The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-01-10
TESTING HER GREAT GUNS
Fiye-Hundred PoundShot Thrown Miles
BY the Miantonomah's Cannon.
Interesting Experiments with Both Reduced
and Frll Service Charges of Cocoa Brown
Powder That We're Fighly Successful.

NEW YORK, Jan. 9-After trial or the
guns of the United States monitor Mian-
tonomah last Tuesday the vessel was con-
fined to her anchorage In GARDENERS bay by
o strong nor wester, followed by fercer
nor'wester on Wednesday and part of
Thursday. Thursday afternoon she steamed
out and fred two shots with reduced
charges from her forward turret guns, but
the sea was high and the cold severe. and
further trials were postponed until yester-
day. The reason for using the reduced pow
der charge of 155 pounds is that thereby the
recoil of the gun can be regulated. The
proper recoil with the full charge of $50
pounds of cocoa brown powder is from
thirty-six to forty inches; with the reduced
charge of I55 pounds recoil of twenty five
or twenty six inches should be had, When
the guns in the after-turret were fired on
Tuesday the recoil was found to be INSULT
cient, and 1t was therefore necessary to
give the water freer exit. This having
been done. the normal recoll of twenty
six inches with a reduced charge can also
be obtained, insuring the proper amount of
recoll with the full service charge.
Soon after s o'clock yesterday morning
the Miantonomah got under way from her
anchorage under the Zee of Shelter island
! in Gardinexa bay, ami steamed out past
GARDENERS point light. The wind was
westerly and the sea nearly smooth. About
10 o'clock all hands were sent to quarters
for action. Officers and, men accustomed
to the old-fashioned ships of the navy
found little in their previous drill that
was useful here Soon after passing be-
yond Gardeners point light house the firing
began. First reduced charges were used in
all four guns. The results were noisy and
the range highly satisfactory. All that
was sought for by these shots was to
determine the proper recoil. but as
each fve-hundred-pound projectile fired
without elevation went skipping Oft three
or four miles over the water, the nOn-naval
On-lookers who happened to be In the
neighborhood, on board few schooners and
sloops, were impressed with the idea that
they would prefer TO be somewhere behind
the guns rather than ten miles in front.
The guns were laid level. and therefore
each shot struck about 800 yards from the
muZzle. A great squirt of water followed
the impact aud then the shot rose from the
surface. made graceful curve and struck
again with somewhat diminished velocity.
repeating this performance two or three
times and then tearing its way inst below
the surface before it's final disappearance.
In each case careful examination was made
as to the recoil and the effect on the gen.
eral fittings of the gun and of the super
structure. In no case was any objection
able or damaging result reported. Each
gun was fired once with the reduced charge,
thus making two shots discharged from
each piece since the monitors arrival in
these waters.
These tests having been satisfactorily
completed, one shot with the full servic Q
der was fired. the gun used being the right
hand one of the pair in the forward turret.
This was a hummer. The gun recoiled to
the full calculated limit. and the shot
lad IA u far q nol-
its first saltwater. bath. The coneussion
following the explosion was tremendous.
but everything stood 1t well. Possibly the
water exit may be reduced somewhat
in succeeding shots to shorten the recoll,
but otherwise there is little Improvement
to be made. By the time the fifth shot had
been fired the sun was low in the west,
and the monitor returned TO her anchorage
in the bay. As these trials are largely ex-
perimental, Captain Sicard will un-
doubtedly proceed carefully and slowly
until he has learned all that it is desira BILE
to know about the effect of the firing upon
the gun carriage the turrets and the super
structure.
The Miantonomah again left her anchor
age In GARDENERS bay soon after 3 O'Clock
this morning and after passing GARDENERS
point fired with the reduced charge of 155
pounds of powder and the full tive hun.
dred pounds weight of shot from each OF
the guns in the after turret The proper
arrangement of the water valves for check
ing the recoil at the desired point having
been satisfactorily determined by the use
of the reduced powder charges. two shots
with standard weight OF shot and
the full service weight of powder,
255 pounds, were fired from the
after turret and three from the forward
turret. One shot. fired at 8 o'clock. with q
moderate elevation. skipped over the
water, and finally seemed TO strike the
land far to the southwark. During the
firing o. the service charges observers were
stationed at different parts of the ship. be-
low decks and on the superstructure, to
note the effect of the concussion. Every
thing was found to work satisfactorily at
all points after the heavy explosions. and
the firing was attended with no unpleas-
ant results to the ship officers or crew. A
few more shots will be fired next week, and
the monitor will then return to the New
York navy-yard.