The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-06-23

American production and manufao
ture. Therefore in the creation of a
gun forging. it is necessary that il
must be Of the best steel In America.
compounded exclusively of American
materials. This forging must he ~
the finest open-hearth gun steel and
the casting must weigh about double
what the forging that is to be made
from it will weigh. If there are anv
bubbles, or any flaws or riffs what
ever, in the steel it will be rejected bv
the gun foundry and turned back to
the producer OF it. The forging Is
made into a shape aPproximating that
of the finished gun, SO that it is all
ready for manufacture when it reaches
the gun foundry.
OF all Of the processes which are gone
through with at the navy yard gun
foundry in the manufacture of large
cannon the prepara ton and placing OF
a Jacket is the most interesting. Tho
jacket is n large cylinder placed over
the original tube at the rear, and COM
passing the powder chamber to give it
greater resistant strength. Tho
Jacket forging is bored up from the In
side to diameter slightly less than
the exterior diameter of the tube
which it is to encircle. The jacket is
then expanded by heat in a hot air fur
mace, and, lifted carefully by means OF
a crane. is placed directly above the
original tube which is perpendicular
md securely held with the breech up
ward. The jacket Is not only heated
to a white heat, but to an almost inn
perceptible dull red. 1t Is allowed to
descend from the crane accurately and
to slip down over the breech end OF
the tube, the expansion OF the heated
metal of the jacket making this move
ment possible, notwithstanding the
E. H. l,-r p~%< 11<N aSlH-
ct is somewhat less than the outside
diameter of the tube when the Jacket is
cool. This process Of putting on the
jacket is one of the most rernarka BILE
pieces Of skilled work that can be done
with machinery. When the jacket Is
finally lowered into its place over the
rear of the original tube, the jacket
fits tightly over the tube and COM
presses 1t as it becomes cool. BY this
operation the tube and jacket are prac-
tical1y combined into one piece.
There are four hoops also bored out
to a diameter slightly less than the re-
spective portions of the gun which
they are intended to encircle, and one
after another they are put in place by
the same process as that used in jack.
citing, the metal cooling and contract
ing. and comprising the inner layers
firmly in it's embrace. The great can.
non is thus thoroughly reinforced and
begins. The first thing to be done
when all the Jackets and hoops are on
is to take the gun from it's upright
position. put it on a lathe and have 1T
turned down over its whole inside to
the finished dimensions necessary to
its completion. When you remember
that each one of these guns weighs
sixty-five tons, you will realize that
the mechanism in the gun foundry
which picks up and lays down and
moves around these immense bodies of
steel must be an approximation OF per-
lection. This work is only rendered
possible by reason of the fact that tho
gun lathes of unique design and un-
limited power; and that the lifting
power OF the crane is limited only by
the horsepower of the steam engines.
One of the immense lathes in the gun
foundry has capacity for boring guns
ffty-one feet in length and of turning
tubes Of f1fty-seven feet, and conse.
qucntly could bore guns of sixteen
inch ca1iber.
! great cranes travelling from one end of
| the big shop to the other, noiseleesly,
smoothly. stretching from one side of
! the ceiling to the other, its little
wheels we'll oiled and not a sound TO
| be heard save when the clankfng
| chains are let down TO cnc1rcle somo
heavy object. The man who stands in
the crane. and is Its engineer and di-
rector. is so high in the air that he
! looks like mere boy. While it may
he true that the hundreds of men be-
low who arc riling. polishing. finish.
ing and perfecting the great gun may
be more scientific. and their work may
be more important. nevertheless, when
you visit the big foundry. YOU will
! carry away with YOU more distinct
raer.,ory OF the man ia tha crane than
Of all tbs stl,e= wonders OF the piae..
/ sATk y. flY,