The sun., 1895-05-26
GUNS, ARM0R. AND SHIIS.
An Experimental Turret The Substitute
for Ceiiuiose-The New Bnttie ships.


| for Ceiiuiose-The New Battle ships.
| WASHINGTON, May 24.-Tho interesting prof.
| Get of building up one. sixth of an nrmorcd tur.
ret about rs 1T is on n vessel and testing il bal.
listicaly, owes it's suggestion to the Chief OF the
| Ordnance Bureau. 1t will be likely to convey
| Information on several disputed points. Tie
framework of tic turret will lie sct up nj indian
| Head, and l5-inch plate. which has already
passed group OF turrct armor for the Massa-
chusetts, by receiving two 10-nch shots with
ont cracking. will have behind it a backing Of
| eight inches of oak and hve-eigh,hs of nn men
OF steel. IL has happened in nctual construction
according to staternents made. that the arnor
prepared for turrets or barbettes has sometimes
failed to cover the entire backing by u lew
lncnes. ana that the gap nus had 10 le lillrd up
with u specially prepared wedge. II i, believed
that this wedge Will remain III place, as ii Is
mental turlet may show something on that
lnn'. ana, IN general. will test the effect Of
heavy shots un regular backing.
II me materin! tor cclluiose made from
the pith OF lnu!an corn stalks. as u substitute
Tor the cocoa nGre III use n,.herto. tuiils eA-
pottatnn. 1t VIII he an lmI,ruvelnenL III several
ways. The ground fibre OF the coconnut now
used is sau 10 nave owed Its selection to the uc-
cident OF French practice with gun lire upon .
the material being then noted. In preparing 1t,
lac Hlutinuus products, are extracted. U,I .hen
it is mixed in proportions Of about 10 oi tho
ground meal to OF cocoanut librc. II is COM
pressed into LrIqucttes for packing in the COM
partInents. In order 10 prevent it rom coming
INTO direct contact with the steel Ilating i
coating OF paint containing much oxide Of
Besides ceiuiose there is another watcr-ex-
cluulns material called wGodltr, The iI.Nentit n
Of Capt. WOOD, which has been used 10 Eng
Land One trouble Is that OF cost. That or ceilu.
made Tor It's introduction into our navy, about
S'oo per ton. wn!ie thiIl of woWite was given
At A. that ,ns as a"ou, ss WIN, The cost q
seem to he stated. nut C,rtuiniy the original
material Is not very expensive in this country.
Ii, il IN rf,Ss is hut
OF having mach less density than the ceilu.ose
made o! ,..o"nut husk. and tins would imply
TINT its we:nh. IL prOOrtiOnateiy less. 1t is also
said to be inconuustble. Tho cocoanuu ceilu.
lose, lose VIII sonet;nts smonldsr and. when not
compressed, it ls difhcult to lignt it or make it
Sme Sar s1 s m iba Whs dap i 9annoa ne
wholly safe. Yet II The curn>laik celluloss Will
no. burn even when dry, it is still better.
stance there Is very little doubt. III one expuri-
ment, to which efeience has been made u box
six-punder gun, i've In II circle OF only abnut
eight lncnes diameter. while the SIKH was apart.
was allowed, and after three hours no water had
come lhrouGh the cellulose which was three
made the water had only penetrated about Il
loot. Ot course there are other qualities To 10
the cellulose may not be injurious to health.
IL looks now as II the long discussion relating
ships had been ended. Instructions have Lern
issued, requiring the drawing up OF plans in nc
with views entertained BY tho
Ordnance Bureau. 1t will be remembered tlut
CHIEF Constructor lichhOrn WAS iOr limiting
Tue largest calibres III the new h ps = inches,
Ike the lowa's. whereas Commodore Sampson
recommended l3-lnch guns. like those earned
IN the India class. Tho rule in the new
Er',i,h ships Is not to employ larger than ~
inch guns. and the reasons on which that DE-
clsloh whs reached were practically admitted IN
the case o: our own iowa. If that culiDre vii
40 the work required, there is not only II saving
OIL weight, but, what is more important greater
rapidly OF fire than with the l3-iuci i}ut
recent armor trails ut Indian Head have demon
strated the extraordinary resisting cupauItl OF
HarreyiZcd plates, and direct COMPARISON be-
tween l2-inch and l3-inch guns has shown The
great superiority OF the latter, not 80 much in
DEED; In penetrstiye as IN smashing effect. Inc
neaVy shock has been deemed u great advall-
tage Tor the l3-uch guns, and they are adopted.
second point carried by the Bureau OF Ord
nance Is ,tiii more striking. This is the idea VI
superposing the turrets of the S-nrh guns
upon those OF the l3-inch, uniting them firm
~ US 10 form common structure. AT first
this idea was opposed from It's extreme novelty,
and doubts seem also to have been entertained
as TO whether the stability of the vessel would
not be uniarorably affected by it. But these
doubts seem TO have been removed, and the
OBVIOUS advantage OF the new arrangement in
saving weight and space and allowing greater
protection for the ammunition tubes OF the D.
inch guns has been deciaiye