Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1897-10-21
OUR GREAT GUN FACTORY.
The Washington Foundry, Where
Heavy Ordnance Is Made,

The Washington Foundry, Where
Heavy Ordnance Is Made.
The Washington gun foundry is one
of the landmarks of the national cap
ital. Inasmuch as it is there that all
the high-powered guns and their
mounts for the equipment of our mod
ern ships of war are manufactured, it
in these days of wars and rumors of
war. Originally established as a-navy-
yard for the construction and repair of
warships. it was long since abandoned
as such. and is now devoted almost eX-
c.usive,y to the manufacture of guns
and ordnace materials. The entire gun
plant and arpurtenances have cost
about 100000 and are believed to be
fully equal to the demand of the times
in supplying the new navy with guns
equal in power and efficiency to those
supplied to the leading navies of for
eign powers.
The gun shop is filled with the most
powerful and approved machinery for
turning. boring, riting, jacketing and
otherwise finishing the immense rifles
required for modern battleships, rs
well as the smaller rapid-fre guns.
which form such an important part of
the secondary batteries of the cruiser
gunboats. and, in fact, all vessels Of
war. The largest lathe in the shop.
commonly called the sixteen lathe"
e., II ~
teen inches in diameter of barrel, forty
eight feet seven inches long, and weigh
ing 40 tons. This size has been found
too large for practical use, however
and the largest guns made for the navy
are of but thirteen-inch caliber.
The lathe which is used for boring
the interior of these guns is about 113
feet long and cost nearly SlOO,OUO
Smaller lathes are used in the case OF
the smaller guns. Travelling over these
lathes, forty feet from the ground, is
an immense crane. capable OF raising
and carrying from one lathe to another
a dead weight Of 125 tons. In the CEN
ter Of this building is the shrinking pit.
in which are located furnaces for heat
ing the jackets and hoops for use In
shrinking the gun tubes. These FUR
naces are heated to between 600 and
700 degrees, the heating power being
naphtha oil with an air blast.
A separate building is devoted to the
manufacture of gun mounts and car
riages and is provided with the latest
and most approved machinery, as is
also the projectie shop nearby, in
which shells are made and finished.
There are many historic relics in the
museum and other buildings at the
ward which the Waterman in charge
will show with an ill-concealed display
of pride and patriotism. The two old
fashioned cannon mounted on either
side of the avenue near the entrance
were captured from the Tripolitans by
Capt. Stephen Decatur In 1904.
Near the east door Of the gunshop Is
the original Long Tom" used with
such success by Capt. Samuel {. Reid
on the brig Gen. Armstrong in his new
err to be forgotten engagement with the
British feet at Fayal on Sept. 26, 1914.
This gun was presented to the United
States by the Portuguese Government
a few years ago. and formed part Of
the naval exhibit at the Worlds Column
bian Exposition. In the rear of the
commandments office is gun park,
where are displayed trophies captured
during the war of the revolution, the
war Of 1912, the Mexican war, and war
of the rebellion.-New York CONNER
cial Advertiser.