The morning call., 1893-01-07
A SERIOUS POSSIBILITY.
What May Happen to the Vesuvius
From Its Pneumatic Guns.
Chicago Tribul

Chicago Tribune.
A Washington dispatch stated that the
dynamite cruiser Vesuvius was to have an
adequate trial "once for alp TO see if its
guns would do what have been claimed for
them. 1t is barely possible that the eX-
haustive test that has been ordered is
prompted by criticism Of the working of
the battery of the Vesuyius. According to
letter written by Emil Gathman of Chi
cago, an engineer of the United States
steamship Vermont, who was on the
Vesuvius during a recent trial of its pneu-
matte guns, the dynamite cruiser may some
day fall victim to one of Its own projec-
tiles. An extract from the letter Is as fol-
lows:
Each of the three guns was fred ten times,
that is ten charges Of compressed air were
let into each tube at pressure OIL 1000 to
1900 pounds per square inch. During part
of the firing / stood on wharf somewhat
ahead of the guns From there [ noticed
that about every fifth or sixth shot was low
pressure. or, as / afterward found ont, only
IS to 100 pounds pressure was registered
ia the gauge of the gun. This alone ought
TO condemn the use of the pneumatic sys-
tenn, for if a loaded shell were really to be
inserted in the tube and O pressure OF only
100 pounds were applied the result would
simply he that the shell, being thrown only
a few hundred feet ahead of the Vesuvius'
ing under way, got within a few feet of it,
or possibly just as it ran the projectile
down. This is something for the officers
aud men 10 bear In mind. The report that
these guns make at their discharge, not
wilhstanding what is said to the contrary, Is
very nearly as loud as that of 6-inch
breech-oadiBg rifle, as the quantity OF ar
displaced is nearly the same. There were
no projectes used during this test. all that
was wanted being to see how near an equal
pressure could be obtained at each dis
charge. The maximum was 1908 pounds
per square inch and the minimum 60 pounds,
dangerous inequality. The amount OF
vap0r that issued from the muZZle OF guns
after each discharge was surprising. My
opinion is that the trial was dismal fall
ure.
The tests that the Government is making
with torpedoes charged with high explosives
is watched with particular interest by Louis
Gathman of Chicago, the father OF the en-
gineer who wrote the letter quoted. Mr..
Gathman has invented winged torpedo
which he claims can destroy any battleship
atloat. 1t is built for an S-inch gun, car
ries 225 pounds of guneOtt0n. and its wings
| give ii a close approach to point blank
range OF two miles. A rocket attachment
drives it through the water after striking
for 500 yards at rate three times higher. IL
is claimed. than that attained by any known
engine of war under the same circum-
stances. One of the torpedoes on exhibit
tion at the Masonic Temple is eighteen feet
in length and cost 5000 TO manufacture.
The United States Government has agreed
TO furnish powder and cannon for a trial of
six of the torpedoes at WillettS Point. and
If the test is successful it has agreed TO Dur-
chase 200 of the projaetiles. 1t costs money
TO make the six t0Fpedoes. and the transport
taton Is another item, and the Chicago in
venlor is casting about for a capitalist who
will help convince the Government that it
has means of defense againat hundred
of her Maiasty's Thuuderers