The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1893-07-07

are those shown by Herr Krupp, the IA
nous German iron founder. You have
read SO much in the papers about his
mammoth gun, and, mo doubt, have seen
so many pictures of it, that don't feel
called upon to give you a very careful de-
scription of the monster. To tell the
truth, it is not as big as thought it was,
and when you come to the fair l dare say
you will experience a distinct sense of dis
appointment in the magnitude of this IA
nous shooting iron. This is largely due to
the fact that the gun is mounted. If it
were lying on the ground, where you could
stand beside it and note that its thickness
at its thickest part is foot greater than
in its size. Mounted on it's great carriage
the big gun is high in the air. 1t stands
in the center of a huge structure, and is
surrounded by other great guns, enormous
castings and forgings, steamer shafts and
screws, steam hammers, etc. The effect
of these surroundings is to dwarf even
the greatest piece of ordnance in the
world.
The truth of course is that this gun is
monstrous. just comprehend the signifi-
cance of these figures, if you can: Greatest
thickness, 6 feet inches; length, AZ feet;
bore, 1615 inches; weight, 27O,OOO pounds.
Krupp had some big guns at the Philadel-
phia exposition, and though they were not
nearly as large as this monster they were
more sensational. In trying to discover the
reason for this spent good half hour, and
finally it dawned on my brain that the
difference was in the bore. The Krupp
gun of 1876 had but a little more than one
half the weight of this piecs, but its bore
was so wide boy could walk straight into
its muzzle. That gun had much less
strength than this, and that meant less
power. 1t could not throw such heavy
projectile nor could it throw it SO far.
Thus even the dullest layman may note
that the effectiveness of ordnance does not
depend upon bore A 16-inch bore, sup
ported by vast strength in barrel, NAV
have double or treble the effectiveness of a
bore of three feet in q lighter and weaker
gun that is not able to sustain the shock
of powerful discharge of explosives.
This biggest of all guns is q marvel of
strength. The shell fired from it is about
40 inches long and weighs little more
than ton. 1t is of forged STEEL with q
sharp conical end, and it is lifted to place
| by means of q steam derrick. The gun
will throw this one-ton shell distance of
sixteen miles, with great accuracy and
effectiveness at q distance of twelve miles.
Imagine the mighty play of forces re-
quired to hurl such mass of steel through
sixteen miles of spacel
Considering the cost of firing This mon
ster one is surprised to learn that Herr
Krupp has amused himself by firing it no
fewer than forty times. Every discharge
cost him a thousand dollars, and forty
frings cost one-half as much as the orig
inal cost of the gun itself The machinery
for manipulation of the piece is of course
on large scale. Nothing else would do.
It's like fortress in itself-a fortress
with steam plant and a machine shop in
it. The gun rests upon a carriage which
runs upon track and along which it may
be moved backward and forward. The
point of contact is about two-thirds of the
way from the muzzle to the breech, and
the piece is balanced on pair of trun-
MONS or projecting arms each two feet
long and two feet thick. Hydraulic ma
chinery disturbs this balance at the will
of the gunner and moves the muzzle up or
down in range-finding.
There was q rumor some time ago that
Herr Krupp intended presenting this giant
gun to the city of Chicago, and on the
supposition that the rumor was we'll based
some patriot has suggested that the piece
should today fire a salute to the free and
independent states of the American union.
1t is scarcely necessary for me to add that
the big gun is silent today, and that the
rumor concerning the generous intentions
of its owner was not we'll founded. When
l asked the superintendent of the building
if his master were going to present the
great. gun to Chicago he replied with
characteristic vigor:
"Naw-pouf-nix! We are not giving
guns away this year"
While Herr Krupp makes the greatest
guns in the world SO far as size is con,
cerned, it is disputed that he makes the
best guns. The constant tendency OF
modern gun-building is not toward great
size, but to lightness and ease of manipu
lation and above all, rapid fire. Only a
certain percentage of discharges from ord.
nance can be expected to be effective, at
! best. The necessity for repeating is oh