The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-29
BROBDIGNAGIAN.
Monster Death Engine is Be-
ing Built
To Guard the Approaches to
New York HarbOr.
LARGEST EVER MADE.
1t VIII Garry a Shot Weighing
2,3Oe Pounds,
Sixteen Miles in Almost a
Straight Line.
LARGEST EVER MADE

New York. Nov. 29.-The largest can
non in the world is now being built al
the Bethlehem iron works in PennsyI-
vania for the protection of New York har-
Dor 1t is to be placed upon Romel
shoals, near the entrance OF the bay, up
on massive foundation of stone and
concrete, reaching 50 feet below low water
mark and protected by a turret which
viii be large enough to shelter both the
cannon and the crew. It Will be mounted
so it can be pointed in any direction, and
thus have fun sweep of all the channels
that approach the city. A single shot
from this gun will utterly destroy any
vessel afioat, and human ingenuity has
not yet conceived anything that would
be able to resist the force of its projec-
tiles.
It will require 1000 pounds of powder
for every discharge and will carry pro-
jeetiIe of steel weighing 23OO pounds in
almost a straight line more than sixteen
miles. At that distance the projectiles
will have striking energy equal to the
force of d 2,500-ton ship running at 20
knots an hour
The largest instruments of war now in
existence are two cannon mounted at the
mouth of the harbor of Spezia, near
Genoa, where the italian government has
its naval arsenal. They weigh 12O tons,
which is about the weight of the monster
that was exhibited by the Krupp com
pany the Worlds fair. The new gun
for ROmer shoals Will be six tons heavier
and five feet longer and represents several
important improvements which have been
discovered or invented since Italian and
Krupp guns were made.
There is a 16-inch gun in the Great
Britain fortress at Gibraltar, supposed to
be the strongest in the world, but is
rather old fashioned. Tourists are al
ways taken to see it, however, and enter
prising little GIBBS" as the citizens of
Gibraltar are called, are usually on hand
to crawl through the bore from breech to
muzzle for coppers. This Gibraltar gun
is said to have carried Jubilee" shot
II miles last summer
The new gun being made at Bethlehem
viii be 49 feet inches long, and at the
thickest part of tho breech will measure
feet inches in diameter. 1t will weigh
126 tons and the caliber will be 16 inches.
1t will cost $4,000 and the carriage, ped
estaI and turret 100000 more. The ma
chine1y required for handling and firing
the gun Will be operated by electricity,
and is of the most delicate and accurate
description. Although I6 or Is men will
be required as crew to keep the gun
in order, the actual loading and firing
will be done with as little effort as play
ing piano or a typewriter. The shot
will be aimed with mathematical precision
by automatic Instruments. Science has
discovered methods to determine with the
accuracy of a pair of apothecary's scales
how far a certain amount of powder will
carry a certain weight of metal, and it
is only necessary for the man who fires
the gun to know the weight of the charge
and the projectile and the approximate
distance to the target. which is ascertain
ed by scientific observations. Then he
adjusts the delicate mechanism before
him, touches a button gently and away
she goes with the exercise of less trouble
and strength than is required to fire an
old fashioned horse pistol Even if the
shot should not happen to hit the cruiser
aimed a it IA or Is miles away, it would be
very apt to fall in its immediate neigh
borhood and would create such a cOmmo-
ton in the water as to swamp it if it
did miss the vessel
The largest guns now in use are on the
great battIeships of our navy. They
weigh from 90 to 20 tons and the largest
bore is - inches. The weight of a p
inch gun is about 50 tons.
The new gun was designed by Captain
Z L. Zalinski of the retired list of the
army and is being constructed under the
direction of Captain Ira McNutt of the
ordnance corps and Lieutenant John S.
AIeigs, formerly of the navy. All the
metal used is compressed in the fluid
state by pnuematic power and is then
forged under the largest hammer in the
world. which is capable of delivering
blow of 120 tons. With every step in the
process of manufacture specimens of the
metal are subjected to chemical analysis
and other tests to determine their purity,
density and fieXibility. As much care Is
taken with the various parts of this mons
ster and the selection of material as with
a microscope or the finest watch. The
gun is made in nine pieces. The tub,
which is the center of the gun, will weigh
g. 900 pounds. This is covered by a jacket
which slips off and on, according to the
necessities of the case, and weighs $4,000
hounds. The jacket is supported and
strengthened by several hoops, which
weigh a ton or two each. The breech-
lock is a piece of metal about as big as
-four barrel, tempered and annealed by
the most delicate processes known to sci
ence.