The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-01

There will be war time activity in
tie great gun factory in Uncle Sam $
navy yard at Washington when GER
tain bill now before congress passes
through the usual avenues OF red tape
and becomes a law. There is little
doubt that It viii be favorably passed
upon in the senate. the house and by
the president, although it calls for the
enormous expenditure of $S7,0O0.O0O dur
ing the next ten years. or in shorter
time, if the emergency should arise.
A complete system of coast fortifica-
lions is the object Of the bill, or. in
other words. the making Of large guam
titles Of modern guns and mortars.
Few people have an idea Of what the
building Of one of these great guns re-
ally amounts to. A dozen years ago
a well equipped factory could turn out
cannon of the largest size then in use
at a rapid rate. but nowadays it is q
different matter. This can be easily I'M
derStood by a visit TO the big gun
shops in the Washington navy yard.
There all the big guns used in the war
ships of the navy are turned out
Eight hundred skilled workmen are
employed all the time in the buildings,
which cover nearly a dozen acres. Yet
this enormous plant and the regiment
of skilled mechanics cannot keep pace
with the building of the new war
ships. Each new vessel has invariably
been kept waiting for its armament
and all the time the cities along the
ten thousand miles Of coast have been
pleading for modern guns and NOR
tars. 1t has been necessary to neglect
their defenses TO equip the war ships.
but when the new bin becomes a law
come wonderful engagements will have
to be made in the facilities for turn
ing out heavy ordnance to meet its re
Quirements-
A EERCULEAN JOB.
The magnitude of the task which con-
fronts the ordnance board can be I'M
derstood from the fact that the bill
calls for the making of 677 high cali
her guns and S24 moTtars of modern
construction, exclusive Of those re-
o11ired for new war ships These guns
and mortars will be apportioned among
uJwenty-four cities. At the present time
the modern coast defeuseS of the ma
ton consist of two 12-inch guns and
sixteen 12-inch nortars at New York,
one Pinch gun and sixteen 12-inch
rnortars at San Francisco ard sixteen
Pinch mortars at Boston, or total
of three guns and forty-eight mortars.
This is all that could be turned out for
the defenses although an gppropria-
ton Of $10,610,0OO has already been
made for additional guns.
WHERE THEY WILL GO.
The cities which win get most of the
e77 guns and S24 mortars are New York,
San Francisco, Boston, all the lake
Philadelphia, Washington, Portland,
Me, Rhode Island ports in Narragan-
sett Bay, West Charleston, Mobile, New
London, Savannah, Galveston, Port
land. Ore. Pensacola, Wilmington, N.
Q, San Diego, Portsmouth, n. H, New
Bedford, Mass, New Haven, and at
Fort Popham on the Kennebec river,
at Fort Knox on the Penobscot river,
a. Fort Clinch on Cumberland sound.
and for the defenses of Puget sound.
It is proposed to give New York
ninety three guns Of various calibers
and 176 12-inch moT-tars. These guns
win be principally OF the largest cali
Der manufactured for the army. Phil
sdelphia win be protected with sixteen
guns and sixteen mortars and Boston
with forty-three guns and 12S mortars.
Sam Francisco will have eighty-eignt
guns, or nearly as many as New York,
and IA Inortars. Washington will de-
pend on thirteen guns and eight NOR
Ears.
How big the building and how large
the force Of men necessary to carry out
the provisions Of the $s7,ooo,000 bill, Is
question which the ordnance officials
have not settled. The present gun fac
tory is $50 feet long and $50 feet wide.
The men do not work separately, as
in most factories. because everything
IS entirely different from the average
mechanical Shop. Some of the tools are
$50 feet in length and ITO manipulate
them many trained hands are required.
A tool Of this kinda lathe--is used for
boring and turning a gun weighing
2e9, 600 p,Gnds. 1t is said to be the
largest lathS in the world, as it can be
used ON 1e-iuch guns. Such a gun Is
1867 feet in length. and the length of
the bore IS $50 inches. For a single
charge it requires 1850 pounds of pow.
der. and throws a projectiie weighing
2, $40 pounds. At short range It would
penetrate gs.s inches Of solid steel. and