The herald., 1894-01-01
THE MON rEREY' GUNS.
Going Outside for tho Bay Target
Practice.

Going outside Tor tho Bay Target
Practice.
The United States coast defe nse moni-
ter Monterey, which proved so sstistac-
tory on her trial trip at sea several
months ago will go down the coast this
week, says the San Francisco Chronicle,
weather permitting for target practice.
Monterey bay ls the place named for the
gun test.
The heavy armor plate has been put
on the turrets, the eesel has been coaled
and everything is in readiness for the
annnery trial. The Monterey carries
two Pinch breech-loading rifles in the
forward turret and TWO l0inch rifles in
the after.turret. The 12-inch guns are
the largest carried on any war vessel in
the American navy.
About Wednesday, il the weather is
good, the Monterey may be expected to
go to sea. Some of the crew have been
given liberty to go to Vallejo, but all
are under orders to be on hand Tuesday
morning,
The monitor will proceed down the
coast under easy steam and in Monterey
bay the crew will set out the targets.
The Big Betsy and Alice will belch forth
their loudest.
These two immense guns have never
been fred with full charges, although
the reduced charge used was only 65
pounds of powder lees. The guns have
all been discharged with safety.
The Monterey will. it is understood,
proceed direct to sea from Mare Island
navy yard. After the first target prac-
tice with the big gnns the monitor will
return to this port and anchor off the
water front-possibly of the foot OF Har.
rison street pier, where she lay during
her last stop in the upper bay.
Captain Louis Kempf, who took full
charge before the vessel lett the Union
iron works, where she was built, is still
in command.
The big guns Of the Monterey are the
most powerful on any American war ves-
sci a6oat. When fred for the first time,
on May S0th, Decoration day. while the
Monterey was in Monterey bay, about
IL miles southwest of Santa Cruz, win
dows were broken in some OF the houses
in that city. Those ON the deck of the
Monterey, however, experienced no ma
terial Inconvenience, and not even q
tumbler or piece of glass was injured in
any part OF the monitor.
DR.. George Winslow, now feet surgeon
| db IlOuOlului wiz WAS buou Ou bu0 MON
terey, said that he was perfectly
astonished at the performance OF the
big guns. He had been on the Allan.
ia, on the Atlantic coast, when the new
eight-inch guns were fred three years
ago. The concussion was then 30 great
that glass ports we're smashed and
crockery and glassware by the whole.
sale demolished.
The powder charge for Big Betsy and
Alice. the 12.inch breech-loading rifles
in the forward turret, is 400 pounds.
The charge that they we're fred with in
Monterey bay was 1886 pounds. The
projectile used weighed $50 pounds. 1t
was estimated that this heavy shell was
carried about ak miles.
The l0inch guns in the after-turre-
take full charge of 253 pounds OF pows
der and reduced charge of 200 pounds.
The projectile weighs 450 pounds and il
good for IL miles. The Monterey also
carries on the superstructure deck 9
secondary bettery OF 6-pounders and
Hotchkiss rifles.
On her trial trip the Monterey proved
herself wonderful sea boat. Since
then she has been to Portland and Pu
get sound. The war vessel is the only
one of the kind af1oat.