New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-19
GREAT GUNS ARE THESE.
TESTS AT THE SANDY HOOK PROVING
GROUNDS
THE PNEUMATIC CARRIAGES woRK-TEN
POUNDS FIRED IN 100 MINUTES.

POUNDS FIRED IN 100 MlNU1f<''
In the last year American coast defence has made
wonderful advances, at least so far As the he"N'
ordnance has been concerned Foreign nations have
been carefully watching the successful build
ing in this country OF great steel-rineu
cannon, and the magnificent results nav
surprised them Now 1t looks Is II another
successful American invention would be added to u"
list 1t is the pneumatic disappearing g'incairiase
designed to raise the largest cannon That may W
buin above the mnpet for firing ana
automatically TO lower and hide 1t III
safety as soon as the shot has left the
muzzle This carriage designed by II. A. slillsr,
man who is still young. but whose ability has pee"
proved more than once. has been mounted Oh 'i'
parapts OF the old Notifications on the Army oIdhah'e
Proving Grounds at Sandy Hook since last December
since then the Army officers there, Captain Franz
Heath commanding. and Lieutenants Gibson. Wheee'
and Llssak have been working faithfully and eXpr'
menting almost daily and when they fall 10 break
gun or carriage up il is good recommendation lo'
IT, since they there TO test II as severely ~
possible The disappearing carriags Wlthstool u"
tests well. and only comparatively rev aeie'u'
were found which easily remedied. In 'h'
las, few DAYS the carriage has been tested before the
Fertilization Board Of the United STATES Nrhp' a''
Yesterday the last official and the most Interesting
test of all was made The previous tests before Inc
hoard recently had been virtually only repeuuohS Z"
e tests made by the officers during the year. ana as
they had been described from time to time III Inc
Tribune they were hardly new TO Tribune readers
But Yesterdays trial was what Is known as 'he
q Battle Test and was for the purpose OF showihE
how fast ten rounds could be fred with the carriage
The result wns highly satisfactory to the Inventor
and fo Charles f. Creepy the president OF the fIeu
matte Gun Carriage and Power Company. when con
trolls the carriage Though Major Clifton tohleS' "u'
represented the Fertilization Board at the test ana Inv
officers at Sandy Hook carefully reiraihen Ho'h ~
messing nm opinion. those interested feel sure lha
the Official report which Is 10 De maze III SeP'e
will be cOmmcndatory.
one az the great American. all steel. brecchoadlhI
rifles ten inches bore. Is mounted on the carriage
Though this huge cannon Is about thrtyhVe ice' iohs
and weighs neariy fifty tons, the turning OF waive
on the carriage elevatcs the pondcrous mass eight
feet into the air as II it were feather The recon-
from the discharge throws The gun backward ana
downward Instantly but gently that there Is not the
least shock and before the shot has travelled any
great distance the gun j. hidden behind the parape
ready to be loaded for another shot
Each charge Yesterday consisted OF an iron cone
ebaued proIectlle weighing $40 pounds, and OF $40
pounds Of DupJnt's brown prismatc powder NO. .
The prOjectile is run into the opened oreech OF ue
gun fr, then the powder. in bng'. Is put In. IN.
last bag after 1t Is in the chamber is opened so thai
printing powder may communicate lts flame directly to
the brown powder; proJcctilc and powder must b"
rammcd in hard the great brcech block must De
closed and screwed In tightly, the gun must BE-
elevated above the parapets; then II must be-
tlavcrscd And all this work Wa accomplished
rapidly that. despite many delays, such n passing
vessel, and the slow work OF some OF the new men.
the ten shots were fired in IOl minutes In that time
g. 80 pounds Of iron had been nung into the sea- nNc
mile, away ard 2,4OO pounds Of powder had gone NJ
In smoke The gun fred al fixed Nal0n oil
10 degrees - That each shot described gfaccfu
curve and plunged into the sca about I'VE miles on
shore in The direction Of The scotland Llgltshlp. MIC
zach i.cbsr.e the carriage brought the gun GOWN
10 within TWO inches OF tho buffers then followed d
slight rebound. and the gun was mouohrss, III III
mo lime bctwoc this and the second shot wa no
taken Trtwccn The time the loading began nor We
second >ho and The time II began for the thru so
minutes and 20 seconds passed.. Between Tue ull,N
and forth there werc inmates and % seconds ni\
I,nutc and 81 second, elapsed between tnc iouFth AM
ffth shots. Between the NTH and sixth th'r Wctr '
minutes and - seconds; between u" siNul IN.
seventh minutes and II seconds minutes ana 80
.ccords between the seventh and eighth, aud q mii.
utcs and l. seconds between the eighth ana NM.
shos. Between the ninth and tenth -io.s tn"rr "ei'
.yclacr tine required FOR each charge were mn
utc. mad 80 seconds Mr. sper thought II WAS ohl'
) minutes and 80 seconds 49,, ,, T., -,
There were long delays. which accounted Tor u"
lime REQUIRED 10 complete the test. !" MY thir
Minute, were wasted In Hing some q, ohe'ho IN ~
ciu's br.ech a. iher had become slightly cNphHc
90 NC 10 the heat developed hy the Tapd hrht
Passing vessel. also cau-cd much delay: III
r,,T more shot, viii Dee fired soon. Ihls VIII com
nlo,c Inc Official series ~ thirty rounds Inc 'arinH
he. now been officially ic,t"i Tor c!eVliihE ana o.
,,r,. I,r. loading by power and by hand. II requiring
~ .srnud, hy power and . minutes - seconds d.
Iatd: iiaver-lnc. which rqurd iG minutes = SO
Ufint and icoi power. hand gearing. lensh - tinD
a. Witch mir va, held by the Compression. time r.
nulrod 10 G the air chamber with coprc -ci an et'
Each test has been satisfactory TO the Inventor