The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20
MAKING OUR BIG GUNS.
SIG HTS OF THE NATAL GUN FACTORY
At TON,
Proors Of American Ingenuity, EserE1. ana
Good Management EiEh Quality or tho
vgork-A Ssammo Entrrprise or Ten Years,
Growth-The Powerful is-Tnch Gun.

Good Management - FliSh Quality OF the
vgork-A Ssammot Enterprise or Ten Years,
Growth-The Powerful ts-Inch Gun.
Down In southeast Washington, on the site Of
tho old Washington Navy Yard, and Just eici.
teen minutes BY tho cable cars from the Navy
Department, stands the United States naval
gun factory, n model institution OF its kind and
amonument 70 tho ingenuity and perseverance,
OF naval ordnance officers and the Hklll and In.
tsgrity Of American labor.
To understand and appreciate what the United
States has accomplished in modern gun con-
structlon 1t is only necessary TO know the his.
tory OF this great plant, Its creation, its growth,
the difficulties overcome In its poS!cct equip
mont, and the character OF the products turned
out. Fourteen years ngo there was not a mod
ern, high power, breech.loadlng rine In tho
United States. To-day every large gun supplied
to our growing navy is manufactured at the
Washington factory and conceded BY foreign as
well as claimed by our own ordnance experts
TO DO the equal, II not the superior, OF any
guns In the world.
Before the civil war, when smooth.borcs and
muEzle.loaders were the only great guns known
ON land or sea, and cast iron was the material
used IN their construction. the United States
possessed the best guns afoat. But after the
civil war o long period Of absolute inactivity
followed in this country, both IN the matter Of
shipbuilding and the manufacture Of guns,
while the great powers of Europe strove to keep
pnco with the demands Of the times in every.
thing pertaining 10 modern warfare. The con.
dition to which our defences, ashore and afoat.
were reduced 10 q matter OF history. With no
ships worthy Of the nation, we had no guns
capable Of protecting us against those Of other
countries.
But In 1881 q step was made In the right d.
%rcction. when four new modern steel cruisers
the Chicago, tho Boston, the Atlanta, and the
Dolphin-were laid down. tho foundation Of a
modern and efficient fleet. A modern fleet
necessitated modern guns, which we did not
have. and. rs these vessels neared completion in
1888. the question of their armament had be-
como a serious one. Immediate steps were
taken to meet the deficiency. but It was not I'M
til the early spring Of 1887 that a systematic
building plan was begun. Tho work Of building
and eqnipping has proceeded over since, but
slowly and gradually. that there should be no
Interruption in the construction Of guns.
As tho visitor enters the yard by tho north
gates he secs nothing unusual, save what can be
Been at all navy yards-the sentinel walking back
and forth before the entrance. the Waterman
standing near the guard tower, houses built
close together on either side of the gate for
officers quarters. and the long. low buildings
which resemble storerooms. while the Amer
lean colors float aloft from n ~ffty-foot flag
pole, and beyond some snow-white cruiser lies
snugly moored ct the dock. Down the main
walk toward the water front, n long slate-colored
building is seen partially hidden by the high
mound to the right. As he approaches this
the visitor sees that this building is an unusu-
ally largo one substantially constructed. with q
heavy iron roof In which there arc many
skylights. Over the east door Of tho building
he sees the words "Gun Shop" and after pass.
ing through IL finds himself in the centre of tho
S u,i breath n wh nIsI he an ,pies 10 Is u TO snI ,ha m OF to ho,d
of the machines and material before him. He
has never seen anything like 1t. To the right
there are monster guns in all stages of o~onstruc'
.ion' massive lathes turning lazily with their
forth on overbead railwavs wbiIe Iona 49,.
on "n""' "nA lung shai's
against tho west wall, and hundreds Of heavy
tha. turn. III many m .W large a' and snsy wo er%nsmlI m uns bIwst
The sight is an impressive one. even to q per-
son who ia accustomed To seeing large euns for
while he may have seen the largest machine
shops. many times larger than this one, contain.
nk q sreAter nulhoor u machihes. employing
one hundred times more men. and requiring
has never seen such large machines. such heavy
masses OF steel being operated upon, such huge
ern rifle the tendency is to keep silent. In tho
presence or many such monster guns. which
shine Ike glass, and are far larger than the fin
lshed cannon, one ls inspired with awe. The at
mosphere OF the place is in keeping with tho
feelings OF the stranger. for scarcely any noise
is heard, very few men are seen. and the large
enn powerful machines seem to run themselves.
inc north end OF the shop Is by far the most
interesting. and TO this every visitor to the
works VIII turn. In this part OF the shop Is tho
1lo-ton travelling crane, than which there is
none more powerful in the country; eight mas
slye lathes, and an enormous ritiing machine,
feel long and Is designed to take a l6-inch gun.
%%hich u the largest and heaviest In existence.
being nfty feet long and weighing ITO tons.
-FOUR Others are capable OF taking guns up to
"A inches canore,, and differ from each
other only In detail; In any one OF them
sne gun can 90 5ored or turned; In fact, they
are 80 constructed and arranged that both opera
tionS can DO carried on at the same time. All
or them carry to4i carriages and clamps for
inc other three lathes are large, and are 80 feet
long. Out are hot designed for boring, while
each mas suIiclent capacity to turn the exterior
AN tne iafg ISL gun OF inc nsTy.the i3inch. an.
interesting lou ID tne rlHlnR machine, which Ia