The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1892-08-19
THE BIG GUN.

=
Tons aud Fires Nearly sin hunersa
Pounds of Metal Nine Miies.
NEW YORK, Aug. Is. The first Official
test OF the ten-inch disappearing pncu'
matte gun carriage was made ct the
United States ordnance proving
grounds Mt Sandy Hook
The tests were made under the super.
vision Of the board of ordnance and
Notifications They were directed By
Capt Frank Heath, In charge of the
proving grounds, assisted by Lieut.
Wheeler, of the ordnance department.
At exactly 1850. the first shot was fired
Pie gun is breech-loader of high
power, Is twenty-rinc feet In length,
weighs thirty tons and fires . projectils
weighing 575 pounds. The gun IL con-
uected with the carriage by two power
full arms, and when raised 20 dring
position Is nj height Of eight fess
above the carriage To load and make
ready for firing requires only I've min
utica II IA all done by eompressed cir
manipulated by one man. The pso5eo
tile was placed on . loading tray, and
by the turning. Of . small wheel the
tray was raised 10 The brooch Of Ne Run
M ~ ptoje6>1It Wa l1l6hed h6ns 81
3 teIcstopic raminer. Two sacles II
powder followed the projectils int ths
breech 1909 l
The sacks contained $50 pounds. TIE
elevation was three degrees The Tins
required TO bring the gun down TO the
uffers WINS one minute and fftcen Sec
onds The second shot was fred at
three minutes OF IL o'clock ut an eleva.
ton Of twenty degrees The protective
contained $50 pounds of powder, SER
vice charge such rs Is used In time of
war.
At an elevation Of twenty degrees
the projectile splashed the sea nine
miles away. When the gun recoiled
IT came within two inches Of the buff
fcrs, and, in less than ten seconds,
had sunk gently ON the buffers into
loading position. 1t is with n charge
like this that the carriage Is supposed
TO work perfectly. This was the high.
est elevation fired from any carriage
with the new high-power gun In this
country. The third shot was fred NJ
an elevation Of three degrees, and the
projectilc contained 100 pounds OF pow
der. The recoil brought the gun within
eighteen inehcs'of the buffers, and the
time required 70 get II IN loading posi-
ton was two minutes and forty-6vc
seconds. HnrlfT
The fourth shot was ut an elevation
of Eve degrees and the recoil was seven
inches above the buffer. Time required
10 bring the gun into position, one
minute. The sixth shot was fired at an
elevation OF fifteen degrees The
charge was thirty pounds, and tho
gun recoiled within three inches of the
buffers and rebounded TO a height of
twelve inches Time required to get
the gun into loading position. one min
ute and fifteen seconds The seventh
shot was fired at an elevation of three
degrees with 2io pounds Of powder.
Eighth shot. two hundred and twenty
pounds of powder. at an elevation Of
ten degrees. Ninth. $50 pounds Of
powder at twenty degrees Tenth. 100
pounds of powder at an elevation Of
tweaty degrees The time for the
elevation of the gun from zero to twenty
| degrees was thirty-one seconds; time
for depression from twenty degrees to
zero. thirty-cight seconds; time occu-
pied TO traverse 100 degrees, fifty-four
seconds When the gun is in firing
position IL Is about fifteen feet from the
ground. Much delay was occasioned
by passing vessels. and as Capt Heath
did not want to sink any more schooners,
firing was done only when the coast
was clear.