The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-26
OUR NAT<L ORDNANCE.
A Year's Frser,ss In Guns, Arrcr, Tow
der. she lIs. ana TnrnrAnrn


WARRINGTON. Oct. 25.-The annual report OF
Commodore W. T. Sampson. Chief OF the Navy
Bureau Of Ordnance. gives a clear and salts
factory summary OF the years work OF his bu-
reau. His estimates for the next fiscal year
are s7145.801. Of which S. 500. 600 is for arm
ing vessels already authorized.
Out OF 453 guns OF calibres from 4-inch to
13-inch ordered. the forgings OF ;S8S have been
delivered. while 1888 guns arc afoat and 2os
completed. these last including 20 1o-inch. 8
12-inch and 13-inch. There are n
guns partly completed. The 13-lnch gun
has not yet boon tested. on account OF
delay In completing its mount Lieut.
Fletcher's simple and efficient hand working
breech mechanism is now applied to all guns
OF S-inch calibre and upward. The new S.inch
gun OF nickel steel will soon he completed.
and the Hurst S-inch gun authorized by Con-
gress has been begun. In the 8-inch guns
metallic cartridge cases will hereafter be used.
VI 4sO Hotchkiss and briggs guns. ordered
for the secondary batteries. 800 are com pleted
and 204 are anoat The % per cent. nickel
steel forging for an experimental 3-inch gun
proved 4 failure and one OF ordinary steel has
been substituted.
Brown powder Is now made for the navy by
the California Powder Company OF Santa Cruz.
as well as by Du Pont & Co Smokeless now
milton Is hereafter to be hoisted to the guns by
Steam or electricity. as on the cruiser New
YORK. Thesuccess Of tho Montsreys 10 and
l2-ineh gun mounts shows that the choice OF
the same m cunts for 13-inch guns was right
A new S-ihch carriage Is under construction.
by which the guns are made to recoil In the
line OF ire and are returned to battery by
springs. as In tho smaller rapid fire mounts.
Ihis arrangement reduces the downward |
thrust on the decks to minimum.
and obviates the necessity OF cutting large |
ports in turrets and shields: thereby lessening |
and machine-gun, fire. An improved 4-inch |
rapid fire mount has also been adopted. In |
Peto The Essex is to be tteS T Hfn sent
atneh ries and Jour smaller guns. asa gun
10 FOUNDER field guna.
Amor piercing projectiles Of an excellent
penter and Sterling companies. and efforts are
made to get shell which will not be broken
Of smaller calibre, shells by the Harvey pro.
making II firing shell charged With gun cotton
companies are, mentioned as manufacturing
good steel shell and shrapnel
d armor have been made. and the armor lie
EXCELLENT and coming along faster, SO that by
e the VII hsye
my similar plants elsewhere.
Ihsr: win hereafter be difficulty in supplying the
hlpyard. under any sireumst.nees Of building yes.
Ss are sn@.r p o. sns IN
= failure to deliver at the rate OF 400 tons each per
Up h Ia s IF the the
of |orinen 1' ana IN psrt
gradually increased to .s.sactOrp eoRa..ioa 1n'n
Tp to Oct; ]. the bethlehem Company had
ONE and the Carnes s5ii n With 5 s55 So 5
d. is found to be specially valuable for. its
Which is that Of service eonditionS ' All p't The
e contracts are fer Harveyed armor. where
ons are to be SO treated under old contracts.
S9m Bos1a u snd the Ss Of The
his his e.Iibres Inventors WIN be called pnon to
The Howe torped Sss RaVs been most satts
Yhs Ss t q RyhsS
RoTs q # hos
has SsSSn on the New
esttroySr's gun firing at them with charges {
referred to the Baker by the Examining t
oard. the bureau recommends Its construc- S
on under guarantees to secure the Govern v
The difficulty with the pneum attic guns ofthe
es Is found to centre in the main valve.
hicn admits the compressed air to the gun n
he company Is now trying radical changes "
hicG would greatly improve 1t. but Commo-
IRE Sampson believes that the guns on board "
9 vessel cannot be made successful. and rec +
,ngress for a similar vessel be used to build IL
ur torpedo boats. o
Du Pont 4 Co. have supplied SO. 600 pounds b
gun cotton Of good quality. Congress is
ked to give ass stance to the families Of the i
rec men who lost their lives when the gun o
t tor 4 factory was DESTROYED, The Torpedo 2
owe valuable when nrei from the Ericsson is
%. and II so. will be used against the defence Il
ts. 1t will also test dirig Die torpedo from 81
2 moving vessel although tommodoro samp amp.
q hardly expects success In this expert
emit Petroleum is again recommended az
2 fuel OF torpedo boats. The appendix con-
actory trial Of a. 3O-inch calibre Calling n
n with new feed. the trial OF the Vesuyius, y,
d other valuable reports al