New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-25
NE YORK UARBOR DEFENCE
PNEUMATIC Guns AT SANDY HOOK.
THEY Can DROr FIFTY POUNDS or DYNAMITE
on THE BEACH Ar COMFY IsLAND-To
RI READY Is \ MONTH.

RI READY ~ MONTH.
The work Of constructing III" pneumatic gun bat
terry at sandy Hook provided for by the recent Con
gross was begun abou, two weeks ago and 1t IS cN-
pect,d that tie foundations will BE- completed within
Il fortnight and The guns IN place ready for testing
In about Il month. The entrance 10 the Lower Bay
will then be- practically impossible by any hostile
feet unless II shall first destroy tho guns These
can drop their proicctlcs into every foot Of the
water between sandy Hook and Con"y Island. nearly
four miles distant and could probably easily cut the
line Of the Perth Amboy branch Of the staten island
railroad.
Foundations are being built for three guns. one
Of these 1, the socallcd ZalnsL gun hr, constructed
us an experiment a number Of years ago Al the
time much interest was taken in its trial.
ont vessel being used target for proving lis de-
structivc powers lis calibrc il eight inches II is
forty five feet long and throw proicciilcS loadcd
with fifty 10 100 pounds Of dynamite or other high
explosive for "a distance Of one aud a half 10 two
miles.
The other two guns nifty feet long and Of
fifteen inch calibrc They much Ike those on
;hc Vcsuvlus but have been improved I'm many minor
details and have greater range. They can drop
fifty rcufds Of dynamite tho beach at West
Erign on or project five huIidcd pound' for consid
crably over mile. AS the channel for dccpwater
vessels extends only about a mile from Sandy Hook.
war ships entering the harbor would be exposed to
At all range, the guns can pace scvcny-nvc per
cent Of their pro,cics within rcctanglc ninety feet
wide by three hundred and sixty long, abont the
target usually presented by a vessel.
The guns were constructed by the Pneumatic Tor
pcdo AID Construction Company. No. Al Wall ST..
under contract with the Government, dated january
-. l5o3.
,cco ding 10 the contract, besides the gum for
Sandy HOOK the company IS to construct a battery
Of three fifteen inch pneumatic guns for san Francisco
Thee las, viii be delivered there next January. The
work Of building the foundations for them Is to begin
within sixty days
The contract price for all eix guns. with their
foundations complete Is, in round numbers, Si3oooo
This ircludcs also over 100 prof cities, loaded and
mi aided The actual work Of building the guns is
bcinc done By the West P'in Foundry Company nj
cha sping, Y. y. The pr jcctilrs are made In this
city by the company t'clf
The three guns 1T Sandy Hook are 10 he mounted
near the end Of the sandy strip from which the place
takes It's name. They will be- placed side by sido
ON the level OF the beach, the eightinch gun being
on the outer or right hand side. Their General d.
rcction IS north by east but all three can be trained
entirely around the horizon. 1t takes Two minutes
TO make u fnll circuit. ON the Vcsuvins the guns
arc set at a fixed angle, but those at Sandy Hook
can Lc raised depressed like any other gun, fifteen
seconds being required for the maximum cfangc. The
time required for loading and firing varies with the
weight o, the proeccs used 1t takes three minutes
10 load and dr. 800 pound proicciilc aud only half
that time for one weighing 100 pounds. The pres
s,irr b. which the projcciic l. discharged Is ordinarily
900 pounds 10 the square inch 1t Is supplied
from "A substantial shed about seventy feet In the
rear OF the gins. where the air comprcssOrs are
placed Ry an Ingenious system Of chambers ana
valves the amount vi pressure can be exactly rcsu
lated.
80 far no plans have been definitely made for
the protection Of the guns from an encmys fire.
Placed on a Level sannsp, as they are. nothing
ND ,..ut I.ir 1riu knufkpl
vessel far out OF their range II Is probable that.
after the tests ARE high and wide sand breast
work " Ill be built all around them. As they usually
fire at high elevation. this would not obsruct their
usc but would protect them almost completely, not
only nv the resistance ~ the sand. but also By con
ceaing their exact position There Is, Of course,
smoke to betray this
;. ID. schuyler. ice-prcsident Of the company said
the other day that the first trial Of the guns would
probably take place toward the end OF next MONTH
This will be severe n large number OF shots being
required OF both loaded and unloadcd procctles at
all ranges and degrees OF elevation. Probably some
old hulk Will be selected to be destroyed by the guns
fratns d.iit xia Erie linz