The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-04
A NEW WAY OF MAKING BIG GINS
DIR. Calling Proposes 10 Cast an
Eight-Inch RifIed Gun I'm One Piece


From the Springfield Republican.
Ia the course of the present year the
United States government will become
possessed of its first solid cast steel
breech-loading gun, of eight-inch caIiber,
and about % feet In length, says the Hart
ford Times. 1t will be built according to
the plans submitted to congress last year
by DR.. r. ]. Calling Of Hartford, and will
be known as the Calling cast steel cannon.
For twenty-five years the makers of big
guns have constructed them on the 'sbullt
up principle. Starting with long, inner
steel tube, they have surrounded this with
layers Of overlapping steel rings. or with
longitudinal bars of steel tightly wound
with heavy steel wire. The latter method,
which is the more expensive, was adopted
some years ago by the British government,
but wire-wound guns are still in the ex-
perimental stage.
Steel ring guns are made by Krupp at
Essen, by the Creuzot works in France
and by the United States government at
the navy gun factory Ia Washington, ID.
c., and the army gun factory at Water
Vliet. Recently our gun-makers have sue
ceeded in producing l2-inch and i3-inch
cannon, and the latter caliber Is not now
exceeded by any of the European gun
makers. Guns of S-inch and 10-inch
caliber are strong enough and have range
and power enough to be the chief arma-
ment of our ships and of many of our land
forts But the built up" steel gun is a
very expensive product. IL constructed OF
steel rings surrounding a steel core, the
different parts have to be very carefully
made an even more carefully shrunk to-
gether This requires frequent heatings
and coolings, and a very large amount Of
skilled tool work. The government gun
works are enormous establishments and
cost millions of dollars a year to run.
DR.. Calling has been convinced for years
past that 1t was practicable to make a
steel gun In one casting, and not only
to make II fully as strong as the built-up
guns, but 10 make u for much less money.
All the big iron cannon which were In use
at the time OF the war OF secession were
cast guns. For many years after the use
OF steel In gun-making began II was not
thought possible to produce a tubular STEEL
casting such as Is required for a large
gun, whose walls OF STEEL, a foot or more
I'm thickness, could be made solid and hom-
ogeneous DR.. Calling persstenty main
tained that the thing could be done. and
that he knew how to do H. He presented
his arguments TO the ordnance officers Of
the government and to the appropriation
committees Of congress for several years
In succession. Meantime the constant Inn
provementa which were making In the ma
nipulation OF steel and IN the formation OF
alloys rendered the prospects Of success
constantly greater. II rs stated by Dr.
Calling that the Improvements IN casting
steel which have been introduced during
the past eighteen months would have as
sured the success OF his method of gun
casting. " A had not been possible before.
Ills new process provides first for 80 de-
llverlng the molten metal In the mold as
10 guard against the formation OF air
spaces In the metal either numerous or
large, and next a mcthod Of forging the
Interior OF the gun by which the metal
adjacent 10 the core OF the gun Is rendered
very strong and able to Withstand the ire
mendOus preseures 10 which u Ii 20 be
subjected. This ~ a wholly new method
OF construction, and ordnance experts will
watch the results OF the testing OF the
new gun with the greatest interest. II is
worth nothing that the terms under which
the government has made this contract
with Dr. Calling do not require him 10
guarantee the endurance Of the gun or
10 DO anything except 10 construct Il and
submit q ready for testing.
In the appropriations by congress la 1896