striking az
ear;hwork would make a tremendous hole,
but we learned at Fort ST. Philip and Yicks-
burg that such holes are more dangerous in
appearance than in reality.