Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-05-02
the srRoNoEsr CANNON IN the

tVe osuS~sot SrNNSN !" '"s
A new cannon which may beat any
thing Of its Size IN the world for power
and endurance win b tested BY. Uncle
Sam 1t the Sandy Hook proving grounds
this week. Il not only employs the best
system Of obtaining strength, vlz., that
occurred BY . Wrapping Of wire, but en-
bodies several improvements on ell pred
eccssors In that line. John Hamilton
Brown 10 the inventor. The weak feat
ure OF all wire-wound guns, 90 far, has
been the tube forming the core. This
would split lengthwise or crosswise and
sometimes blow out. Mr.. Brown sub
stitutes In place Of q tube dozen bars
or segments, arranged like barrel slaves.
In this way he II able to use much hard
er, tougher steel. There 10 practically
no danger OF bar ever breaking, and he
can apply 90 much greater pressure to
this segmental core In winding than q
tube would stand that the gun admits Of
higher explosive charges.
The sample gun about to be tried this
week has calibrc Of five inches and Is
10 feet long. The segments are arrang-
ed ~ In the diagram and are about two
inches thick from the bore outward.
Around the breech thirty-three layers OF
square steel wire are wrapped, adding
nearly 2 Ia Inches moro to the thickness
Of the gun. Forward Of the trunnlons
the number Of layers gradually diminish
%, there being only twelve ut the muz-
xls. Outside Of everything there IL a
metal jacket, designed to protect the
wire from an enemys guns. Mr.. Brown
Winds the wire with machine Invented
and patented by him, which tests every
inch Of II, Every bit of wire which
goes In Is capable Of sustaining u weight
OF 800 or I, 400 pounds, and It Ii wound
with uniform strain OF just half the
former figure. When he has gotten
thirty-three layers around the breech
the pressure amounts to 100, 900 pounds
to the square Inch of surface of the bore.
Unlike many other inventors OF guns
Sir. Brown aud his pecuniary and scien-
itlc hackers have not let their device 60
10 q government trial without thorough
practical tests of their own. Some were
made last week ut Birdsboro, Penn,
where the gun was made. Last Satur-
day, for Instance, "a Tribune represent
alive being presently, with GO-pound
conical prolectlle and n new powder OF
about - per cent higher power than
that formerly used, three shots were
tired, one with twenty, one with twenty
five, and one with thirty pounds OF ex-
plosive. The first charge gave q press
ure of 25,200 pounds to the square Inch,
the second 800, and the third, as near
ly a. experts could determine from the
gauges, exceeded G0,OO0! The opinion
was privately expressed that almost
$4,000 pounds pressure was exerted.
When one realizes that most OF the high
power guns Of the American army and
navy use charges which never give over
3, 900 pounds to the inch, and that
Il, 900 Il the limit for the best cannon OF
the world, II Is easy to see that II these
figures are verified by official tests a
tremendous revolution In gunnery will
be effected.
Mr.. Brown claims that the penetrating
distance Of shots from his gun will be
fully three times callbre-l5 Inches
with 5.lnch gun-'nto steel, whereas
shot from the best exlstlng cannon pene-
trate only one and half or two callbres
that l2.inch gun on his plan will be
better than any lG-lnch gun ever made
that with such cannon he can put a
shot through both sides Of the heaviest
ironclad afioat; that the life Of his guns
will not be limited to 100 shots, but ex.
coed 5000; and, as his guns can not
only be made In about quarter or one
sixth the time required for other cannon.
but be made without expensive foundries
and works, that vast economy as well as
utility and safety IL secured by his In
ventiOn.
Mr.. Brown IL an inventor OF the high
est type, true Yankee genius. a
Maine boy by birth, he has worked In
steel nearly forty years-ever since ht
Was thirteen years old, In fact. lie IL a
riaeman Of international fame, the au-
thor of many new and valuable me.
chanlcal devices, and most thorough
Investigator. During all the years III
has been at work on this gun he has
quietly but diligently collected informa'
ton as to what WAS being done In this
line all over the world, and he has sur
prlsed experienced naval and army OIL
GERS by his mastery Of the subject.-New
| York Tribune,