The Lamar register., 1897-12-18
THELARGEST CANNON.
BEING MADE IN Pennsylvania.
1t VIII weigh es Tons,and Measure Almost
Fifty Feet In Length-win Protect New
York Harbor.

York Hsrbor.
The largest cannon in the world is
now being built at the Bethlehem iron
works in Pennsylvania for the pro-
lection OF New York harbor. 1t is to
he placed upon Romer shoals, near
the entrance to the bay, upon mass
i've foundation of stone and concrete,
reaching fifty feet below low water
mark and protected by a turret which
will be large enough to shelter both
the cannon and the quarters OF the
crew. II will be mounted so Ii can be
pointed In any direction, and thus
have q full 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 pro-
jectiles.
II will require 1000 pounds of pow
der for every discharge and will carry
a projectile of steel weighing 2,300
pounds in almost Il straight line more
than sixteen miles. AT that distance
the projectiles win have n striking en-
ergy equal to the force of n 2,500-ton
ship running at twenty knots an hour.
The largest instruments of war now
in existence are two cannon mounted
at the mouth of the harbor OF Srezia.
near Genoa. where the Italian govern
ment has its naval arsenal. They
weigh 10 tons. which is about the
weight of the monster that was exhib-
tied by the Erupp company at the
Worlds Fair. The new gun for Ro-
mer shoals will be six tons heavier
and five feet longer ana represents
several important improvements
which have been discovered or invent
ed since the Italian and Krupp guns
were made.
The new gun being made at Bethle-
hem viii I've forty-nine feet two inches
long. and at the tnickest part of the
breach win measure five feet five
Inches In diameter. II will weigh l20
tons. and the callber will be sixteen
inches. IL will cost $4,000, and the
carriage. pedestal and turret 100000
more. The machinery required for
handling and firing the gun will be OPP
Grated by electricity, and is of the
most delicate and accurate description.
Although sixteen or eighteen men will
he required as a crew TO keep IL in or
der. the actual loading and firing will
he done with as little effort as playing
a piano or n typewriter. The shot
viii be aimed with mathematical pre-
cision by automatic instruments. Sci
tntt mas uA~fbNtIftA lIlfAHtlN W
mine with the accuracy of a pair of
apothecnry's scales how far certain
amount OF powder will carry certain
weight of metal. and It is only neces-
sary for the man who fires the gun TO
know the weight Of the charge and the
proiectile and the approximate dis
lance TO the target, which is ascer-
tained by scientific observations. Then
he adjusts the delicate mechanism be-
fcre him, touches a button gently and
away she goes with the exercise of
less trouble and strength than is re-
quired TO fire an old-fashioned horse
pistol Even IL the shot should not
happen TO hit the cruiser aimed at,
fourteen or fifteen miles away, Al
would be very apt to fall in its imme-
diate nelghborhood and would create
such commotion in the water as to
swamp IL IL it did rniss the vessel.
The largest guns now In use are on
the great battleships OF our navy.
They weigh from sixty TO seventy
tons and the largest bore is thirteen
inches. The weight of a twelve-inch
gun is about fifty tons.