The Monte Vista journal., 1897-12-18
THELARGEST CANNON.
BEING MADE IN PENNSYLVANIA.
II WIN wslsh iss ro.s, s,a.d Measure Ai.os.
fifty Fest In Length-Wili Protect New
York Harbor.

The largest cannon In the world In
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 turret which
will be large enough to shelter both
the cannon and the quarters Of the
crew. 1t will be mounted no 1t can be
pointed In any direction, and thus
have a 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
he able to resist the force Of Its pro-
jectiles.
1t will require 1000 pounds Of pow
der for every discharge and will carry
projectile OF steel weighing 2,3OO
pounds In almost straight line more
than sixteen miles. At that distance
the projectiles will have striking en-
ergy equal to the force Of 2.5OO-ton
ship running at twenty knots an hour.
The largest instruments Of war now
in existence are two cannon mounted
mt the mouth Of the harbOr Of SIezin.
near GenOn, where the Italian govern
ment has it's naval arsenal. They
weigh 40 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 he six tons heavier
and Ave feet longer and represents
several important improvements
which have been discovered or invent
cd since the Italian and krupp guns
were made.
The new gun being made at Bethle-
hem will be forty nine feet two inches
long, and at the thickext part OF the
breach will measure Ave feet fve
inches In diameter. Il will weigh III
tons, and the calil,er will l,e sixteen
inches. It will cost &12O.OOO. and the
carriage. pedestal and turret &30O.O00
more. The machinery required for
handling and firing the gun will he op-
Grated by electricity. and II Of the
most delicate and accurate description.
Although sixteen or eighteen men will
be required ns q crew to keep II In or
der, the actual leading md firing will
ipe done with M little effort M playing
n piano or \ typewriter. The shot
will he aimed with mathematical pre-.
cisi0n by automatic instruments. Sci
encc Inns discovered methods 10 deter
mine with the accuracy Of pnir Of
apothecary's scales how far certain
amount Of powder will carry certain
weight Of metal. aud II In only necc~-
sary for the man who fires the gun Ia
know the weight Of the charge and the
pr05ectile and the approximate dis.
tancc TO the target. which In asccr-
tnineti by scientific observations. Thei,
he adjusts the delicate mechanism ipr-
fcre him. touches button gently and
away she goes with the exercise Of
I'~s trouble aud strength than IL ~.
IuIrcd to iirc mn old.fnshione,i hOrs4'
pistol. Even II the shot should not
happen to hit the cruiser aimed nt.
fourteen or fifteen miles away. =,
would In very apt to fall In It's Iniinc.
iiatc neiRhbOrhoosl aud would create
such cOmmotIOn in the water ns Ia
swamp II II II did miss the vessel.
Tie largest guns now Ia usc arc ot,
the great lMttls~hilM Of our navy.
They weigh from sixty to seventy
toms and the largest i,ore is thirteen,
inches. The weight Of u twclve-incll
gun In about nifty tons.