Evening star., 1894-11-20
ORDNANCE WHOLLY AND PARTLY DONE
Improvements Made in the Different
Shops and Plants.
\ NEW FOUNDRY NEEDED


been completed and the eleventh gun is
now being rifled. Gun No. II, the last Of
the lot authorized, has been completely
assembled Breech mechansms have been
fitted to three guns and the fitting of two
others is nearly done The manufacture
of the mechanisms for the remaining guns
is well advanced, and they can be placed
on the guns at the rate of one every TWO
months. One thirteen-inch gun has been
proved at the proving grounds with er-
urely satisfactory results. This was gun
number p in which the Jacket stuck in
assembling. Two other guns of this cal
IDer are ready for the proving ground. All
of the completed guns OF tWeiVe-lnch cal
IDer have DeeL ntleu with Dreech inechan-
lsms. Three of these guns are Yet TO be
proved. OF the SIX now on hand TWO Will
go to the Texas and the remaining four to
the Puritan. OF the twenty-five ten-lnch
guns completed. ten have been issued to
service, three are ready for issue, assigned
TO the Maine and another, which Will also
be assigned to that vessel, is III use at the
Bethlehem iron WORKS, testing armor
plates. The remaining eleven guns OF TINS
caliber are TO De fitted with lighter breech
mechanism. Six of the twelve ,eight-inch
guns have been assigned to different YES
sells in commission. Twenty-Seven hVe-lncn
guns were completed during the year, max
ing the total number of forty-cahber guns
seventeen four-inch guns were completed,
making in all sixty-seven guns of that cal
iber.
The total number of breech-loading guns
manufactured and in process Of manu-
facture at the naval gun factory is as
follows: Twelve thirteen-inch; thirteen
twelve-inch; twenty-five ten-nch; sixty
seven eight-inch; one hundred and forty
one siX-inch; eighty-six five-inch guns; one
hundred and seven four-inch guns; one
eight-inch Hurst gun, and one elght-inch
nickel steel gun.
The Thirtcen-Inch Mount.
The thirteen-inch mount has been COM
pleted and is now in use at the proving
ground. The mount proper has proved en-
tirely satisfactory, but experience with it
has shown that, while the hydraulic piping
was sufficiently strong TO stand the press
ure for which it was intended when stead
lily applied, 1t was not strong enough to
stand the hammerlng effect produced by
pumping the water through long supply
pipe. This experience has resulted in the
adoption of heavier piping for all hydraulic
mounts.
A large portion Of the castings for the
twelve mounts for the battleships, which
were ordered about the date of the last
report, have been delivered, and work on
four of these has progressed very salts
factorily. One of these mounts will soon
be erected, and the four Gntended for the
Indiana) should be completed by July l,
1885.
Satisfactory progress has been made in
the manufacture of mounts for guns OF
other calibcr Complete ordnance outfits
have been supplied to the MarDlcheli, Co
lumhia, Olympia, Cinctnnlu and Raleigh
and partial outfits TO the Minneapolis
Maine. Texas, Puritan, -Amphitcite, Monad-
mock and Terror.
BY direction of the bureau the casting OF
iron pTojectiles has been stopped, but such
Projectiles as are already cast are TO be
completed, as they are required for target
practice or proof firing. Ten S-inch shell
foe the Hurst gun, ten experimental high
explosive shell and 10 3-Inch solid shot
lave been manufactured.
GrOJectileS to the number of 2i,G69 have
been prepared for service since the estab-
hsh'nent of the gun factory.
Difficulty in Getting Sound Castings
1.-The work on the mounts" says Com
mander Jewell, has been muc h delayed by
the great difficulty of Obtaining sound steel
castings. A large proportion of the cast
irgs received from several makers are re-
jected, either on balliStic test or OH account
of blowholes, or other imperfections. The
reflections on one contract amounted to
more than forty per cent OF the number OF
castings received. Such a state of affairs Is
extremely disadvantageouS, not alone be-
cause of the delay, but also because of the
work that is expended before the defects
are disc overed Under the present system
of competitive bids manufacturers take con-
tracts at prices which cannot be re,nuncra-
tive if sound castings, made of good ma
tcrial, are to be furnished.
1T is a question worthy of serious con-
sideration whether the government should
not make its own steel castings. 1t is be-
leved If the remodeling Of the foundry Is
authorized, that a steel-caSuing plant could
be added at a moderate increase of eNpen-
diture."
improvements at the Factory.
In a chapter in regard to the various i'm
prov yements that are being made at the
factory, Commander Jewell says:
The conversion of the mold loft into a
forge shop is not yet accomplished. The
work on the building is about completed,
and foundations for the hammers, cranes
and furnaces have been laid. acquisitions
ha 70 been made for material for blast pipes
for furnaces aud FORCES, and these will soon
be supplied and the forges erected. A new
hammer has been ordered, but is not yet
delivered. The transfer of the other ham
mers from the old shop cannot be made
until the blast is ready The new shop will
be in operation in about four months.
The equipment of the breech mechanism
shop has been completed a small building
in which breech mechanism work was
formerly done has been converted into a
proiectile shop. The transfer to this shop
of the shell lathes, hydraulic press, etc,
buildings, allows the projectile work to be
concentrated in the new shop and has re-
duced the cost of handling OF the projec-
tiles in a marked degree. The output has
also been ma tnrially increased, 100 shells
being turned out every day, or an average
of 1900 per month.
Four new boring mills have been added
to the plant Of the gun carriage shop.
Two others that have been ordered are not
yet delivered.
The extension of the gun carriage shop
is in progress. a part of 1t has been
cleared out and piles have been driven
for the crane supports. This work cannot
be taken in hand thoroughly until after
the transfer of the forge shop. An appro-
priation for tools for this shop is now
available and acquisitions for the tools
have been made.
The work of fitting the breech mechan-
isms to the 13-inch guns, which was for
merly done in the gun shop, is now done
outside q portable shed having been con-
structed to cover the breech ends of two
guns at the same time for the protection
of the tools and the worlimen. The drill
ing on these guns is do. by means OF
| electric drills, which have also been ap-
piled to other work in the open.
improvements have been made in the
| ,oatbodS of doing certain portions OF the