New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-24
TESTING TIE SUBMARINE GUN.

TWO MORE SHOTS FIRED AT THE NAVY YARD
AGAINST THE TORPEDO NETS.
Two more shots were fired under water yesterday
at the Navy Yard In continuation OF the tests OF the
Ericsson improved submarine gun ana torpedo' Al
the first shot there was a muied explosion, the eur
face Of the water IN great circle around the DOW oi
the Destroyer dubbed and scethed violently Dnt
twenty feet beyond the vessel there were no slgns
on the surface to show the course Of the projecte
until It's red butt appeared at the upper end OF the Dry
dock II oaed to the surface. The vessel recoied
Violently but the ropes prevented 1t from going back
more than a few feet on raising the nets II was
found that the direction taken by tho projecule iad
not been satisfactory.
The first net was pierced mt distance OF five
feet below the water level showing that the pro-
ece two feet In the first 100 feet OF its course
for the gun IS feet below the surface IT had
also DETECTED from It's proper horizontal course, and
gone three feet north OF the centre When the other
nets were raised they showed marks Mt all OF the
passage OF the projectilc and 1t was concluded that
the shot had passed underneath the nets.
The second shot was successful In one respect
That Is II pierced each OF the five nets. But II was
not an accurate shot by any Means and the projece
took an erratic course, being detected many feet
from the proper direction both horizontally and YER
ticaly. Officers were holding the ropes which held
the first three nets which 100 feet apart from
ench other They found that Il required half
second for the projectile to strike the first net, 100
feet from the gun. The second net was struck IN
10 seconds after the discharge and the third net,
300 feet from the gum struck In Q - seconds.
The projecile appeared beyond the sixth net I'M
medatey afterward. This latter not Is extremely
heavy and too strong for the proecte to pierce. 1t
concluded that 1t hid either passed under the
net alongside Of It. The proiecte came to the
surface " had been designed to do, but L soon
began TO I'LL with water and 10 sink. a seam had
been started by the shot.
The erraic course which the torpedo took was shown
when the nets raised. The first net was pierced
IL feet from the surface, the second 61-2 feet
from the surface. and the third feet from thu surface.
10 the next 100 feet, between this net and the fourth
not, the prOjectile suddenly and almost skipped
the top Of the net II cut through the eech 81
this net at the surface. Then Ii went down again
Hnd the fifth net pierced three feet and five inches
from the top. The orpedo's detection from the trne
horizontal course was also exceedingly great First
IL went north and then shot of to the south. The
second net pierced six inches north OF the true
centre. white IN the 100 feet between this and the
third net the torpedo went three feet and SIX Inches
south OF the true the net being pierced at that
distance from the centre. BY the time Ii struck the
fourth net II had been DETECTED eight feet 10 the
south. and the fifth net struck sixteen feet SIX
Inches sonth OF the true centre.
The tests will be continued during the week.