The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-12

concluded AZ yyosfwhieh have dern0ustrat-
20 that ~ a new method u artillery at
tack the strongest bsftlesnip whtch wa
ever huilt may BE rendered absolutely
hslpless within few moments Tais may
- done without the slightest danger 10
sac men who rnan the great guns which
perform this task The rev method IL
Enown 50 high angle firing.
The ere experiment that dem0l1strs ted
Gae fact cited beyond question was COZ
Quoted with a wire wound piece Of ser
vtce oTssn &1Ga. Of o. inches caltber. weigh
iaE nineteen tons ard which was on an
expanding mounting placed for high
angle firing. The gun utilized was one %
great power. range and penetration In
the series a trials 81 The gun. the pTo5@p-
tiles fired were PaIilser shot weighing 81
pounds each and requiring for discharge
an individual charge OF 20 pounds Of pow
der. The gun was fired az various angles
OF elevation, the maximum range eb-
tanned not being less than twelve miles.
The elevation was then forty degrees
Those who had charge o. the expert
r4ents carefully calculated the speed OF
lhe profeetfls ana det srmined that the ex-
IRENE height obtained by lt was ia trs
vicinity If 1890 feet. OF about three miles.
The time occupied by the entire fight was
exactly one minute. This rscuit Is re-
Esrdea as one Of the greatest achieve
nsents Of modern gunnery The power OF
great range and exceeding penetration
which the projeetiie undoubtedly pos
sesses under the circumstances described
ere unQuestionsbly due 10 the wire wind
ing system. which gives high resistance
powers 20 the guns. and thus enables
heavier charges 80 be used The gun,
which In general VIII b. used upon the
coast OF Britain. weighs twenty-seve
tons an1 has a ynuzzle energy Of r. 20
foot toms
II IL doubtful # any experiment with
artillery for thirty years has resulted 10
the revelation Of facts 80 important 10
naval powers.
II needs no elaborate explanation 10
demonstrate that no vessel can be so con-
strueled on modern lines a. to b. imperyi-
ous 90 pToiectiles dropped from the clouds
as we'll a. those which are fired at ner
sides. Yet that II exactly the position the
modern battlesh!p is placed In by the
adoption OF high angle firing. OF course,
IN purely naval battles the high angle sys-
tenn cannot be utilized in 50 great q de-
gree. for The power of the greatest vessel
10 Withstand the recofl Of a gun is sur
prisingIy limited II Is a very small per-
centage Of the recoN which can he safety
figured upon BY those who man the guns
In forflficatl0ns
Therefore Il can b. seen that the great
advantage of high angie fire from guns on
shore Is that they can he mounted be-
hind earthworks or parapets entirely
concealed from View. 50 that il would be
4 mater Of great difficulty to silence
them Again, their FIRE has a plunging
character aud Is thus effective against
objects themselves invisible The great
eject made possible hy the use of guns
Of this class has caused Capitalization
OF attention from military men upon
them. all OF whom say without hesitation
a.. =
nnpestiouably a great future,
The main idea Of the high angle Is 10
furnish a mode of attack against ships so
heavily arfnnred rs to ba almost proof
against artillery used IN the ordinary
fashion. ~ frat Il might he thought that
IN u blmbsrdment by high angle guns
mounted deeply in the earth II
would be we'll nigh impossible TO direct
their aim. and would be In the nature Of
shooting AZ random rs a matter OF fact
IL would hc anything bat that. II is now
possible 70 tell the speed AZ which "a pro
jectile travels and to calculate from this
epced the distance fraversed with certain
charges of powder used 60 give the neces-
sary impetus. Now with these calcuis-
tiofis possible and the points Of the COM
pass carefully calculated IL is not at all
smong the impossibiHties TO place shot
With fair accuracy.
This knowledge given. the rest rs com
paratfvclv easy. The officers iu charge q
the gun would Of course have an accurate
chartered map ~ the waters which II
commanded. They would he able from
occasional observauers Of lookouts 10
gain an accurate fdea OF the course the
Nsssel AZ which they wgr- firing was TAX
iFE and the CHARGES ere thAt tuey could
rain pre3seGiiea upon her fra manner
which would cause her te speedily rets-e
from range 81 she Wee not So disabled
as TO BE- unable 10 do so That g. what
fhe naval ordnance experts who have
watched the experiments saw ara the
oldest and most conservative officers az
the Enelish navy 5oin them in the opln-
lan. So g can De seen THAI series a
hish angie Firing gun batteries could
make any roaastcea 2 very uacornfo,.-