The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-01-25
A SERIOUS POSSIBILITY.
What May Happen to the vesuvius
From It's Pneumatic Gums.

A Washington despatch stated
that the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius
was to have an adequate trial "once
for ALL to see if it's guns would do
what have been claimed for them.
1t is barely possible that the exhaus-
tive test that has been ordered is
prompted by criticism of the work
ing of the battery of the Vesuvius.
According to letter written by
Emil Gathman of Chicago, an en-
gineer of the United States steam
ship Vermont, who was on the Vesu-
vius during recent trial of it's pneu-
matte guns, the dynamite cruiser
may some day fall victim to one of
its own projectiles. An extract from
the letter is as follows:
Each of the three guns was fired
ten times, that is ten charges of COM
pressed air were let into each tube at
pressure of 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 out, only rs to 100 pounds
pressure was registered in the gauge
of the gun. This alone ought to
condemn the use of the pneumatic
system, for if loaded shell were
really to be inserted in the tube and
a pressure of only 100 pounds were
applied the result would simply be
that the shell, being thrown only a
few hundred feet ahead of the
Vesuvius' bow, would explode just
as the vessel, being under way, got
within few feet of it, or possibly
just as it ran the projectile down.
This is something for the officers
and men to bear in mind. The re-
port that these guns make at their
discharge, Notwithstanding what is
said to the contrary, is very nearly
as loud as that of 6-inch breech-
loading rifle, as the quantity of air
displaced is nearly the same. There
were no projectiles used during this
test, all that was wanted being to
see how near an equal pressure could
be obtained at each discharge. The
maximum was 170S pounds per square
inch and the minimum IS pounds, a
dangerous inequality. The amount
zle of guns after each discharge
was surprising. My opinion is that
the trial was dismal failure.
The tests that the Government is
making with torpedoes charged with
high explosives is watched with par
ticular 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 des-
troy any battleship afoat. 1t is
built for an 8-inch gun, carries 225
pounds of guncotton, and it's wings
give it 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, it is claim
ed, than that attained by any known
engine of war under the same cir
fcumstances. One of the torpedoes
on exhibition at the Masonic Tenn
pie is eighteen feet in length and
cost $500 to manufacture.
The United States Government
has agreed to furnish powder and
cannon for trial of six of the tor
pedoes at Willetts Point, and if the
test is successful it has agreed tC
purchase 200 of the projectiles. II
costs money to make the six tor.
pedoes, and the transportation is
another item, and the Chicago in,
ventor is casting about for capital,
list who will help convince the Gov
eminent that it has means of de
Tense against a hundred of her Maj
esty's Thunderers.-Chicago Tribune