The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-07

I never dOOVo iJO POUNDS 70 the square inch.
/ The motive force of the projectiIes is co M
/ pressed air. Two air compressors worked
by steam from the main boilers are used in
filling three storage" reservoirs with air al
1000 pounds pressure and firing" reser-
voir with air at a pressure of $50 pounds 70
the square inch. The firing" reser voir
connects directly with the air valves of the
guns and separately with each OF the "stor-
age" reservoirs, so that the air of the latter
is used TO maintain the pressure in the
firing" reservoir as It's store is depleted by
each shot. A better comprehension Of the
work involved is gained whsn one learns
that the weight Of air alone when all the
reservoirs are full is moro than three tons.
The firing reservoir transfers its power
to the base of the projectile In the loaded
I gun through nest OF valves attached to
the breech. forming with the firing levers
the firing mechanism. Tho main valve is
in g casing IN line with the gun. and is
/ purely pneumatic in its action, opening by
air pressure, admitting air 20 the projectile
and closing by the same force The au kill
airy valves are encased at right angles with
the breech. and are partly mechanical in
their action. These open a short distance,
IN response to the pressure of the firing
lever, and from that point on to the close Of
the action are controlled by the same SEEM
inGly omnipresent pressure Of air.
CAN BE FIRED FROM TWO PLACES.
| The firing levers referred TO are merely
mechanically fitted rods extending from the
gun room to the coming tower, where they
are operated directly by the commanding
| officer. 1t should be added that in case of
accident to the levers, coming tower or
| commanding officer the guns can be fired
from the ''gun room" by word of COM
| mand,
| So delicately are the valves designed that
toward the close OF the valves movement
/ IN either direction an air cushion is formed
that prevents the jarrIng the great speed of
the valve would produce. Moreover, the
air pressure on the base Of the pr ojsctie is
In no way affected by unsteady handling
| OF the firing levers,
The loading is done with rapidity and
accuracy. the guns icing capable Of firing
| about once minute.
Inc breech OF the gun Is lointed, section
about twelve feet in length being lowered
| by hydraulic power to the horizontal for
| loading, and raised by the same power to
make the line Of bore continuous when In
the firing position. The proiectiIes are car.
ried in racks AMI loading is affected by
means of a 5-barreled revolving cylinder,
| turned By hydraulic power and fitted with
rammer worked in the same way
To illustrate the description of the "guu
room" action consider q gun as fired and
that the order load" has been given. Hy-
drsulic power quickly and smoothly lowers
the breech section Of the tube, bringing it
| opposite the lowest barrel of the revolving
cylinder; the hammer then. moves aft,
pushing a projectile into the section; the
section is then raised and the officer Of the
division, receiving the range from the com
manding officer through the tube from the
| coming tower (or reading it from the in
dictator of the range finder adjusts the air
valve to give the proiecile the required
All fh0f aius ia for ha in
SATISFIED with the sight--to pull the lsver
and the shell flies TO the target
The SHIP Is The GUN CARRIAGE.
The ship itself forms the gun carriage and
Is to bsso msneuvered that it's bow is always
pointed to the enemy. Many have thought
lessly condemned the Veeuvius because her
maneuveriDg powers have not always proved
what they should, forgetting that the value
of the gun should be tested without refer
eDoe to the carriage; for il the gun be
found successful it can be mounted on any
type OF vessel.
The Pneumatic Gun Company interested
Secretary Whitney in their system in 1885,
and he ordered board of officers TO test a
gun mounted on e shore carriage at Fort
Lafayette. These officers, although thew
detected faults that must have been glar-
ingly apparent in the then comparatively
crude weapon, had good word to say for
its accuracy and destructive effects. As a
result of the boards report aud Mr. Whit
ney'1 belief in the system came the Vesuv-
| ius.
The valves fitted 30 the guns we're the
Sewell valves, which we're the highest de-
velopment in firing" valves at the time of
the building Of the Vesuvius. Now the en-
| tire value of the pneumatic gun rests with
the valves. There is no longer question but
| that compressed air lie a safe and efficient
means of launching the projectiles when
loaded with guucotton. The range of the
| guns, as compared with other torpedoes-
| and these are the only pieces of ordnance
| with which they can properly be compared
is already sufficient Details of materials,
| q proper fuse, etc. are purely mechanical
and are easily solved. The system stands
or falls on the action of the air valves.
ALL DEPENDS ON The VALVES.
II these will admit air to the base of the
projectile promptly upon firing and later
cut of the air supply at any desired inter-
val the gun as a torpedo thrower is a suc4
| cess and demands all the study and adj
| vsnoement the navy can give IL.
Up to the time of the Vesuvius' first trial
the faults Of the Sewell valve had not been
| made manifest, owing, doubtless, to the
irregular and desultory form of the tests
Once mounted on the Vesuvius, however
under daily observation. a serious fault was
QeteCted Oy the commanding Of1cer. Inc
point involved is a delicate one. AT the
instant of firing the main valve opens and
admits the full pressure of the firing reser-
voir to the base of the projectile. The
length of time that this valve remains open
determines the range. To control the
action of the main valve, the air used in
closing it is made TO fill an intermediate bulb,
in order that the pressure required to close
the main valve may be gradually attained.
It is led from the reservoir to the bulb
through q tube with small aperture. The
aperture was covered and uncovered by a
sliding piece with a screw attachment. the
size OF the aperture regulating the line Of
passage of sufficient air. AS the aperture
at it's largest was small one, the slightest
motion OF tho screw was sufficient to cause
great changes OF range. Had the screw
and it's fittings been mechanically perfect
this would have been no dsfect; but. un-
fortunately, the necessary lost motion In
the screw thread, after constant use, wa.
enough to vitiate the entire mechanism for
the control OF range. This defect was dis
covered only q short time before the gov
eminent trial.
ERRORS OF TIE FORMER TRIAL.
The commanding officer and the officer in
charge Of the guns tried TO save the svstem
by fitting an ordinary throttle on one OF
the large pipes leading from the firing res
ervoir TO the valves. The idea was good
! ona aa thav sacuped a faroar AREA To control