The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-09-24
UNCLE SANS BIG GUN.
Largest Cannon in the World to be Placed
in New York Harbor.
Will Take Three Years 70 Make-WilI Weigh
About sevcnlyfiv Tons and be Fif'y Feel
in LenCth-A Small Fortune viii be Ex'
pended at Every Shot.

In few years the United States
will own one of the biggest guns in the
world. 1t is to be g inches in diam
eter on the inside and will shoot a
proiectle larger than the body of a
good sized man and weighing over
1900 pounds.
At the war department bids were
opened for furnishing the mount and
the steel forgings necessary before the
gun itself can be built. Some idea of
the size of this gun can be gained
when II is known that it will take
three years of steady work to make 1t.
1t will cost a small fortune and will
consume 500 pounds of powder at a
sngle shot.
The building of this monster gun is
largely an experiment. Ever since
1886 the board which has charge of
Notifications and coast defenses has
urged Congress to set aside enough
money for building a I6 inch gun.
Several foreign countries have such
guns, both for use in coast defenses
and aboard vessels of war. Though
there has been no opportunity to test
them in active warfare, it is claimed
that, Notwithstanding their enormous
size and the force of their recoil when
discharged, the result of their work
will fully warrant their cost and the
necessary danger connected with their
use. A 10 inch gun, when discharged,
is not only dangerous at the muzzle
but at the breech, for the recoil, if not
properly provided for, might sink the
ship, gun and all.
The United States government does
not intend to use this big gun aboard
ship, but it will be placed on one oi
the Notifications in New York harbor
General Flagler, the chief of ordnance
of the army, said that one well direct
ed shot from the 10 inch gun would
destroy or stop any vessel known al
the present time. He says one such
gun in New York harbor would do
more good in case of war than a dozen
guns Of IL or IS inches in size, the
largest now in use by this government
on land or sea. The more conserva.
tive officers of the war department
have recommended until recently the
building OF more IL inch guns, but ii
has been demonstrated within the last
year that Is inch projectile will not
penetrate the armor now used on war
ships unless the shot is especially
favorable.
The argument for the Ia inch CUR
has been that if one shot at a hostile
warship did not do the work, more
shots would, and that the largest yes
sci in the world could not stand {
dozen shots from a I2 inch gun
General Flagler meets this argumen
by saying that while the I2 inch guns
of the United States were pounding
away at a foreign ship the guns or
Loard the vessel would not be idle
and he thinks it wise, therefore to have
gun big enough to do the worI
quickly.
The big gun will weigh about IS
tons and will be about SO feet long ii
the clear, the inside bore or barre
being about 40 feet in length. Tive
miles will be short distance for it.
projectiles to reach, and even at tha
distance they will be skipping along
at speed of 1000 feet every second
The destruction that would be wrough
by 1900 pounds of hardened steel
shaped like mimic ball, going at the
highest speed, can scarcely be i'm
agined.-Chicago Tines HeyaN