The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-12-22
its shot. John F. Meigs estimates

ITS shot John F. Meigs estimates
that q blow from the new gun would
have 8 striking energy equal to that of
q 2000-ton ship when running at full
speed. The shot from the gun, he
adds, would smash, crack and batter
down any arreor which it would be
possible for q ship to carry.
The caliber will be sixteen inches,
Stke length, from breech to muzzle,
will be forty-nine feet two inches.
Through the breech in a vertical line
the gun will have measurement of
exactly five feet. Mr.. Meigs COM
putes the weight Of shot for the new
gun at q little over 2300 pounds. That
means more than ton OF metal. The
heaviest shots fred in England have
not weighed over 1000 pounds.
The powder charge for the Ameri-
can gun w1llweigh nearly 1000 pounds.
Provided extreme elevation for range
scould be obtained, a shot from the
New York Harbor gun should be able
to travel more than sixteen miles.
The greatest known range ever at
tanned was from the famous 'jubilee
shot" in England. The distance
measured about twelve statute miles.
The United States has never before
attempted any heavier piece of ord
nance for coast defence than twelve
inch gun. The weight of q piece of
the latter caliber is approximately
Fifty tons. In the sixteen-inch gun
there is observed q jump of seventy
) six tons increase in weight.
The first ingot for the new sixteen
inch gun was cast recently at Bethle-
hem. It was for the tube forging and
weighed 81, 800 pounds, The jacket
forging is also out. It weighs 10000
pounds. Under the contract made
with the War Department the Bethle-
hem works will turn out all forgings
forsthe great gun. The'tempering and
annealing process will also be applied
ct the Bethlehem shops. When all
z the parts are out, the tube, jacket and
hoops will be shipped to the United
]. States arsenal at Watervliet, West
Troy, N. Y. There they are to be as
Hsembled together, and the gun itself
rified and made ready for service.
All metal used is fluid compressed
The specifications which are being ad
hered to demand the most exactine
physical tests. Specimen pieces o.
metal are taken from all forgings, are
subjected to elongation, breaking anc
{ bending tests. Finally every part O
the gum must be of forged metal. Th'
tube, for instance, has been cast anc
rough bored. 1t will next have a man
drel introduced through its length ant
then be placed under the hammer.
For this latter stage the Bethlehem
works have the largest hammer in tn
world. It is capable of delivering
blow of 100 tons, or some ten ton
/ more than the famous Krupp ham
mer.
The building of the new sixteen-incl
gun is an expensive undertaking. Th
gun itself will cost about $12O, 600
: For single guns the average cost to tn
{ Government for all fortiication worl
in this country is roughly $1,000 pc
ton of gun.
The cost of the gun carriage and tur
4 ret will bring the cost up to as mucl
again as the weapon, while the cos
for foundation will, it is estimated
y round out grand total of at leas
9 $500, 00O.e The foundation for the six
teen:inch gun willrequire depth, it /
said, of fifty feet if earth be the basis
This foundation must be constructe
( of concrete.