The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-03

"lNAseNN ~ bNkNA NAN - 80 NNNNN AssNA
about 600 feet and then plunges into
the river at asharpapgle, Insteadot dis
appearing, aS even the experts expect-
ed, it comes along the surface OF the
water, the vanes turning over like the
blades Of propeller
In an instant Captain Schroeder, the
man to whom the Vesuvius owes much
OF her present efficiency, jumps out OF
the tower and traces the switt-moving
aeriel torpedo TO the waters edge.
"No lateral deviation from the line OF
FIRE, but o trile short" says the COM
mander Of the dynamite boat to the
president OF the board.
"An excellent line shot, even with a
power gun" remarks Capt. Beardsley,
the commandment OF the naval station.
And well were these remarks merited,
for q, few minutes later two successive
shots from the same gun fell within four
yards Of each other and not more than
twelve yards distant from the extreme
range required,
A result auch as this Is one OF which
even the high-power rifle gun might
we'll be proud, Indeed, it Is doubtful
81 such q marvellous degree OF accuracy
has, ever been attained by them.
EVERYBODY WAS ENTHUSIASTIC
No one could witness the marvellous
accuracy of those 5Oo-pound proiectiles
to-day without experiencing the same
degree Of enthusiasm that each aud
every officer attached to the V%esuvius
seems TO feel Here are men who have
neither personal nor moneyed iniu.
ence in the: success or failure OF the
pneumatic gun, and yet, for two years,
they had been preaching q creed that
had TO be accepted to-day.
Though there are other tests to fol-
low, the great difficulty that stood in
the way OF the new system was the sup.
posed inability to establish a setting OF
the valves that would give the same
reading for the same pressure. In other
words, air Is admitted TO the base OF the
p%rojectile alta pressure OF $50 pounds
to the square inch.
A certain amount Of this air is used
each time a shot 10 fred, and this re-
duces the pressure in the firing reser-
voir. This loss Of pressure for each
range has been the de%sideratum, and
once this should become constant Il was
an easy matter to fire any desired dis
Iance.
This practice is known as ranging the
guns. Once the Vesuvius could demon
atrate ita ability to fire accurately any
required distance the question Of throw
ing dynamite or any other high explo-
sive was purely a mechanical one, de-
pendent upon the aid OF the fuse.
All the other tests that III to follow
will simply show the personal error Of
the gunner, not any defect In the sys-
tenn, any more than q rifle put in the
hands Of afPoor shot would condemn
the gun.
BEGINNING OF THE TESTS.
Nine o'clock was the hour set for the
beginning Of tests this morning, but as
early as $3.50 the guns OF the Vesuviua
awoke the dreamy echoes OF Port Royal.
II was simply the firing Of blank cart
ridges, or rather allowing air to escape
at a pressure Of $50 pounds, to try the
valves and lubricate the guns for the
important work ahead.
At 0o'clock the Philadelphia launch
came alongside theVesuvius with Com
modore sicard, Captain Barker and
Lieutenant NaEro, the members OF the
trial board. Following them in an1
other launch were Lieut.. John B. Briggs
and John o. Fremont and Ensign H. ].
Ziegemier. These officers were detailed
to observe the fall Of the shots and plot
them by means OF the theodolite angles.
II the same boat was also Ensign A; A,
a ap 5eIirs,a s sIsc.s gsal'r o=n ana = n " nSn.
toVtaph th6 p~rojectile IN It's downward
path. This. 1t was thought, would give
the angle'oi the shot when 1t struck the
water.
The board was determined to be ex-
haustiye in their tests, and therefore
another boat followed with an immense
fish-net that was TO DO stretched across
the extreme limit OF the range TO sec
how far under water the shots would
remain in motion. II was found that
the tide was too ewift TO admit Of this
being used anyway, and 1t was therefore
abandoned.
About $3.50 o'clock, when everything
was in readiness to begin firing, o lighter
that was filled with the ~projectilea and
%gun.cotton and anchored astern OF the
Vesuvius, broke adritt and came sweep
ingdown the river. The two launches
Of tho Philadelphia steamed over and
after q herculeau effort managed TO tow
her ashore where she was anchored
and o red dag hoisted.
tolptsa TINE vrs,,r,ra orss
~ assstlH- 49,
Hnis l'1.'o INVERSION elayeo a test
more than an hour. AT last about Ii