The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-06
Tho New 12-1nch Gun Carriage.

The success attending tho Sandy Hook
trials Of Capt. WILLIAM CRoz1ER's disap-
pearing carriage for the 12-inch high-power
rife means much to the work of coast de-
fence. The guns Of this calibre required are
reckoned in hundreds, while their relative
Importance nay be seen from the fact that
while the next lower calibre. the 10-inch.
throws a projectile Of 575 pounds. with
a powder charge of $50 pounds, the 12-
inch shoots q projectile weighing 1000
pounds, driven by q charge of 450 or 47b
pounds. Thus, while the 1O-inch guns will
be exceedingly effective for absolute pro-
lection against the most heavily armored
ships. the 12-inch at many points il indis-
p%ensable.
But thus far, while scores of this heavy
calibre have been built, and arc waiting
for their emplacements or for their car.
riages or both, only q very few arc &C.
tually in position for use, and two Of
them are at Sandy Hook. mounted, not
on disappearing carriages, but or the SUBJ
stitute therefor, known as lifts. These
latter are somewhat slower in operation
and leave the gun somewhat longer ex-
posed to an enemy's aim, and yet, includ-
Ing the armor plates for some of their
classmates, they are moro costly than tho
disappearing system.
Accordingly it can be understood why,
when the s-inch and the 10-inch Buf1nR-
ton.Crozier carriages had been found sue
cessful, the Ordnance Department was In
clined to wait until the system could be ex-
tended to the 12-inch, instead Of resorting
to the less satisfactory and less economical
lifts. During the crisis of the Venezuela
quarrel some fault was found with this
delay, since it was naturally thought bet
ter to have powerful guns mounted for use
on less perfect carriages than not to have
them at all.
However. that crisis has passed. and II
should also be said hat the emplacements
were so far behind that tho lack of disap'
pearing carriages for the 12-inch guns waa
not so urgently felt as 1t would have been
otherwise. But now the way isclear forpro
viding these appliances. as the success OF
this type of carriage is undoubted. Liberal
appropriations for duplicates have beer
made by Congress. and are now available
and with each succeeding session Other
sumo will doubtless be given until all the
12-inch guns are mounted.
The difficulty involved In designing q
disappearing carriage for tho 12-incl
breech-loader was expressed by Secretar!
LAMONT In his last report, when he sale
that such a carriage must endure, withou
breaking or straining, "the tremendou
shock due to the ballistic force necessar.
to propel q ! ,0oo-pound projectile at a We
locity OF 2 100 feet per second, lowering 1t
b2-ton gun for a distance of nearly eigh
feet to a secure position for loading and re
turning it to its firing position" and doin!
this with mechanism which the averag
soldier can easily manage. Putting tn
problem in another form, Mr.. LAMONT sal
it would be like bringing a ~ffty-ton loco
motive and tender. running at a speed O
twenty miles per hour, to a full stop within
a distance of sixteen feet, or one-third o
its length, yet so easily and gently that a
the end Of the motion there sha all not be tn
slightest jar" This problem has just bee
shown to be solved by the tests at Sand
Hook, and the solution must be esteeme,
as of the highest value for the defence G
the coast.