New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-08
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
n1s.ppEAR1NG rURRErs IN ACTION AND LOWERED.


rraors for aronning the gun into II will be found.
although there may be room for difference OF opih-
ION as 10 the character OF these means. lie then
taking the turret in the lowered position removing
the surrounding armor OF the barbette ana putting
il on the turret. converting the system INTO U'c
regular turret. concludes that there may De gam
in the rapidly OF fire. together with an increase VI
protection and saving of weight
Mr. Hobson dlsposes OF the idea OF changing me
armor from the turret TO the barbette ana u'e
consequent change In the protection aIloiued -
the gun by saying: Opposing bat'le-ahips are
destined in the course OF engagements 10 come
into close proximity with each other. and 1t IS at
these critical periods tina; protection Will be over
matched by the weapons Pointing VIII require only
a short time, and the disappearing guns won'd DE
only a short time in the raised POSITION Win '"e
possibility o, this time being made to occur more
or less when the enemy's guns are not ready LOT
firing: while. the other hand, during the com
paratively long period OF loading which may ex-
tend after firing beyond the period OF exposure
they will enjoy the protection OF additional a''hor
and invisblity. In the critical periods OF passage
at close quarters this additional protection Is OF
precious value At such short ranges speclai
targets will be selected. and their selection VIII
play an important role in the issue The maximum
protection In the proposed system Is thus seriously
greater than the constant protection OF the prese"
system and Is best available at the most critical
moments, when weapons overna'ch af"oi' anu
fire becomes accurate.
WHERE THE GAIN IS MADE
"In view OF this greater maximum protection
afforded by the system. and in view OF the fact
that the minimum protection, occurring wnen the
the guns are in the raised position, overmatches the
bulk Of attacking weapons. while the time OF eA-
posture to weapons by which it is overmatched can
be regulated at will to correspond to the PROB
ability of being HIT it becomes clear that the mean
effective protection OF the system Is superior TO the
overnatched by attacking weapons al critical mo-
ments of passage close quarters ana WHICH, on
the other hand, by virtue Of nordinate weight over
matches out Of all proportion the weapons by which
II is likely to be struck at moderate ranges mus
for protection well as for weight, the advantage
lies with the proposed system
In regard TO the question OF the rapidly OF fire.
Assistant Constructor Hobson shows ION the
assumption Of perfected mechanism, me disappear
ing property superposed would be practlcaiIy ihde-
pendent of the service OF the gum except in the re-
ouirement involved by single position for disap-
nearing necessitatng turning process which is
RAPID and precise. and could be rendered to a GER
tain degree automatic. II desired. and the time
passed in the lowering position could be regulated
by the mind In charge. When then. the greater
protection Of the lowered position IS utilized to It's
greatest extent the guns descending after each
round and when at the time. the greatest
execution with the guns is sought the lowered po-
sition be made to correspond TO the necessarily
inert period Of the guns. causing only small re-
duction In the rapidity Of fire."
CHARLES H. CRAMPS VIEWS.
Captain Crozier having assumed that perfected
mechanism would be forthcoming. Mr.. Hobson
peats the grave difficulties set forth in the paper
THE Disappearing Gun Afoat." abstract Of
which appeared in The Tribune recently, and in
his views he is sustained by Charles II. Cramp
Captain Compton Bracebridge and Naval Con-
structor Croneau Mr. Cramp saying: THE prin-
clpal and possibly insurmountabe. mechanical
difficulty in adapting any disappearing system to all
around naval USE irrespective OF sea conditions IS
that of assuring proper function OF the mechanism
In all the different planes presented by the ships
motion in a seaway. Any properly designed and
constructed disappearing gun-carriage will operate
well when the line OF recoil is perpendicular to the
plane of the fixed base. in shore mounts but
do not know Of any other device which would
insure proper action OF the supporting levers and
the mechanism controlling them, when gun is
fired say. directly forward with the ship at an
angle Of heel such TO throw a preponderating
weight on one lever 1t has been suggested that
heavy gun guides In arc form might be fitted to
take the sidewise thrust in such cases. but until
such a device shall have been worked out and
tried no reliable opinion can be formed to Its
adequacy"
Naval Constructor Croneau writes; The ,cbJec-
to the adoption Of disappearing guns are o. the
serious kind and refers to b the kaah
short the adoption OF the disappearing gun on yes
sells Of war although IN sp pes to be-
especially suited to vessels armed with heavy guns
reduced target to h 0stssa Of 1so
ing ramships. will be changed into monoas ~, afraid
Captain says be d dm wa
rather by the naval architect than by the gun,
sSnH sas4 disaoDsaTinS turrsts can b made use Of