Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-05-24
BY TELEGRAPH.
FIRING sMors UNDER WAFER.


BRooKLaS, MAY 35.-Experinlents ar,
nov under way al the Brooklsn Navy Yart
With the Destroyer submarine gun. Soais
months have been passed in preparation fol
the work.
FRIDAY the DESTROYER was taken ouI an
usoarptt in the stresm directly in front oi
the timber dock, and pointing into il. Tn,
gate VAS removed anil the dock allied viii
~atsr 4 right line up the middle of til,
dock was Indicated by white flags. giving
the prolongatiou of the axis of the sub
marine gun. Other flags ON land, on either
sale. were set to determine the reeoil.
All these arrangements were made under
the direction of the torpedo board, viz.
Commander Il, A. Converse, Lieut.. T. C.
Mclean and Lieut.. c. A.. Bradbury.
In the dock heavy nets were stretched
across the line of fire 40 feet long and II
f>et deep in the water. The first net va.
leo feet from the bow of the DESTROYER
The succeeding nets, eight in number. were
placed al the same interval from each other
The first shot was fired Friday afternoon
with a charge of - pounds of eocoa-brow 4
powder. The re.i-painted 20-foot projec,
tile rushed through the water. rose to tbs
surface and ieaped the first net like hurdlt
jumper, sank again, rose and leaped tho
second net and finally came to rest in Tho
uIeshes of the third 1t was very &c
centric projectile.
Nothing more was done ON Friday. Yes
ier,iay morning a second shot was fired Hn
der the same conditions and with the SAINT
charge. The projectile remained under
water but moved on a lateral curve towar,
the left.
II pierced the first net, lthi feet from the
gun at a point nine feet below the surfac,
Ind one foot 10 the right of the centre line
II went through the second net nine feet
below the surface and two feet TO the lef
If centre. Ii went through the third net
nine and one-half feet below the surface
and five feet 10 the left of centre
The other nets, except the last, were no,
touched, the projectile dipping to % OF
more feet below the surface. The last net
made of heavy rope, and more ike ma
than net, caught the prolectile and held il
fast.
The time taken by the projectile in pass
ing over the first 100 feet of its iourne,
was three-quarters of a second. The tim,
for the rest of the distance was not taken
The recoil of the boat was five feet.
This completed the experiments for til,
day.
Other shots are to be fired with yariou,
kinds of powder and with varying charges
The object is 10 find how to obtain the great
est degree of accuracy in fire, reducing til,
curve of the natural trajectory and increas
ing the range within available limits. Tn,
general efficiency of the gun must also b,
thus determined
The DESTROYER was designed by Capt
John Ericsson. She is 1870 feet long, mar,
row and tapering. Her greatest beam i,
but II feet, Her depth is / feet.
Deep down in the bow is the ,ubmarn,
gun that is being tested. 1t is a twelve
inch brcceh- loader. and is fixed in III,
framework. 1t has no motion indepeudcn
of the vessel itself. 1t can be depressed o,
raised only by depressing or tightening til,
bow of the vessel.
Eight projectiles have been provided fol
this serc, of tests. They are cylindrical
tapering slightly and possessed of differcn
degrees of buoyancy. That fired on FRIDAY
possessed five pound buoyancy. the most o.
any. As the gun is fired at slight depres
sion and this projectilc rose readily TO til,
surface, tins amount of buoyancy seemed
to be in excess of what WIS needed Tha
fired Yesterday had much less buoyancl
and behaved far better.
When these still tests are concluded. til,
DESTROYER will be put through Il scrie, ot
tests while the vessel is under way.