The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-09-24

( AGOO4NSN AS@ 0OCSN ~
nearly completed. 1t cost several mil
lions. An immense sewer is being
built from near the White House to
the Potomac river. It is large enough
to drive a team through. Years of
work and millions of money have been
spent on this, and the object is to carry
off the surface rain water that falls
around the White House. Seems to
me that it is about on par with the
bond business.
The Washington Navy Yard is the
most interesting spot about the city.
It is fitted up with the latest improved
and best machinery for making guns
for land and water defence. The name
would imply that war ships are built
here, but it is not true. The manufac
ture of cannors is the leading industry;
the ships are built at the various other
navy yards. There IL as much differ
ence in the modern cannon and the
product of a hundred years ~ as
there is between an old stage coach and
the finest vestibule train of to day.
The Gatling guns, using cartridges,
and capable of being fired several hun
dred times a minute, are for actual
battle at close range. They are not
made here, however This factory
turns out great steel cannon fifteen,
twenty, thirty and forty feet long, to
be used on steel clad wal boats and for
harbor defence, A modern war ship
has an armor Of Harveyized steel Gov
ering the entire hull, from ten to
twenty inches in thickness. No ordi-
nary cannon ball will penetrate that at
close range. All the leading nations
are constantly increasing the thickness
of the armor plate and the size of their
cannon. Where will it all end7
I saw them finishing an immense
cannon. It was forty feet long and
two and a half feet in diameter at the
breech, and weighed 40 tons. 1t will
require $50 pounds of the best powder
for each charge, and this will throw a
ball, or rather a conical shaped steel
prOjectile weighing a thousand pounds,
fifteen or twenty miles, with terrific
folca The entrance to the harbors at
New York, Boston, and some other
large coast cities are now guarded with
forts and a liberal supply of these great
guns. No fleet of ships yet constructed
can pass the mouths of these monster
DoaohSnr oF 1oo&~v,nfiOn
The method of manufacture lie simple
yet wonderful. The cannon of bygone
days were of iron or brass cast into
shape. The modern gun is made of
the best steel though soft, as an ordi-
nary rife barrel A steel shaft is made
the required length and a little over in
size. Great steam derricks are used to
handle them with and it is done with
out trouble. The shaft is bored out
with a machine. Then the hollow
shaft is placed in a great turning lathe
and the outside is treated exactly as
the chair, maker turns an ordinary
straight chair-post, the lathe knives
doing the work. Then other steel
tubes, two or three in number, each
being a little larger than the other, but
not so long, or as large on the inside as
just to the right heat, fitted on the
main tube while expanded by heat.
As they cool ard contract they are
closely watched, and just at the right
ronnonnf omo 00N1o1 houInn annfro nto6
until they fit the inner tube almost as
closely as if it were a solid piece of
steel. These tubes are generally from
two to three inches thick, owing to the
size of the gun, and while the muzzle
may not be over twelve inches in diam
eter, the tubes are put on until the
diameter at the breech may be twenty
or thirty inches, this beingneces-
sary on account of the terrific ex-
pic sion that takes place when the gun
is fired. Then the gun is placed in a
steel frame and the inside is rihed as
delicately as the finest rifle barrel, all
being done by machinery. After this
| the cannon is hardened and the ma
! chinery at the breech is attached,
which includes a compressed air ma
chine to catch the rebound when the
gun is fired.
Hundreds of men are employed and
they must be the best steel workers.
After all, these guns may never be
needed; we hope not, at least. War
is not essential, and can be avoided.
But it is wonderful to contemplate the
progress that is being made in prepare,
tions for warfare, and it is safe to say