Evening star., 1896-10-29
THE GUN FOUNDRY
Work That Has Been Done at the
Washington Navy Yard.
ORDNANCE WHOLLY OR PARTLY MADE
Improvements on Buildings and
Plant Recommended.
TIL E A NUAL REPORT

In his annual report Capt. Chas. O'Neill.
superintendent Of the naval gun foundry
at the Washington navy yard. gives a de-
tailed statement of the operations of that
local institution. He says that the manu-
facture of guns has been confined almost
exclusively to those of eight-inch caliber
and below. OF the larger calibers, two
twelve-inch and one ten-inch, incomplete at
date of last report, have been completed.
The forgings for the eight thirtecn-inch
guns of the Kearsarge and Kentucky are
being delivered. Two complete sets have
been received, and parts of other sets. One
gun Is well under way and good progress
Is being made on the other forgings. The
four completed twelve-inch guns for tho
Iowa are still at the yard. One has been
proved and the other three will soon go to
the proving ground. OF ten-inch guns one,
the So-calleu Hurst gun, has been COM
pleted during the year.
Or eight-inch guns seventeen have been
completed within the past twelve months,
sixteen of them being for the Brooklyn and
eight more guns Of this caliber to be made,
namely. those for the Kentucky and Kear-
sarge, and work upon them is advancing
rapidly The eight-inch nickel steel gun,
designed to be built of three forgings, TO BIO
assembled with the Sellers furnace, re-
mains in an unfinished state. An attempt
was recently made. under the direction of
MIR. Sellers representative, to remove the
tube, but resulted in failure. The Brook
lynS elShe-inch guns have been shipped to
Cramps shIpyard to be installed on the YES
sell Those for the Iowa are complete and
are being proved.
Six-inch guns-One of the Chicago's 30
caliber SiX-inch guns has been converted
into rapid-tlring gun with the Fletcher
type of breech mechanism, and has been
fired several times.
Five-inch guns-Within the past twelve
months fourteen guns of this caliber have
been completed and thirty-four more are
assembled and In a very advanced state
Four-inch guns-Thirty-seven have been
completed during the past year. and twen-
ty-four moro are in an advanced state.
There are fifteen others In process Of manu-
facture. less advanced.
Three-inch guns-Forgings for fifty three
iLch field guns have been received The
first three guns have been completed and
the type gun tested. Work on the remain
ing guns is well advanced they all beins.
rified and chambered.
Unless other forgings are soon pro-
cured, says Commander O'Neill 'there
will be lack of work for a considerable part
OF the gunshop machinery"
Rcpairs and improvements,
On the subject of repairs and improve
ments he says:
"The alterations to be made to the foun-
ton Of the building is dismantled, and our
facilities for the present are much crippled
This department has prepared the speci-
fications for new cupolas and blowers. elec-
trio crane and runway, jib cranes eleva-
Tors, etc, and the articles required have
been advertised for.
The alterations to the northwest corner
or the gun carriage shop are also in prog
ress and necessitated the abandonment Of
that part of the building until the improve
rnents are completed. All the machinery
had to be removed and the most important
erected temporarily elsewhere, very much
cvercrowdtng some of the shops.
The toOl-making machinery has been re-
moved and set up in a small building form
erly used as projectile shop, which makes
satisfactory and permanent arrangement
considerable saving in power has been
effected by new connections of shafting
etc, and by making additional steam con-
nect1ons to the main boiler plant. The boil
er power has been economical to a conslG-
cradle extent. resulting In large saving of
fuel.
THE average monthly working force has
been S231a.
"A building for the stowage of finished
guns and mounts is greatly needed, there
being at present no provision for such pur-
pose. Both guns and mounts are too costly
and too subject to injury to be left in the
gun park, and guns and mounts for auxil-
larry cruisers and for reserve for the navy
must be property stored and cared for
Data for such a building have been pre-
pared and submitted to the bureau of yards
and docks.
"A suitable loft for the stowage Of pat
terms is also needed, and this also has been
brought to the attention of the same bu-
reau. e-~
ITO keep pace with new work and with
the march of improvement, a moderate sum
Is needed annually for the purchase of new
machinery and TOOLS"