Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-16

THE NEW HIGH ANGLE GUN VIII
FEARFUL DIES
dered absolutely helpless within very
few moments. This may be done with
out the slightest danger to the men
who man the great guns which perform
this task. The new method Is known
as high-angle firing.
The one experiment which demon
strated the fact cited beyond question
was conducted with a wire-wound piece
Of service ordnance, of 9.2 inches cali
bre, weighing nineteen tons, and which
was OH an expanding mounting placed
for high-angle firing. The gun utilized
was one OF great power, range, and
penetration In the series Of trials OF
the gun, the projectiles fired were Pal
User shot, weighing SS2 pounds each, and
requiring for discharge an individual
charge OF go pounds Of powder. The
gun was fired at various angles of eleva-
ton, tho maximum range obtained not
being less than twelve miles. The
elevation was then 40 degrees.
Those who had charge Of the expert
ments carefully calculated the speed OF
the projectile, and determined that tho
extreme height obtained by it was in
the NlClnly VI lp,pyV ltttr VI dbOhh Nhh'c
miles. The time occupied by the entire
fight was exactly one minute. This
result is regarded as one OF the great
est achievements of modern gunnery.
The power of great range and exceed
ing penetration, which the projectiie un-
doubtedly possesses under the circum-
stanc described, are unquestionably
due - the wire-winding system, which
gives high resistance powers to the
guns, and thus enables heavier charges
to be used. The gun, which will, in
general be used upon the coast of Bri-
tain, weighs twenty-seven tons, and has
a muzzle energy Of 19,2Oo-foot tons.
1t is doubtful IL any experiment with
artillery for thirty years has resulted in
the revelation of facts so important to
naval powers.
1t needs no elaborate explanation to
demonstrate that no vessel can be SO
constructed on mbdern lines as TO be i'm
pervlous to projectiles dropped from the
clouds, as well as those which are fired
at her sides. Yet that is exactly the po-
sition the modern battleship is placed In
by the adoption Of high angle firing. Oa
COURSE in purely naval battles, the high
angle system cannot be utilized in so
great n degree, for the power OF the
greatest vessel to Withstand the recoil
of gun Is surprisingly limited. Ii Is
a very small percentage of the recoil
which can be safely figured upon by those
who man the guns In Notifications.
Therefore, 1t can be seen that the great
advantage of high-angle fire from guns
on shore is that they can be mounted
behind earthworks or parapets, entirely
concealed from view, so that ii would
be a matter Of great difficulty TO silence
In tbafr fra has 81 falupoipO
character. and is thus effective against
objects themselves invisible. The great
effect made possible by the use Of guns
of this class has caused Capitalization
of attention from military men upon
them, all Of whom say, Without hesita-
ton, that the practice OF high-angie
firing has unquestionabiy a great future.
The main idea Of the high-angle firing
Is 10 furnish a mode OF attack against
ships so heavily armored as TO be almost
proof against artillery used in the ord-
nary fashion. At first IL might be thought
that a bombardment by high-angie guns
mounted so deeply in the earth that 1t
would be well nigh impossible TO direct
their aim at all, would be in the nature
OF shooting at random. AS matter or
fact, 1t would be anything but that. 1t
IS now possible to tell the speed at
Il
late from this speed the distance ira
versed with certain charges Of powder
used to give the necessary impetus.
Now, with these calculations possible.
and the points of the compass carefully
calculated. II is not at all among the i'm
possibilities to place shot with fair
accuracy.
This knowledge given, the rest Is COM
paratively easy. The officers in charge
of the gun would, OF course. have an ac-
curate charted map Of the waters which
Il commanded. They would be able from
occasional observations Of lookouts 10
gain an accurate idea OF the course the
vessel at which they were firing was
taking and the chances are that they
could rain projectiles upon her In man
ner which would cause her to speedily
retire from range IL she were not so
disa bled as to be unable to do so. That
IS what the naval ordnance experts who
have watched the experiments say, and
the Oldest and most conservative officers
of the English navy join them in the
opinion. So It can be seen that a series
OF high-angle firing gun batteries could
make any roadstead very uncomforta-
BILE place for war vessels heavily ar
mored though they might be.
l am informed that the United States
Government has instructed It's naval
representative here to look into the mat
ter and see II all Is as represented. This
Inquiry, am sure. Is being carried on,
for I have, myself. seen the attache at
Woolwich and In the vicinity OF the
place Of high-angie firing experiments
within week. The British Government
is making no effort to hide its light under
a bushel SO far as this experiment
IL concerned. at least. and ] fancy the