New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-31
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES.
TO TEST SOME LARGE GUNS SOON
FAILURE OF THE ATTEMPT TO MAKE SOLDIERS
OF THE INDIANS-EXPERIMENTS
WITH SNOKELESS POWDER
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. I


tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNK.1
Washing ton July 3O.-There will soon be tested AT
the Indian Head proving grounds two guns to which
much interest attaches. One Of the guns represents
the heaviest which II Is intended to build for
the Navy the l3inch type The other is the 10.
inch nickel-stce rife, which IS being built for
perimental purposes. The big gun is 40 feet
long and weighs $4,000 pounds. It's greatest d.
ameter Of body is 40 inches. It's chamber is s0.ss
inches long, IL inches in diameter and has capacity
OF 1909 cubic inches. It's projecte mot including
the CHARGE will weigh HOO pounds. The muzzle
energy will be 33,G27 foot tons and the muzzc
velocity of the shot o,lOO feet per second. Al
900 yards the velocity will be 1905 feet per
second. Twelve OF these big guns will be built for
the Navy for service board the batteshipS In
diana, Oregon Massachusetts and Iowa. Two OF
the guns are now completed and the remaining ten
are In various stages of manufacture
The nckel-steel gum with respect TO general Of
mansions and power IS identical with others OF the
same caibre heretofore built. The unusual feature
in It's composition Is the alloy Of nickel and steel
The OF It's construction is also novel. Many
experts believe that there Is TO be gained Increase
OF 20 per I'm elastic limit and u per cent I'm ten
sile strength. congation ductility remaining the
In the employment OF nickel with steel. In the
opinion of Commodore Folger nickcstecl is particu
larry well adapted to the construction OF guns rub
iected to high prcssurcs with nitro powders. The
corrodilc quality OF the alloy seems TO BE- one Of its
great advantages. The experimental gun Is 10 be
put together according the sellers plan. It Will
be assembled in horizontal position the Jacket viii
be slipped the tube while intense heat Is applied
O the former and n stream Of cold water through
the latter. by repeating this operation in after days
when the tubes become worn or damaged.n IS as
sumcd that the gun may with equal facility De- dis
Semhcd and repaired.
Word has been received at the War Department,
that the manufacture Of the Krag orgcns"n magazine
rifle has begun at the National Arinory AT spring
field. Mass. 1t Is expected that sufficient number
Of these guns will be turned out between and the
end Of the year 10 fair proportion Of the troop,
and afford a good opportunity for thoroughly testing
the rifles under service conditions.
50 far no smokolcss powder OF domestic invention
has been found which bc delivered In large enough
quantities to meet the demand. Experiments hay"
shown that several kinds Of powder submitted to
ordnance experts have much merit, but the difficulty
Is that the quantity obtainablc Is only about sufficient
for experimental purpOsrS. a smolclesS powder In
vented by Mr.. Leonard Of Virginia, has recently
given satisfactory results and II Is believed that FUR
Their trials will develop greater advantages Including
the ability manufacture In large quantities with
one sample tested a few days ago in field piece
chamber pressure of 80 900 pounds and velocity OF
> 200 feet per second were obtained III" quality now
in use by the army known the standard black
powder only develops pressure Of 2Oooo pounds ana
Il velocity OF 1850 feet Using samples OF L""iaru
powder In small arm With carriages "''r"iHh --'
grains a velocity Of 200 feet pr second has been
obtained. Veloc,es of from 1000 10 100 feet are
regarded satisfactory.
The beginning OF the end OF the experiment %
mat1p regular soldier, Of The Indian has come DIR
inc the last wr., orders Issued by lhe "r
Department to muster out OF s"rvic" L." f'"i'''s
Indians attached 10 two troops Of cavalry whose i"N'
we're already depleted 10y the return TO civil phiSu''
of its disconnected members. ON" OF III" troops WIS
stationed at >pokarr the other Al Fort N"Ha ""h"
There IS probably not one troop composed o Ihu'a"S
the ranks OF whica are fun. Lately the lndiiS nave
.hovn little desire 10 remain with the color~. i'S
find il irlsOme and 81 .Oying 10 De cOmpH'u !" N"''
Ia military discipline, and on s'V,TiI T'N'l. ',',
they have been extremely lh'h""r"ln',c WI
v,rp made 10 rlfOrc camp aiH garrison r'p"i
pr,c;ic.i nrc,ls of the army nave never b'lI'N'"
that the INDIAN would become Trustworthy ana l'''
ubI, soldier These officers appreciate we III
~ IN. red men 40 scouts and guides, III me PrIoIn
.nc. of which work much nirprnu'htr {" 'h""t"'
and action Is permissible. Ihey rraiI' hoW'a'I 1
Il,,t me Indian r,isls al any mihiiiA restraint ~
or movements Is going too far. OhcrrS WHO INV
ar,.i iu Inunn wars ,Ly thai the young DichN; VIII
acting aS scouts fearless ana VaIu"p' ""'""
Of Il body OF regular troop. 49,, ,a,ors h.gap under
yocrntary Iroctor'S administrator Mr. rhh'na Wv,
moi favor the plan and secretary i'"ioi'' H." ,n,
lille interest IN It's further d"vrolne' ~ nt
,vnori,n.nt held out considerable promise u. S"'r
' ',, an element of novelty about Inc WORK
'nOi,leut 10 ont,usr the lndah anu 10 HM""'', ~"
it'll ,nal among officers and hope ran hlgh. ~ d"
brief period. however clni5 ,u1 and officers were
nr",nht IN n realization Of the difference between
theory and practice. or al we o'clniS nov az
Mar Department II Is said ina, anii..d
sr'' Inc only one who still believes the Indian
ran Income n satisfactory soldier