New-York tribune., 1896-05-31
.rrA1RSIN THE NAVY YARD.
TIE GUNS OF THE INDIANA ARE
REALLY CAPABLE OF.

IMAGINATIVE FLIGHTS TEMPERED BY GUILD A0i'
.xp rrouREs-wHAr IS GOING ON IN CON-
woRK-T1IE LAST OF THE CIIICA-
cos CYLINDERS COMPLETED.
,.,.,.ors at the Navy Yard viii have few
n inspect the Indiana for some time to
c"" .f,er she leaves the yard. and as the work
'0". ensine-room and the few odd jobs under
" .ortrol of the Equipment and Construction
nv .,uents are about finished, and she is
-s,,,ad 10 report to Rear-Admiral Bunce Tor
on June l. 1t is probable that she Will go
w.. % the anchorage off Tompkinsville early
wv wv reak The Indiana has been powerful
W" sermon to those who have carefully studied
- enormous offensive power. and her Dig guns
~, haavv armor, while objects OF much curl
IT,, ~ q great part OF the people who nave
49, % the ward have beer the subject OF good
- stories which should be literally dosed
".,h sal before being taken The statement
'~.. tho Indiana could anchor below Sandy HOOK
-d smash any building in New-York City. whlch
So. been made in apparent seriousness, is an
,.,once Of this sort. For the Indiana TO lie al
obor between the Scotland and SANDY HOOK
uh,shirss and throw a shell to the NeW-1 orh
rtv Hall would mean throwing piece OF steer
-.oich,ng l. 100 pounds a distance or seventeen
-,nss which the 13-inch guns Of the big snip
..nrot do. For the benefit of those who are
.,,-,ous on the subject and the many 10 whom
sr.ct fgures tell their own story the following
50. been compiled from the official documents
covering the points
III. main battery of the Indiana consists OF
.,e-,nch breech-loading rifles, eight S-inch and
,our 6-Inch guns of the same sort the i"-inch
~. mark / have weight of 60la tons, or 13o.-
f,rtI- foot
~ ..o.. diameter of the gun body Is 40 inches
Tbs total length of the bore Is 4o446 inches. ana
i - mart Of tn. bore which is rifed 3aO.46
,.,ss the diameter Of the bore being thirteen
,.ohss from which the gun takes Its name. In
-. r,ainr there are 80 grooves each .413 inch In
.J,,, and .05 of an inch in depth. The length or
.,.aor or shell chamber is SOSS inches. its
a,me.er 155 Inches. and Its cubic capacity
,so,o inches the total cubic capacity of the bore
,.,,y "a Sj7 inches The projectile, which weighs
!, ion nonnds travels 3735S inches in the interior
.,,,s ppn the weight Of powder used in the SER
r,.a beng $50 pounds. developing a chamoer
,r.surs q, Is tons TO the square inch. This pro-
,.o,us leaves the gun with muzzle energy or
% eo7 foot-tons. or force capable OF driving II
Ion o6 66 inches OF steel at the muzZle. It's
u,r,v,e velocity is o 100 feet second. and at
s,.,.rcs of . 800 wards from the muzzle its speed
4, so5 feet IN a second. The projectile with an
ELEVATION 70 the gun OF 80 degrees. VIII travel
J .hop, thirteen miles making the distance IN not
far nom half minute
EIGHT AND SIX INCH GUNS.
The S-inch gun. Mark III. weighs a little more
than 13 tons. or 90 400 pounds is - feet inches
long and has an extreme diameter OF $50 incn.s
II. bore is 29O52 inches long OF which 242''
<ha riA
NJ grooves in the rifng is 80 with a width from
ls5 70 AK Of An irch and depth Of % Of an
inch The chamber Is 45.05 inches long. 30
inches IN diameter. and has a capacity of 3,118
cuh,c inches. the total capacity of the bore being
1554S inches The projectile. which weighs Z'o
rounds. is propelled by a service charge OF loo TO
i1s nounds NJ nowder. travels 24547 inches in the
gun and leaves the muzzle under powder pres
snre ~ IL tons TO the square inch. with velocity
~ OSO feet In a second which In 1900 yards Is
rsdpced 10 161J feet in a second The muzZle
energy which is 7,49S foot-tons. is sufficient TO
pene,rate 1851 inches OF steel The shot VIII
travel at the same elevation given 10 the 13-incA
gun q distance OF about ten miles. taking about
twenty-five seconds IN the flight.
The 6-inch gun weighs 10.S00 pounds. or As
p. tons is 16 feet inches long, and has gross
diameter OF 205O inches 1t Is 1897 iaches long
in the bore 14728 inches Of that length being de-
voted to the rlfing There are "A grooves, .4So TO
4l5 Of an inch in width and 90 of an inch IN
depth The chamber, which Is 1899 inches long
and inches In diameter, has a cubical capacity
Of 300 inches the total capacity of the bore be-
ing 5,595 inches. The projectile. which weighs
100 pounds, Is propelled by service charge OF a
to AZ pounds Of powder, and under the same pres
sure as In the other guns leaves the muzzle with
velocity Of 2, 900 feet second, this speed d.
minshing to .402 feet a second at distance OF
$500 yards. The muzzle energy Is lib foot-tons'
. giving II penetrating power sufficient TO over
come 1927 inches Of steel: its flight. with the ele-
walton previously mentioned. Is about seven miles.
and the time required Is about eighteen seconds
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE SMALLER GUNS.
This dsposes OF the main battery. and the
smaller guns, which include twenty six-pounder
and six one-rounder rapid-fre guns. with four
Gat,ings, are sufficiently designated by their
titles, the figures indicating the weight OF the pro-
jectile and the rapidity OF fire depending on the
skill and endurance OF the men working the guns
. The four thirteen-nch guns, four OF the eight
inch, two OF the sx-inch ten OF the siX-pounders
and four Of the one Founders can be trained on
side and fred at once giving a total broadside
discharge OF twenty-four projectiles with an ag-
wegate weight OF 5464 pounds or more than two
and half tons. with ranges varying from thir-
Z zen TO three miles This does not include the
uscharge from the Gatng machine guns whicn
pour out perfect storm OF small shot and are
useaat close quarters 70 fire down on an enemy
oeck or to rake the deck in case OF boarding
rom these figures 1t will be that the posi-
o'n'y oayessel with no heavier guns than those
carried by the Indiana, lying off Sandy HOOK
ana oonbarding NewYork. does not exist, and
. "nhe the ship Is we'll worth all the encomiums
winch have been lavshed upon her. and Is a
model floating fort. and has officers and crew
@ me highest skill in their lines, enthusiasm
'nouh be tempered by figures and cold facts sub
sdtuted FOR imaginative flights.
CONTRACT WORK BEING DONE RAPIDLY.
@t a little satisfaction has been expressed