The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-31
A BIG GUN ron THE NAVY.
II Is 20 BE Tested with the Highest
Explosives known 20 Modern War

From the New York Sun.
Washington, Jan. 1s-The most power
| full piece of ordnance every manufactured
In this country has just been completed
at the Washington gun foundry, and Will
soon be in position at the Indian Head
! proving station, where 1t is proposed 10
/ give 1t such trial as perhaps no gun
/ in the navy has yet been subjected to.
/ There Will be great danger attending the
tests, for 1t Is proposed to fire from this
new gun the highest explosives known to
modern warfare. The gun has been built
with the object of experimenting with all
high explosives, except dynamite, that the
inventors may think can be carried in
shells sent from rlfled guns, and the aus
thoritles have made the walls of the piece
unusually heavy in order to guard against
possible serious accident In event OF pre-
mature explosion before the projec5ile
leaves the piece. In all respects except
ing the bore the gun In 13-inch rifle, the
caliber being that of a i2-inch piece. 1t
has all the Steel the same weight OF
Jackets ana other heavy parts of a 1S-inch
gun, and could not be distinguished from
one by comparison. After the tests are
completed the gun, IL 1t stands them with
out strain, Is to be converted into a i3.ineh
gun at the factory here by boring our an
additional inch, which 1t will be placsd
on one Of the battleshlps now building.
The manufacture of this piece was be-
gun about nine months ago in accordance
with provision in the last naval appro-
priatiOn bill, authorizing $4,000 for test
Ing high explosives in modern guns. For
years the navy has known that 1t can fire
gunpowder In modera tely thick projectiles
and that the wallis Of these shells need not
y" thicker than Is necessary to penetrate
eight or nine inches of the best armor
plate. But some of the ordnance ex-
perts believe that gun cotton and per-
haps other forms Of high explosives are
superior to powder and propose deter-
mining the whole question with the gun
just finished
Some years ago the naval ordnance bu-
reau, under Commander Folger, made
come interesting tests with bag contain.
ing 200 pounds of dynamite hung within
half an inch Of a steel plate representing
a portion of vessels side, and the effect
produced could scarcely be noticed. Yet
1t was estimated at the time that had this
amount Of dynamite gone off inside of a
vessel IL would have demolished things
pretty generally. Another test with the
same amount of dynamite was made by
placing the bag on an armor pate and fir
ing the explosive. The effect this time
was to cause the plate to bend In, but
stll not sufficiently to have done any se-
rious harm had 1t been on a ships side
Naval officers have no doubt that mod
ern rined guns are just as efficient throw
ers of high explosives as the pneumatic
guns at oAhuN AioOh, winch nave q range
OF not over two miles, but that the chief
danger Is in the detonator being disturbed
in the flight of the proJectile and cause
prema ture explosion. Explosives that are
to follow impact, they say. can be fired
readily but It seems TO be the impression
that what the navy wants Is a project'le
carrying a high explosive that can pierce
armor before the charge goes of. For
this reason II is contended, a time fuse
prOjectlle must be used, and TO get one
that won't fire up too promptly Is what
the navy proposes discovering with the new
gun. II 1t Is shown that gun cotton can
be fired with safety from navy guns, IL II
eontended that the pneumatic guns win be
Of little value, for the army could readily
deliver high explosives from It's coast de-
fensive guns, and secure far greater range