The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-21
GREAT GUN ON THE BLUFF,
TWelve-Inch Army Rifle Fired
for the First Time on
This Coast.
A DEEP, PROLONGED ROAR
The Thousand Pound ProIectile
Made a Beautiful Ricochet
on the Ocean.

On the bluff above Fort Point yesterday
the new Pinch ritied breech-loading army
gun was fired for the first time on the
Pacific Coast. distinguished company
OF military men and quite a bevy of the
ladies OF the post assem- bled to observe the
test. Among the officers attending were:
Colonel George III. Mendell, chief of en-
ginee-s on the Pacific; General William
M. Graham, General Samuel B. M. Young,
Preside; Colonel Lawrence s. Rabbit
and Lieutenant o. M. Lissak, Benicia
Arsenal; Lieutenant Joseph E. Kuhn,
Engineers; Lieutenant ]. Franklin Bell,
A. D. G. staff of General James w. For
syth; Captain Roberts, Fifth Artillery;
Captain OConnell, First Infantry; Captain
Crabb, Fifth Artillery; Lieutenant Lands,
First Cavalry; Lieutenant Potter. Engi-
neers; and many others of the Fifth
Artillery, First Infantry and Fourth
Cavalry. Congressman Samuel G. Hill
born of the Oakland District and Captain
Turner, Company d of the Naval Reserve,
were also interested spectators.
The experimental firing was under the
general direction of Colonel Rabbit of the
ordnance department, Benicia, but was i'm
medlately supervised by Lieutenant Lissak.
The purpose was to test the explosive
force of Santa Cruz powder and ten shots
were to have been fired, but only two were
discharged.
In order to measure the initial velocity
of the proiectile. one upright wire screen
was placed on the line of fire 125 feet dis
tant from the muzzle of the gun, and 125
feet further along another screen was
placed. An electrical apparatus connected
the wires OF each screen with chrome
graph, and magnet was to register the
time when the projectile hit the first
screen and also the time when it hit the
second. The registration was not effected
as the blast from the muzzle of the great
gun knocked down the first screen before
the flight Of the projectile began.
For the first test the muzzle of the can
non was elevated two degrees, and the
shot aimed to strike the bluff at Lime
Point on the Marin shore at a spot some
400 yards west OF the fog signal station.
1000 pounds, was propelled by the COM
bustion of 400 pounds of brown prismatic
powder.
When everything was ready the officer
in charge, Lieutenant Lissak, motioned
for the group of spectators to move back
100 feet or SO. The report of the explosion
was deep and prolonged roar rather than
sharp and powerful detonation. The
conclusion where the spectators stood was
not at all great, but the boards of a shed
fifty feet at right angles from the muzzle
were torn away, and the door of the maya
zine was wrenched When the gun is IN
position, pointing directly across the
channel, the muzzle does not extend be-
yond the parapet line, hence the terrible |
conclusion at the magazine door.
The noise OF the great projectile rushing
through the air could be distinctly heard |
and after the lapse of few seconds
cloud of dust at the foot of the Lime Point
bluff indicated where the shot struck |
The officers in charge of the firing ex-
amined the recoil register and found that
the strain on the gun carriage apparatus
was not perceptible. A leaking of neutral |
oil was found in the cylinders where the |
liquid is placed as rebound cushion |
This leakage was due to imperfect packing, |
and it will be necessary to draw off the oil |
before proper repacking can be effected.
AT the suggestion of Colonel Mendell the |
gun was swung around so that the muzzle |
pointed seward when the second test was |
made. The piece was then depressed five |
degrees 10 test the strength of the bolts |
and the stability of the platform. The |
charge Of powder was increased to 425 |
pounds. At the signal the gun was fired. |
Before the reverberation of the tremen-
dous roar subsidized the massive projectile |
struck the water 500 yards from shore,
throwing column like beautiful geyser |
to the height of 100 feet. A few seconds |
later the projectile in ricochet struck the |
ocean on true line 1000 yards further out.
Close examination of the platform and |
carriage indicated that everything stood |
firmly in place. The recoil force touched |
the bumpers, passing the 4S-inch mark of |
the first shot.
The tests will be concluded, going up to
the maximum charge of 480 pounds, when |
the cushion cylinders have been repacked.
At the next test a further depression of |
two degrees will be made, and then the
gun will be elevated for a long-distance
shot out to sea.
The gun is IS feet inches in length and |
weighs 81 tons.