Omaha daily bee., 1893-10-15

@Aa-a
provided with q quick closing breech
piece, which packs itself AUTOMATICALLY
as soon as the air pressure is eXerted
upon IT. The main firing valve is oper-
ated by air pressure and is controlled
oy another located at the trunnion,
operated by the gunner, who occupies
the platform a. the left side OF the
carriage. BY a novel arrangement ~
pteumatically operated p%istons and
waves the opening OF the main firing
valve proceeds automatically.
AFTER the firing lever has been moved
tne gunner has no control whatever over
the speed OF tho movement of the main
Naive' inc entire operation proceeding
WIN mathematical accuracy. This
feature secures great accuracy in firing
a"u SECURES perfect uniformity In the
action of the tube.
Around each of the tubes To be nlaced
at Sandy Hook will be n circular. track
upon which will run carriages. These
carriages will serve to transfer thu
small Loading trough ON which the pro-
Jcctile has been conveyed from the mag
anne to the gun, irrespective of its no
sltlon. The loading and firing mcchan-
Ism Ia arranged on the interviewing plan.
so that the different operations must
succeed each other in their royuipr
" ~ NhiN SVNNl lllE SHltIN Ipl
the tube and it's crew, but saving a great
IDEAL OF valuable time.
Powerful, Piece.
The total weight of the l5-inch tube ia
40 tons. The total weight OF the fuli
calibrc ~projectile is 1000 pounds. the
explosive charge alone weighing 500
pounds The range of the piece at IS
degrees elevation with u large proiec-
tlIC Is Z,lUD NnrnS. with N Ip-tn,l, ~
EaliDre projectile weighing 500 pounds
II Is 400 yards; with an S-inch sub
'allbre proIectile weighing $40 pounds
inc range Is 1000 yards, and with g.
inch snbcalibro prOjectile weighing 2lO
pounds the range is 5000 wards. The
weight OF the explosive charges in the
sHocallbre projcctilcs named would be-
respectively 200 pounds. 100 pounds and
80 pounds.
Up to the present time heavy wrouybt
iron tubing has been used in the con-
structlon OF the storing and firing reser-
Volrs, nut east steel spherical reservoirs
having a diameter of six feet will be
USED FOR two of the tubes to be placed at
Sandy Hook. This will reduce tho
number Of joints and the liability to
leakage.
So far no plans have been definitely
made for the protection of the tubes
va N''S'iil y I L Itttl OH ia level
sand spit, as they will be at first, nothing
could prevent their being Knocked to
pieces by a vessel far out of their range.
1t Is probable that after the tests arc
over a high and wide b~reastwork Of sand
Will be built around them. AS thew
usually fire at a high elevation, this viii
not obStruct their use, but will protect
them almost completely, not only by the
resistance OF the sand, but also by con-
ahNn | nor THAN snA asN
OF course, no smoke to betray this.
Exceptional Accuracy of Fire.
At all ranges the tubes can place "a
per cent of their projectiles within a
rectanglc ninety feet wide by 360 feet
long. A duplicate Of one OF the tubes
was recently purchased and tested by
the English government for coast de-
tense. The most skilled rifle practice
was thrown in the shade by its perform
ances. AT the close of target practice
during Two days British military au-
thorities who witnessed the experiments
declared that the accuracy of this aerial
torpedo thrower was unparalleled.
Al a range of 3.94S yards or two and
one-fourth miles, the error in direction
was 3 $40 yards: at 3,644 yards it was
moving at the rate Of eight feet per Sec
ond and the deviation from the range
was from l7.2 to - t yards.
1t Is believed that this aerial torpedo
hrowerw will largely supersede the sta
tionary torpedoes heretofore introduced
for coast defense.
According to the contract with the
government Mr.. Schuyler says that be-
sides the tubes for Sandy Hook his COM
pany is to construct a battery of three
tifteen-inch pneumatic tubes for San
Francisco and nnn nf than will ha
shipped to San Francisco this week.
The contract price for all six, with their
foundation complete. is, in round mum.
bers, $3.50, 600. Two more tubes OF fifteen,
inch caliber are to be built for Boston
harbOr.
For the test for the Sandy Hook tubes
old hulks will be selected to be de-,
rtroyed. The trial will be severe and q
large number of prOjectiles, both loaded
and unloaded, will be fired at all ranges .
and degrees Of elevation.
AT the bombardment of Alexandria
the British fleet deliberately anchored
at "a distance of l,GOO yards-less than
one mile-from the forts and opened fire.
The effect of the fleets high powered
guns, even those Of the heavicst caliber,
was not as disastrous as was expected.
Mortar fire was needed, and commenting
upon this fact Lieutenant Vreeland, -
5. N, of the naval Intelligence Office,
says:
Had the fleet included a dynamite
torpedo thrower that vessel could havo
placed herself behind any one of the 4.
huge armorclads Of the attacking squad.
ron and from that position could have
easily landed within the shore forts at
an angle of fall of about twenty-five de.
grees projectiles filled with dynamite,
the effect of which can be imagined.
{ 'nnVprsalV had the shnra yvnpla ,,nu.
sessed one or more dynamite throwers
the attacking fleet probably would not
have calmly delivered its fire from q
! 500 yard range,
A Blue Grass Girl.
Louisville Courier-Journal: ! was in
Frankfort the other day and saw a sight