The state herald., 1897-12-17
THELARGEST CANNON.
BEING MADE IN pENNsyLvAN,
It WIN weigh ise Tons, and Measure Almost
Fifty Feet In Longth-wili Protect New
York HArbor.

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
be 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 turret which
will be large enough to, shelter both
the cannon and the quarters Of the
crew. It will be mounted SO 1t can be
pointed in any direction, and thus
have full sweep Of all the channels
that approach the city. A single shot
from this gun will utterly destroy any
vessel aaoat, 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 cnrry
a projectile Of steel weighing 2,3OO
pounds In almost n straight line more
than sixteen miles. At that distance
the projectiles will have n striking en-
ergy equal to the force Of 2,50Q-ton
ship running Mt twenty knots an hour.
The largest instruments Of war now
In existence are two cannon mounted
Mt the. mouth of the harbor Of Spezia,
near Genoa, where the Italian govern
ment has Its naval arsenal. They
weigh 120 tons, which is about the
weight OF the monster that was exhib-
tied by the Krupp company at the
Worlds Fair. The new gun for Ro-
mer shoals will be six tons heavier
and five feet longer and represents
several important improvements
which have been discovered or invent
ed since the Italian and Krupp guns
were made.
The new gun being made Mt Bethle-
hem will be forty-nine feet two inches
long, and Mt the thickest part OF the
breach will measure flve feet five
inches In diameter. II will weigh l26
tons, and the callber will he sixteen
inches. It will cost $4,000. and the
carriage, pedestal and turret $500, 600
more. The machinery required for
handling and firing the gun will he op-
Grated by electricity, and Is Of the
most delicate and accurate description.
Although sixteen or eighteen men will
be required rs crew to keep II In or
der, the actual loading and firing will
be done with rs little effort Us playing
n plano or typewriter. The shot
will be aimed with mathematical pre-
cision by automatic instruments. Sci
ence has discovered methods TO deter
mine with the accuracy Of n pair Of
apothecary's scales how far certain
amount Of powder will carry n certain
weight Of metal. and 1t Is only neces-
snry for the man who fires the gun to
know the weight Of the charge and the
projectile and the approximate dis
tance to the target. which In nscer-
tained by scientific observations. Then
he adjusts the delicate mechanism be-
fcre him. touches button gently and
away she goes with the exercise OF
less trouble and strength than is re-
quired TO fire nm Old-fashioncd horse
pistol. Even II the shot should not
happen TO hit the cruiser aimed mt.
fourteen or fifteen miles away. a,
would be very apt TO fall In Its immc-
dintc nclghborlood and would create
such n commotion In the water ms To
swamp II II II did miss the vessel.
The largest guns now In use are on
the great battlcships OF our navy.
They weigh from sixty to seventy
tons and the largest bore is thirteen
inches. The weight OF n twelyc.inch
gun IL about fifty tons.