The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-01-18
THE CRUISER VESUVIUS.
An Exhaustive Trial Mapped Out
for the Dynamiter.
EVERYTHING NOW READY.
Eighty-Four ProjectiIes in All Will
Be Fired.
sixty-six of Them VIII Be Blank and
Eighteen Will Be Loaded. Smoke
less Powder VIII Be Used
The Programme.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17.-[Special. THE
Navy department has mapped out d most
exhaustive trial for the great dynamite
cruiser, Vesuvius. and her famous guns
for this week. The trial takes place at
Fort Royal, s. c., where the ship now is
already to begin and where the prepara-
tions for the test are announced entirely
complete. The trial will be conducted
under the auspices of board appointed
by Secretary Tracy, consisting of Captain
Montgomery Sicard, commanding the
Miantonomoh; Captain A. S. Barker,
commanding the Philadelphia; and Com
mander w. r. Bronnenn, commanding
the Dolphin. Eighty-four projectiles in
all win be fred during the trial-sixty- six
blank and eighteen loaded. Following in
short is the programme in detail:
First-For ranging guns-Two shots
from each gun, with five different pres
sures, commencing with the maximum
and ending with nearly the minimum;
loss of pressures to be noted, fall of shots
to be plotted and trajectory curve for each
gun to be determined by data found; YES
sci moored; sub-calibre projectile, blank.
Second-For accuracy-TWo shots from
each gun at distance of one mile, three
quarters of mile, half a mile and one
quarter OF mile, with pressures as taken
from trajectory curve found when rang
ing; each shot to be plotted and another
trajectory curve made for each gun from
results; vessel moored; sub-caIibre pro-
iectlle, blank.
Third-For practice-Two projectiles
from each gun at known distances, vessel
under way and steaming at high speed
mot less than fifteen knots); target sta
tionary; sub-calibre projectiles, blank.
Fourth-For practice-Two proiectiles
from each gun at known distances, vessel
under way and steaming at high speed;
target moving al speed of about ten knots;
sub-calibre projectiles, blank.
Fifth-For practice and to test loaded
projectiles and fuse-Two projectiles from
each gun at known distances; vessel sta
tionary; target stationary; sub-calibre
proiectiles, loaded.
Sixth-Projecuiles from each gun at
known distances; vessel under way and
steaming at high speed; target stationary;
sub-calbre proiectiles, loaded.
Seventh-Two proiectiles from each gun
at known distances; vessel under way and
steaming at high speed; target moving at
speed of about ten knots; sub-calibre pro-
jectiles, loaded.
Some shots are to be made with the
wind in the direction of the line of fire,
ana OUnerS WIFI the WlnQ across the line
of fire, the force of the wind being not
less than eight miles an hour. The shots
for ranging and accuracy are to be made
in calm weather and when the sea is
smooth. The shots for practice will be
made under varying conditions of wind
and sea. The moving target will consist
of a condemned cutter, to be towed with
tow line at least !, 200 feet long.
The success attending the experiments
with firing emmensite from modern high
power cannon is what prompted the
naval ordnance bureau to build the
seven-inch rapid firing gun, designed es-
pecially for firing high explosives. The
expectation is that, with the application
Of the rapid fire type of breech mechan-
ism, now used on the five-inch and six
inch rapid fire guns, to this new weapon,
it will be entirely safe and practicable to
fire four or five rounds per minute, with
shells loaded with from fifty to sixty
pounds of emmensite.
1t is expected, too, that with smokeless
powder as the propelling force, shells
fired from this gun will be given We
locity of $500 feet a second. If these
shells burst detonatively at will, as
claimed, few minutes fire at the rapid
rate estimated will mean destruction to
an unarmored vessel or to any armored
craft whose vitals are not covered by
more than six inches of steel.