Huntsville gazette., 1892-12-17
DEVELOPMENTS IN ORDNANCE

In reference to the ordnance of the navy in
general. three developments have bsen
| reached during the past year which promise
greatly improved results T1s first Of these Is
the application to guns of medium caliber Of
an improved bresch mechanism and hxad am
munition, which form the two essential
features of the so-called rapid fire type. Up
to a recent period, the rapid fire system was
only applied to guns Of the secondary battery,
of which the largest was 6-pounter. Since
then further application has been success
fully made to 4-inch, 5-inch, and even
6-inch guns, notwithstanding the predictions
generally made abroad that the 5-inch was the
extreme limit of rapid fire. The 4-inch, Of
which thirty five have been completed, has at
tanned in actual trial rapidity OF fire of five
rounds in IA seconds or twenty one shots a
minute. In the 5-inch rate of five rounds in
10 seconds has been attained. For the 6 Inch
the metallic cartridge cases have not yet been
manufactured; but even without this necessary
feature the application OF the new breech
mechanism to the gun has resulted in a rate Of
fire of ten rounds in minutes 81 seconds, or
nearly double the rate OF the ordinary service
type.
The second change which is indirectly con-
nected with the improved breech mechanism
COR large guns, consists in an Improvement In
gun mounts. The general direction of the i'm
provement is in the substitution of hand power
for hydraulic power. This feature has been
worked out successfully in ths design Of car
riages for the 8-inch gun, which can now be
manipulated by hand power throughout The
practical results are great decrease in weight,
which has hitherto been required for the
hydraulic machinery. and the elimination OF
the possibility of putting the gun out of action
by an injury to the contemplated hydraulic
mechanism.
The third change consists in the application
| to guns OF the experiments, which, in other
directions have been one of the marked
features of this administration, in the use OF
nickel.
MORE SHIPS.
In regard to the further increase OF tho navy
Secretary Tracy says: Before the first battle
ships were undertaken tha number required
was fixed at twenty. In the report for 1890 it
was stated that such was the great power,
both offensive and defensive. Of the design
evolved, that the department could safely
modify its previous figure, and that twelve
such battle ships as then in course Of
construction would equal in efficiency, for
our purpose, the twenty that were previously
contemplated. Four have now been author
ized and it remains to provi1e eight more, or
twelve in all. OF which eight should be sta
stationed on the Atlantic coast and four on the
Pacific. In the class OF unarmored as in that
of armored cruisers, it should be the object to
build vessels only of the highest type The
Columbia, and her sister ship the Minneapo-
lis stand at the heal of this class OF vessels in
speed, in coal endurance, and in every other
essential guilty.
With reference to unprotected cruisers Of
the second class of from 400 to 5000 tons
displacement the department does not rec
ommend any present increase Of the number.
These vessels, in order to attain the high
speed required Of a cruiser, must necessarily
sacrifice endurance. and they have therefore a
very restricted sphere Of usefulness for cruis-
ing purposes in time of war. The further con-
struction of vessels of the monitor type Is not
favored and the defects OF the type are pointed
out. But torpedo boats, says ths secretary, are
urgently needed. At least thirty OF them should
be constructed, he thinks, in the immediate
future.
ESTIMATES.
The estimates for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1894. for the navy and the marine corps, in
cluding those for public works and for increase
Of the navy, amount to S24 AL ,49S q. being g.
7l3 l41 50 less than those for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1893
the navy and the marine corps, for the fiscal
year ending June 30. 1894, amount to sl4, 767,-
S4I.2l, being $135 9i3 50 less than the estimates
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893
The estimates for the increase OF the navy
amount to 50 703, ,557 for the fiscal year ending
June 90, 1894 aud are S2577. 1873 less than those
for the fiscal year ending June 80. 1898.
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