Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-25
Our New Navy and its Equipment.
Continued from list week.

Continued from last week.
In the letter of last week | mentioned
the rigid examination OF each piece of
steel, which went into the construction
of the gun. This examination means
very much more than the ordinary
reader would observe in the first in
stance. The officers Of the navy are ap-
pointed tor life. Their positions are as
desira BILE as any in the service of the
government. The personnel Of the navv
is unsurpassed either intellectually or
socially. There is a code of honor ex-
listing among navel officers which pro-
hibits the cOnnivance even Of the least
shade of dishonor. Once brand an
officer of the navy with dishonOr, he is
utterly DESTROYED, and must leave the
service. 1t will be seen therefore that
where inspections are made by different
officers at different stations and that the
material is to be worked over before
finished, the selection of faulty material
is absolutely impossible.
1t should be source of pride that the
American navy, IN ability, honor, and
integrity, is unsurpassed by any govern
ment on earth. That among all its
officers no scandal is ever heard, except,
perchance in very rare instances, where
there is woman at the bottom.
In speaking further of our gun shops
it may be we'll TO give more particulars.
The main shop is 634 #. long. IA #.
wide for 200 it., and IS fit. wide for the
remainder of its lenght. Two stories
high, that Is, the stories are made by
galleries on the side of the building; the
center part being open to the roof. The
larger and longer guns are manufactured
in the wider part. 4 10 ton overhead
steam-tiaveling crane trayerses the first
200 #. while two other cranes placed
upon the lower runaway traverse the
entire lenght of the shop. One of these
has capacity of carrying 40 tons, the
other 20. These cranes are used for the
purpose of carrying guns and other
heavy materials, from one part of the
shop to the other. In this building there
are 20 lathes for the manufacturing Of
guns ranging from the 4 inch to the is
inch gun. As mentioned in former
letters there has never been finished
larger gun than Il Is inch, but they have
now commenced the manufacture of a
Is inch gun. These guns will shoot
effectively Is miles. The charge of the
powder used in the Is inch gun is 100
bps. Persons can imagine, if they Will,
some locality in their own section of the
country, which is Is miles distant, and
then consider what wonderful feat it
is that gun can be made that will bonn
bard and utterly DESTROY every living
thing in it at that distance.
There are more than 1000 men en-
ployed In these various departments of
the gun shop. The gun shop properly
includes those large buildings known as
the gun factory, the gun-carriage shop,
the projectile shop, secondary mount
shop, breech-mechanism shop, erecting
shop, foundry, forging shop, pattern
shop, cOppersmith shop, copper rolling
mill; also we'll equipped chemical and
physical laboratory, and the usual store
houses and offices. There are within the
limits of the Navy Yard miles of rail-
road track, so that there can be loaded
and dispatched to any part of the
country, or materials received in the
easiest and most economical manner.
PROFESSIONALLY the most interesting
feature of the gun factory is the
large gun shop already referred to.
These 20 machines mentioned are gun
lathes, suited to all callbres from finch
to 16-inch; these being guns weighing
from i tons to 10 tons which the IT,
inch gun will weigh. In the north end
of the building are a number of these
heavy lathes, undoubtedly the finest in
the world. They embody the latset and
most improved mechanical features
that at this time are found in any gun
factory.
The largest of these machines cost
1913 100000, is 128 #. in length, and is
made of the finest grade of forged steel.
This lathe will bore a gun 81 it. in
length and turn one of 81 it. in length.
Its boring bar is 50 #. long and II inches
Il IN, Of nornl
is, the boring bar has an independent
turning can both be carried on at
the same time to the best advantage.
The total number Of machines of all
kinds in the various shops is over 500,
of which 200 are lathes of all sizes and
kinds. There are 81 engines aggregat-
ing 2500 horse power.
The buildings are all lighted by cleo
trio lamps.
Those of us who used to shoot the
ordinary shotgun when we were boys,
and as the writer remembers from per-
sonal experience, being kicked over,
while shooting at rabbit, will wonder
why, when these great guns are dis
charged, thatthe conclusion or kick does
not destroy the ship. This it would do
were 1t not for the contrivances made
purpOsely to cOunteract the conclusion.
This continuance is of, an hydraulic ma
ture, and is smaller than the breech of
the gun, but wonderful is the fact that
the conclusion from the largest gun on
is hardly felt more than
would be the firing of a shotgun, except
as the immense explosion is felt III the
air.
These hydraulic machines are always
fixed in the gun carriage and are always
made at the rear end Of the breech ofthe
gun. The power is hydraulic and it con-
trolls the conclusion. In placing one of
these large guns IN position on the ship
in this gun carriage, there is machine
which is placed directly under the gun
by which its position or direction is
changed necessary to the proper sighting
of the rife. Another Independent set
of machinery is for ammunition hOiss,
the gun being loaded entirely by
mechanical power. The turret is trained
by another steam or hydraulic power.
We should also mention that ali of these
guns have telescope sights, by means
of which the target is greatly magnitied
so that very accurate firing can be done.
ITO he continued J