The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-26
FIRING a BIG NAVAL GUN.
The Tremendous Force which the
Modern War Vessel Must stand.

From the Philadelphia Times.
There will take place in a very short
time a test which will not only mean
much to the United States navy, but which
will be watched with interest by arma-
ment and naval experts the world over.
It will determine whether or not the firing
of the 13-inch gun CT tina first of Uncle
Sans three battle ships, the Indiana,
will or will not cripple that magnificent
floating fortress. 1t is a matter regard
ing which few people are informed, and
which has, therefore, not attracted pub
lie attention.
The Indiana is now at Newport. r. l..
at the United States government torpedo
station. where she is being supplied with
a full equipment of the famous White
head torpedoes, dreadful missiles of de-
struction which can be elected through
tubes with which the battle ship is pro-
vided Thence in a few days she will
proceed TO Port Royal, S. c.. where she
will he landed high i'm the governments
dry dock. in order that her bottom may
receive a thorough cleansing When
that task has been accomplished she
will Join the United States war squadron
now anchored in Hampton Roads. AS she
approaches Old Point Comfort she will
fire an admirals salute and in return
will be greeted by the entire squadron
with a captains salute. With this sim
pie ceremony she will be installed as part
of the squadron whose ultimate destina-
tion Just now is the subject of much
DISPUTE in diplomatic circles. Her stay
there will be very brief, and from those
waters she will at once proceed to make
an ocean run of forty-eight hours, which
will be the governments test of her va
rious capabilities. During this ordeal, for
the first time in the history of the United
States government. 1S-inch gun will
be fired from a vessel.
Few people understand the seriousness
of this feat Let us first understand what
a thirteen-inch gun is, and the Indiana, by
the way. carries four of them in addition
to a large number of weapons of smaller
calibre. Each OF the thirteen-inch guns
on the Indiana is 80 feet I'm inches In
length--one-half inch less than 40 feet.
Each weighs about sixty-seven tons. Each
fires a solid steel shot or shell thirteen
in length. Each of these weighs 1900
pounds, and is composed of quality of
steel that costs % cents a pound, making
the valuation of each shot exactly $299.
To fire this projectile when in war action
requires the use of 800 pounds of powder.
so that II will readily be seen that each
discharge of each gun costs a pretty pen
ny. With that amount of explosive force
back of il the thirteen-inch gun Will throw
one of these steel messengers of death
to a distance of about twelve miles. or
course, no attempt will be made to strike
a vessel at that distance, because the
shot would then have lost its destructive
force, although at that distance explosive
shells could be thrown into beleaguered
city and cause much havoc. But imagine
a projectile of that sleeve are speaking
now of solid shot-striking the side of a
vessel say, only two miles away. II
would require wonderfully perfect con-
dition of armor to withstand the shock
of the impact.
But the question of cost and the ques-
ton of force do not involve the most seri-
Gus aspect of the trial of the thrteen-inch
gun which will take place in the near
future.
Some time ago the English government
experimental with 13-inch gun on a ship
of the Royal Sovereign class. The name
of 1t is not just now recalled. At the first
firing of the gun the entire upper deck
was lifted from Its position and sprung
along it's entire center, so terrible was
the shock. The Indiana has been specially
equipped to provide against any such dis
aster, and her decks have been construct
ed in such a manner that naval experts
when the 13-inch guns send out their
flaming messages. Naval experts are
agreed, however, that when she is in
action, and the four l3-inch guns are per-
will shatter and destroy every piece of
woodwork and glass in every portion of
the vessel. That is expected and prepared
for, and for that reason the battleship
Indiana is composed almost entirely of
iron and steel. She has been aptly de-
scribed as an enormous floating steel fort
with a ship built around ii for purposes
of navigation. Fully one-half of her could
be shot away and she would still float
and retain her unequaled hghting powers
But 1t is not Uncle Sans wish that this
grand marine monster should have her ex-
terror furnishing wrecked before there is
any necessity for II, and, therefore the
officers VINO Will have charge of the ap-
preaching test, instead of placing charge
or 900 pounds or powder behind one of the
1,SO-pound projectiles, will use only 300
to $50 pounds, and thus, it is hoped that
while they will satisfy themselves as to
the working of the guns they will not
wreck the interior woodwork of the YES