The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-03
WAR=DOGS HOWL.
The 15=InCh Gun at Work
at AlCatraZ.
TERRIBLE CRUSHING POWER.
Uncle Sam Allows His Gums to Be
Discharged Only Three Times
in a Year.

The booming Of the heavy ordnance con.
rlnued all day yesterday.
At Alcatraz the practice was with the
great 15-inch smoothbores. At the Pre-.
sidio the firing with the 8-inch rifed can
non was continued.
The heavy explosions of the big guns at
AlcatraZ gave the windows and crockery
in the Western Addition a thorough rat
thing. There were a number of panes of
glass broken.
The conclusion of the first report shat
tered a window pane in the home of the
Ladies' Protective and Relief Society on
Franklin street, near Geary. Other ill.,
cidents have also been reported.
This seems to be all the damage that
was done. The guns at AlcatraZ are fired
at all altitude of over 100 feet The angle
OF the line OF the prnjectie with the water
is thus made so great that the shell sinks
without ricochetting. This obviates any
possible danger that might ensue to the
shipping from bounding projectle.
There are six gunuers detailed for each
of the great guns. These men are in
charge of corporal who sights the guns.
sergeant who sees that the loading is
properly performed and a lieutenant who
has charge of the firing squad.
With the shells only 100 pounds of pow
der is used. This is carefully weighed out
into flannel bags and carried from the
bomb proof TO the gun in a metal case.
Taken from the case the sack of powder
Is put in to the cannon and rammed home
The handle Of the hammer is marked to
insure against the charges being too
heavily tamped. Then the great SHE'LL
weighing 500 pounds, in carried out on
litter. 1t is showed just as far into the
cannon as the notches ON the handle indi-
m 10 N frOn hn hoe
The sights of the big gun are not on the
top. The curve of the barrel is too
great to allow of that. Instead they are
placed along the side. one at the butt and
the other half way between the first sight
and the muZzle.
When the gun has been properly adj
Justed the gunners retire. "A corporal
seizes the lanyard and at the word
Fire" jerks it.
a roar follows like all the thunder
storms OF thousand years rolled into one.
Then The scream Of the shell speeding to
its mark is heard by the benumbed sense
One second. two seconds, three seconds
follow. The fourth is almost over when
column OF water and spray dashing high
into the air tells that the enormous mis-
sile has struck 2700 yards away.
The crushing power of those 15-inch
guns Is something almost Incompetent
siDle." said Major John A. Darling of the
The projectile of the riflrd gun cuts a
hole through the object it strikes. To at
tain this end the powder is almost in the
ratio of to to the weight of the pro-
jectile.
1.-THE smoothbore carries a heavier pro-
lectile with a charge of powder only one
fifth of its weight. But its effect at short
range is something awful.
During the war of the Rebellion the
ladies' OF Savannah, Ga, fitted out the
ironclad Atlanta by selling their orna-
ments and jewels. The monitor Wee
hawken was sent out against the new IRON
clad. The monitor had two 15-iDch smooth
bore guns. With these she hit the Atlanta
Just three times and the fight was over.
Il was lieutenant at the time and
boarded the Atlanta just after her surren-
der. The execution of the missiles from
the Weehawken's guns was without par
allel.
"a she'll struck the broadside of the from
eiad. It's force was so great that the bolts
holdlng the iron plates were driven from
their sockets. The effect was that of a
shower of grape.
The crews of a half dozen guns were
killed, pierced by the headless bolts. The
vessei itself was so weakened that it would
soon have sunk with all on board"
MANY people went out to the Presidio
yesterday to witness the cannon practice,
Batteries II and L. did the firing. The
gunnery of Battery 81 was much the bet
ter of the two.
Their theoretical target is vertical
plane 20 feet long and 10 feet high.
rms indicates space less than what
would be occupied by any war vessel
10 indicate this target the raft described
yesterday is anchored at distance of 100
yards from the gun.
though the raft was not touched every
shot OF III battery was registered in the
theoretical target.
The firing was conducted Yesterday
under the personal supervision of Breyet
Brigadier-General William M. Graham.
The batteries were under the command of
Major John A. Darling.
Major Rogers Of General Ruger's staff.
who IS the Inspector of artillery for the
department, was critical spectator.
The work is very good" he said. .con
sideIing the fact that Uncle Sam allo WIS
hese guns to be fired off just three times
each in 800 days.
vi course the expense Is rather heavy
Each charge for tho S-inch guns costs
about s25. Those for the 15-inch guns
cost nearer $50 each. Yet if the men are
expected 10 do exact work thew ouqht
10 De allowed more practice"
W hen asked as to the comparative cost
Of firing other guns he laughed. "Whv
these 0ld-fashioned guns cost almost moth
ing. One discharge of some of the most
Modern guns entails an expense of $780, -
Next Tuesday firing viii he cor n,encp d
from the Pinch aud S-lnch mortars on The