Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-30
NAVAL ORDNANCE
Annual Report Of the Chief of the
Ordnance Bureau
EXPERIMENTS VlTHRAPlD-FIRINGG GUNS
Amor Plate Delivered and That
Yet to Come.
T II E G n F. CTOR Y

Capt. Sampson. chief of ordnance, SUBJ
! nitted his annual report to the Secretary
of the Navy TODAY. He submits estimates
for the next fiscal year aggregating
So. 437 1854, the principal items being 81 49,
G66 for material and labor for a modern
battery for the historic Hartford. for re-
serve guns and torpedoes, and Si,390,204
for TIE armament of vessels now author
lied. He also renews last years estimate
| Of $3OO,OOO for guns for the auxiliary navy.
He says that of the $50 breech-loading
rifles of all calibers-from to l3 inch
thus far ordered 379 have been completed
and 30S are now afloat. No change is
recommended in the system of gun con-
structi Although the English are said
to have put into service wire-wound -
inc h gun of higher power and lighter than
| the old model, Capt. Sampson says the adj
| vantages claimed for it are not sufficient
to warrant the substitution of this or any
other system for cur built-up guns par
| ticularly in view of the many mechanical
difficulties and the long and expensive
experimentation necessary to change
Guns for Wnrships.
The wisdom of the departments decision
in favor of thirteen-;nch guns for the
battle ships is said to have been demonstrate
ed by a test at Indian Head, where one of the
Iowa's side plates, which had proved more
than a match for the twelve-:nch guns, was
perforated by projectile from a thirIeen-
inch gun. Capt. Sampson says no argument
Is needed N support of the statement that
tirst-class battle ship should carry guns able
at least under favorable conditions to pierce
the armor of an opponent of equal size. All
| of the Iowas twelve-inch guns are practi
cally completed. leaving no more of this cali
Der to be made. All of the tel Inch guns
authorized have been finished The eight
he no
Ign have been delayed by failure TO secure
proper forgings. The e!ght-lnch nick el-steel
gun is also delayed by stuck jacket, await
ing a change in the heating furnace. Capt.
Sampson says the Hurst method has been
tested and found practically worthless. il is
proposed to convert all of the SiX-inch guns
in service into rapd-fire guns soon
possible. Attention is again called to the
necessity of having a reserve supply of guns
of all calbers. and it is recommended that
| their number be at least ten per cent of those
already authorized.
Powder Tests.
No satisfactory powder has yet been
cured for the thi-teen-inch guns, SO the
requirements to velocity have been re-
| duced to 1000 feet per second. with fifteen
ton pressure. This fact Is believed to
demonstrate the importance of developing
the smokeess powder.
The experiments so far made at the tor
pedo station IN this line have resulted in
developing an absolutely uniform pow der,
but time must elapse before it's keeping
qualities can be known. Meantime it is
being served out for six-inch guns On the
North Atlantic squadron. FOR the naval
small arms extensive tests nave shown
that the bureaus pure gun cotton powder
has no superior. and orders will be placed
with the powder companies in the near
future. Hydraulic turret gun carriages
have been adopted for nearly all our ships
based on the highly gratifying perform
Monterey
At sea and under service conditions the
ten-inCh guns were fired at the rate of two
and three-quarter-minute rounds and the
tWelve-inch guns at the rsAe of four minute
rounds The serious problem of sighting
guns accura tely has been solved by means
of simple telescope sight, which will be
fitted to all OF our large guns.
Armor and Acknowledging Shells.
Success having attended the effort to pro-
cure S-inch forged steel shells, it is pro-
posed to develop a similar type of semi
armor piercing shells for each caliber, and
if one and three powder steel shells can be
procured, it is proposed to entirely abandon
the use of cast iron projectiles.
During the year 5,111 tons of armor, 4,SG1
tons being Harveyized, were delivered, and
that remaining, though the most difficult
al tedious to manufacture, will be as
suredly delivered by the Carnegies before
February l next, and by the Bethlehem
upon the speed with which the plans are
supplied by the ship builders.
With increased plants under way and
improved processes of manufacture, the
1909 tons of armor required for the new
battle ships and 6 can be supplied in less
than one year after receipt of plans. Tn
der this head Capt. Sampson points to the
TACT that though the number of ship build
ing rms in this country is now large the
armor plant factories ara limited and TO
provide against the emergency of war, he
& hat t1,a
new ships be regular and continuous A
strong argument is also made against the
proposition to allow shipbuilders to contract
for supplying ships with their armor. on the
ground that it would tend TO break down
the armor makers ard place them at the
mercy OF the shipbuilders.
No Unreasonable DELAY.
The charge of unreasonable delay in sun
plying armor is fully met by Capt. San,n
son. He reviews the magnitude and dificuI
ties of the past undertakings and asserts
that the enterprise and vigor of the mann
1acturers Is worthy of praise rather than
censurc.
Naval Gun Factory
The naval gun factory has remained un-
der the direction of Commander Theo. T.
Jewell U. S. n.
The approaching completion of the guns
for the ships thus far authorized has rem
dered it necessary to gradually reduce the
number Of workmen employed in the gun
shops until any further dim mutton will COM
pei the discharge of men whose experience
in this line of work renders them invalu-
abe. 1t will also soon be necessary, under
existing conditions. to largely reduce the
force in the gun-carrage shop. For this,
as well for reasons heretofore stated
the bureau urges that appropriations be
made at the coming session of Congress for
reserve guns and for guns to arm the aux
iliary cruisers. The bureau approves the
recommendation of the superintendent O:
the naval sun factory that the old foundry
be renode.ed, and has inserted in its esti-
mates an item for the cranes, cupolas
blowers, and other appliances necessary for
a modern foundry.