Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-17
N THE GIN SHOP

mechanism and mounts. which viii be ready
shortly. One other set of fOrgings have been
received and SIX sets remain to be delivered
These are now expected and when received
they VII be taken up rapidly and worked uuou.
so thtt the full con. cement of twelve guns or
dered .or the three battle ships will be turned
cut before the expiration of eighteen months
Here osoEe the largest guns fabricated ut the
rav1l gun foundry we're Pinch and lO-inch
r.he while considerable numbers OF T. j. 6 and
s'-.i-t guns were turued out previously. But
thee new l3-llch giants are the largest ever
attempted IA .hls country.
The interesting processes of their fabrication
are comparatively simple and vet thew embo,Iv
the results o. untold study, experiment and
Research, and require very high order of
mechanical ard ma me ma .ical skill in their exc
cGtiol. The two distinct stages OF these pro-
cesSes are-hrst. the production of the forgincs
anu second. the conversion of these forgings
INTO completed guns. The forginSs are con-
fldered raw materials By the mechanics in the
government fact tory, but they are raw materials
only IN g relative sense. To produce them il
1tse!t a long and difficult art and when they are
finally turned over to the government the man
ciacturers regard them In thu light of a highly
finished product indeed. Al the forgings are
puic by the government at great cost
eTher az the Bethlehem Iron Company AT
bethlehem. Pa. from the Nidvale Steel
eCni any at Nieetown. Philadelphia larger
forSiuES from the former aud the smaller from
the latter. Both OF these establishments. in
order to produce the fOrgIngs. have had first to
procure an enormous plant, eguipped with
machinery OF gigantic power and dimensions.
Az The Beth!ehem works. for example, there is
q hammer With a falling weight of I25 tons
1hey also have forging press therein gun
steel Is forged. Possessing Capacity for
pressure OF $4,000 tons.
CREATING A GUN FORCING
In the creation Of a gun forging say for one
OF The l3-Inch guns, a casting is first made. in
cylindrical form. OF the finest obtainabIe OMEN
hearth gun steel. OF n weight about double that
OF the forging which il TO be made from il. II
must be tie best steel in America TODAY
and above ell Ut must be compounded exci1-
siTelv OF American materials Congress having
Insisted by special provision Of law. reiterated
year after year since the commencement of the
new navy, that the ores and substances and
elements which gointO the making OF American
warships and their armament shall be of strictly
American production and manufacture. More
over. there must be no bubbles or flaws or riffs
whatever In the steel, and the whole mass p,ust
De Absolutely uniform and perfect in texture
After casting. abOu: 80 per cent Of the weight
OF the lnSOt Is cut off the upper part and per
cent from the lower end. and the remainder il
then forged under a heavy hammer or BY a hv-
crauilc press. hole j. either bored through
the inSot and a mandril inserted in this, on
which the forging II done. or else the Iagot is |
Forged sOi1d In either the mass of steel is |
Forged TO shape approximating to that Of the |
hnIshedPiece to be made