Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-08-15
TESTING A BIC BATTERY.
Mighty ProIeotiles Hurled with
Great Velocity Out to Sea.

Two Neatly Pierce Thirteen and a Hal
Inches OF steel Armor, -Four Feet OF Oak
and Fifteen Feet OF sand = The Ter
Rounds We're Fired in 81 Minutes, De.
Quoting Time to Let Vessels Get Clear.
New York Sun, August sth.
A series Of experiments were con
Quoted yesterday at the Army Ord
nance Proving Ground at Sandy Hook,
N j., under the direction of the Board
OF Ordinance and Fertilization, com.
posed OF Lieut. Gen. j. M. Schofield,
Gen. II. Il. Abbot, Corps of Engineers
Col. Royal I. Frank, First Artillery
Major Frank H. Phipps, Ordnance De.
partment; Mr.. Joseph H. Cultivate,
civilian member, and Capt. j. G.
Ayres, Ordnance Department recorder,
who has had supervision Of the entire
rearmament of the army and our for
tiiications during the seven years Of its
existence.
The tests yesterday were with the ex-
perimental 12-inch gun lift battery,
and while conducted principally TO find
out the rapidly with which the two
modern high power, breech loading
rifles mounted on their lifts could be
operated, were also for the purpose
Of getting data as to the dependence
that may be placed upon Notifications
OF this nature.
Modern high power guns are costly
devices Disappearing gun carriages
can be employed with safety for both
the S-inch and 10.inch modern steel
breech- loading rifles, but the 12-inch
guns are of such huge proportions and
have so tremendous recoil TO be abb
trfha fhnk r. I
appearing carriage has been devised
suitable for them
The modern 8-inch gun costs s15, 600,
~ inch about $50, 900, and 12-inch
gun nearly $50, 600. The high price OF
the l2-inch is one Of the reasons it re-
quires greater protection. 1t is prob
| able, therefore, that the 12-inch guns
viii be mounted on what are known as
gun lifts, Y which are immense masses
OF masonry, nearly an acre in surface
measurements, and, in the case of the
Sandy Hook lift, 80 to 70 feet in height.
In addition to the great pile OF
masonry there are two big steam plants,
including two boilers and four fur.
nacea, engines, and so forth, for operat.
ing the lifts. Each gun lift battery is
provided with two gun lifts for 12-inch
guns. Viewed from the outside the
experimental gun lift battery at Sandy
Hook appears to be a mass of white
concrete, nicely rounded. Inside there
is much ingenious and complicated
mechanism.
The gun is raised and lowered by
hydraulic pressure applied from be.
meath.
On the ground floor with the ma.
chinery are also the magazines, separ.
ated from the engine and boiler rooms
by thick walls. On the floor next
above are the loading chambers, and
to this floor the guns are lowered by
the lifts and loaded out of sight and
danger, behind thickness OF man,
feet OF masonry. When the loading has
been completed the guns are RAISED
to the top of the lift and fred. The
firing is conducted SO that the guns are
loaded and fired alternately, and this
gives continuous firing of about tive
rounds every five minutes, including
time for aiming pieces.
In the experiments yesterday every
thing worked smoothly. The guns ar,
loaded by machinery in the depths o.
tle gun-lift battery with 450 pounds
of powder and steel projectile about
8 feet long weighing 1000. pounds.
Then they were raised to the top of thu
battery, fired, lowered, and loaded
again. Ten rounds were fred in thil
manner in about 81 minutes, after de
Quoting delays due to vessels getting
in the way. This is an excellent RECORD
for the first one and with men but littl,
accustomed to the guns and their ma
chinery.
The conclusion from the firing o
these huge ship destroyers is terrific
Every officer, enlisted man and spec
tator present was compelled to stuff hi
ears with tow and then press this in
with the fingers while the firing was
in progress. Each shot made ever,
man feel as il he had been stung al
over the body at once with nettles.
The significance of the successful
operation Of this battery may be ap
preciated when it is recalled that the
two guns are the only ones Of higt
power mounted, thus far, for the pro
lection Of this city and harbor. The
officers who saw the tests yesterday are
inclined to think that it will be diff.
cult for an enemy's war ship to come
within 10 miles of the Hook without
getting into trouble
| AIter Lne nflng OF III rounds seward,
the board saw two projectiles fired from
a IL inch gun at 1879 inch Bethlehem
steel plate, for the purpose of testing
some Carpenter armor- piercing shell.
Sufficient charge of powder was used
TO give the proiectile, at the short
range used, velocity equal to that il
would have in striking ship about six
miles distant.
The first shot made clean hole in
the plate and buried itself in the SAND
butt, after passing through 1917 inches
OF steel, about 4 feet of oak, and Is feet
Of sand, When dug out of the sane
butt the point of the projectile was as
sharp as pin and not bit damaged.
The second shot also pierced the
plate with a clean hole, but broke in
two about three inches back of The
point where the conical portion ceases.
In the rear end bulge of one inch
was found. 1t extended along sever
or eight inches of the shot Mr.. Gar
pentier, who was present at the test,
while unable to account for the bulg
ing, attributes the breaking up of the
second shot to the fact that this pro.
jectile struck the first shot, which was
still buried in the sand when the sec.
ond was fired.
Methodist Eyangelistio Services.
The board of directora of the Vonno