The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-03

less trouble, and the piece is neither
so strong nor so reliable as before.
In the rapid fire guns the wooden dunn
my exercise or drill shell is used. This
dummy has 4 metallic head and base,
supporting a rified barrel of small-arm
caliber running through the axis. The
base end is chambered to receive the
usual small-arm cartridge, which is held
in place by a small cap like a shell extrac-
tor. For the l0-inch gun the breech plug
Is removed and a special plug inserted,
INTO which long l-pOunder gun is secure
ly set, SO that instead of a 500 pound shell,
a l-pOunder is expended each time The
operations of aiming are alike in both
cases, however and the turret must be
trained and the gun elevated and worked
as if the fun charge and projectile were
used. Thus at insignificant expense
large number of men can be made skilled
gunners with each different piece The
regular full Caliber practice eventually
completes the experience which the other
has begun.
THE ACCURACY OF MARRNIANsHIP.
To appreciate the precision of modern
| gunnery you have only to observe one of
the new ships at practice. If by accident
YOU have an awning up ana a near-sighted
gun captain temporarily mistakes your
| boat for the target, as happened 10 a
NOAIA NlilNtl bub 1T Ailliid a lew y 0dI ,
ago, your appreciation of this accuracy is
still further heightened, but not so much
| appreciated.
Armor piercing shell are of forged steel
| treated by different processes of temper
! ing and anuealing, according to the
! formula of the makers. The composition
| of the metal and subsequent treatment
are all supposed to be secrets. The tenn
| pering process makes the prOiectile eX-
| tTGnpIy hard bllf Internal strain
| liable to cause spontaneous rupture. To
relieve this without materially reducing
| the hardness and tenacity, anneaGng is
| resorted to. Exactly what the details of
| the annealing process consists in are not
| known outside of the several works where
| it is done, but a fortune awaits the man
| who will discover it and adapt its improv-
ing influence upon the dispositions of some
| old naval martinets who have been going
through tempering process for a good
many years.
| HOW THE REPORTS SOUND,
One feature of target practice and gun
| firing has been generally misunderstood.
| This is the noise. While it is a general
| rule that the larger the gun the greater
| the volume of sound, it is found that there
is great difference in its quality and
| effect upon the ears.
| Perhaps the most unpleasant sound of
| dlI - JudI pIOuuCeu NY CuG O-pOuuueI
rapid fire gun. The report is high
| pitched, sharp and vicious in tone. 1t
seems to pierce the ear drums. The
S-inch, 10-inch and Pinch guns have a
deep, booming roar, which is not so un-
| pleasant though the air-blast is terrific
near the muzzles, and if anyone were too
near, it would cause instant death The
sound Of firing heavy guns from closed
| turrets IS by no means as unpleasant to
those inside as has been imagined.
The air disturbance and report are
chiefly outside. Those inside the turret
are not as much disturbed by noise as if
they were near 5-pO'mder guns in the
open air. The persons who are response
Bile for the reports Of bursted ear drums
of the turret guns crews We're drawing
| largely upon their imaginatiOns.
While admiring the ordnance for our
modern fleet there is much difficulty in
realizing that less than ten years ago the
greater part Of our naval guns were what
''Jackey," in happy moment of inspira-
ton, derisively called soda water bottles
| The name was apt and it stuck" Nc
other comparison sufticed so clearly tC
represent their short, stumpy dignity.