The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-24
THE GOVERNMENTS GUN PLANTS
A Description of Some OF Them and
the Guns They Make.

a Description OF some or Them and
the Guns They Make.
TICoNDERoGA, N, Y, Feb. 23.-One OF
the most extensive plants owned by the
government for completing cannon is 10
Gated in the Washington navy yard, and
the building, known as the north and
south gun shop. is $50 feet long and from
% 20 lS5 feet wide. Surrounding this build.
ing are numerous other structures devoted
to the manufacture Of gun carriages, pro-
Jectlles and other equipments necessary for
defense. The buildings are equipped with
every imaginable tool, for the purpose in
tended, and when the many others, now being
built, are in place. those best posted state
that the gun plant in the Washington navy
yard will rank in size and equipment with
any similar factory in the world. There
we're 90l men employed in these shops be-
fore orders were recently issued for pushing
the work with extra diligence. The NUNS
Der is now evidently much larger. When
1t Is stated that seven years ago there was
not single piece Of modern heavy
ordnance on any vessel owned by the United
States government, and no factory equipped
Tor manufacturing guns of modern
type. and no iron works with machinery
large enough to make any gun forgings
larger than six inches, the rapid growth of
this branch Of the government can be seen.
AT the present time there are number Of
l2-inch breech-loading rifled cannon being
manufactured In the Washington gun shops
One OF these cannon weighs 101. 900 pounds,
is 50 feet long. requires 450 pounds of pow
der for each charge, and will throw a steel
projectile weighing $50 pounds distance Of
tweive miles. The force OF the discharge Of
this gun is so great that &c will penetrate
more than two feet of solid steel
If the metal is placed close to the muzzle Of
the cannon. To move these enormous
weights and place them in position for fin
ishing these shops are equipped with various
sizes of travelling cranes, the largest of them
having capacity to carry load of over
200, 600 pounds. 1T was In 1882 that the
ordnance bureau Of the navy department
took the first steps toward procuring forg-
ings for large guns. Most OF these they
we're obliged 70 npfocure from England,
and the delays aud annoyauces incidental to
their delivery ypofeso great that the navy
department became convinced that these
forgiugs would have to bs procured in
America, and 10 this end they offered extra
| inducements AID advertised for bids for gun
forgings. Theis4iethlehem Iron Company
responded and othe5 contract was awarded
them in 1887 on condition that,the company
put in proper took for making gun forgings
up TO twelve inches, Afterward other con-
tracts we're PLACED with the firm Of Carne-
gle. Phippsfo 81 Co., they having
also equippedotheir works with proper
machinery. 'oTos give some idea OF
the enormous weight represented by these
cannon, it will uhe stated that the 12-inch
guns above RETIRED to weighed l0l, 200
pounds when finished. In the rough as first
received from the iron works the forging
weighed 1877 ,4S0 pounds, showing loss in
manufacture ~ ever 13 tons. The capacity
of the gun shop eho July /. 1891, was: 40
inch guns, 80 l6-inch guns, 10 S-inch guns,
10-inch guns, and Pinch guns for each
twelve months or 1l9 cannon. This capacity
is now much Aarger, but we have not the
statistics etehRnd of the present output.
TIE time required for each size is as
follows: To build 5>inch gun so
days. 6>inch .6G days, 8-inch 80
days, l0inch 100 days, and TO build q
12-inch gun it takes $50 days. The govern
ment had under contract aud building about
| fifty cannon from 10 to Is inches inside
diameter. ByiHaTing provided itself with
| q complies gun factory. the government
| has decreased the cost Of manufacture very
| largely; in some OF the sizes as much as 90
per cent. A 10sinch gun, which cost in
| 1888 sc, 400, was built last year for So, 600
| less and in two-thlrds the time. The gov
eminent also has gun factory OF consider
able Dimensions AZ the Watervliet arsenal
West Troy, N.!eY.o;; shops for various classes
OF work at Springfield. Mass. at Rock
Island. ILL.,, and large plants at all the
navy yards. 5sas G. B. HUNFoRD.
Children have a straightforward way OF
| looking at things and a frankness in ex-
pressing their views that often surprise their
elders. This was the case with small pupil
| in a school in Charlotte, who, on being
asked the other day: why is the Atlantic
the most important oceauP promptly
answered, because we live on it."-LeUiS-