The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-18
NkR oRpKAxoE KoRE.
Ths nss-ri-s Rta,s-Nisk.I steel - = ~
Nsteriai-Ths New Msss 90 co-strvs
SAG Hssvy Orssssss Material

Ths Mae--iss Rfa,s-Nisk.I Steel - = a..
Nsterial-Ths New Msss 90 ce-strvst-
ine Heavy 0rssssss Material
WASHINGTON Feb. 17.-within the next few
months some sxcesdineiy interesting and i'm.
portsnt tests and experiments In ordnance
will be made both BY the army and the navy.
Prominent among these will be the use Of
nickel steel both for heavy guns and for small
srme II 10 curious to note that while
the greatest military success Of this ma
terial has been achieved In srmor for
shlps preceding employment un-
dertskeu for IL In England. had been
ss material for guns Little attention.
however. was paid to this developmsn othst
practically II has been left for American enter
prise to carry IL forward. This has been done
In the navy. both In the m manufacture Of barrels
for the new small calibre rife and In an S-inch
gun nearly completed In testing the new .230
calibrs rifle for the navy. barrels have been
made both Of steel and nickel steel and no
doubt is felt that the latter material will be
adopted. The S-inch gun IL expected on It's
part, TO show the same good qualities Of nickel
rs has srmor. the result being to give In
creased endurance. and hence to allow
longer life to the gun with the same charges
The mention OF the 8-inch gun brings up
second new step In ordnance. namely it's con-
struction under the new Sellers system. For
this purpose . special furnace has been built.
By means Of which the parts OF the gun will be
assembled In . horizontal position. and By
aim ultsn sously applying intense heat TO the
Jacket and keeping the tube much cooler By
means Of cold stream Of water. Thus the
jacket can be slipped over and shrunk on.
Under the present system. a. II known. the
tube II placed In q perpendicular position In
the shrinking pit and the jacket IL conveyed
to It from the furnace The chance Of It's
shrinking and striking before reaching its
proper position on the tube will be much
diminished By this new process. and In ad-
dition . gun may be dismountsd and an
sroded or damaged tube replaced by another.
Still another point Of interest 10 that the new
Kun IL com posed OF only three principal parts.
q tube. an inner jacket, and an outer Jacket,
thus making . great gain In aim picity. and
probably In expense OF manufacture. Two
great steps In advance are thus combined In
this new gun. very soon to be completed. one
| OF them being the system OF nufacture.
pR f auaiities are from ten 10 fiitesn per
| cent higher than those Of ordinary gun steel
%S * S az tie been ns Scns Soi
et Newpor. and Indian Head Il has aI. y, ;aI
SECURED HssI' With FHsns smot powder The
osibre adopted 10 the smallest regularly ep-
sss:f thai. Il: 81 iIS &. ins the
| Forthcoming competition among the various
sl, Ssa "oms q the barrels have received
PRESSURE ssua. tests ts Newport further tests
mine finally whether steel with or without the
| nickel alloy Ia the better. and also to settle
s What OF
| Gus kinds Of smokelcss powder have been sent
to Indian Head for tho experiments,
,nr n and dc within iortnisst the first thousand
Of them will be ready for Issue to the army.
,SH SSss o9 into % Ss ss%in.
| at the rate OF n thousand . month. then grad
| unlly Increasing to 1910 month, 1t In = for
pIsted his srrapesm ents for American smoke
less powder when he did. since now the car
rdses from this material III, DO rss % tf 70,
the s frst order Tor IL, 600 pounds Of powder
was divided between the Psyton Of California
msns oi the Former Sss Been recsse
| at frankfort Arsenal. The improvements and
.daptations made In the krsg gun by our
gardsd as a most effective weapon. and It 10
| believed that our American powders will also
compare fayoraoly with the very best OF for
| Within two. week. the long postponed trial
p: ,:. ,ns ssn the {:
| como on At Indian Head This gun 10 nearly
forty feet long. and has an exterior diametsr
poands or over owe % tons tthroW.% proisc3is
sans xn .s 81 eco
Ps a27 foot tons Tse Battle shies indisn.
e sS: na o.'sG1 Sash o s. .Ss
| proving ground 10 awaited with great interest.
a. saPT ~. H S.x, VII 9; ; ss.s
| guns ct Indian Head was very Interesting. but
at sandy Hook foreign as well as American