Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-11-04
WORKING A BIG GUN.

indiana put shell from her thirteen
inch gun through a target at 200t
yards, and then went through tn,
same hole with second shell. Prett,
good work for one of these fellows,
and the muscular little captain stroke,
| the muzzlc OF one of the four thirteen
inch guns that make up the main bat
terry Of the big ship of the line, say.
Leslie'S Weekly.
Don't take Il tape measure or foo
rule and measure off thirteen inche.
and wonder to what portion of the
gun that refers, because that woult
avail you little, but rather listen tc
the account of the stupendousncss o
this greatest engine of destruction o
modern days. A thirteen-incl
breech-loading rifle" as the biggest
guns used in the navy is technical,
described, is piece of metal weighing
l36,000 pounds, few inches ovel
thirty-ninc feet in length, and with :
powder space of 1J.J inches i'm diane
ter and sos inches long.
The only reference to thirteel
inches is in the diameter of the stee
projcctilc fired. This monstrous CUR
throws a projectile that weighs ,10(
pounds, and the amount of powder
consumed for each shot so fired is 52(
pounds. The explosion of this powder
sends this weight OF LOO pounds o.
metal from the muzzle at the speed o
2,lOO feet per second, and with an en-
eryy of 33,627 tons-enough to send il
through twenty-four inches of steel al
1000 yards, and twenty-one inches al
mile distant, and while the mechan
ism of this gun is complicated, and
while every part after every shot must
be cleaned, SO complete is the disci
pline aboard that it may be fired once
every three minutes. And there arc
four of these terrible engines.
1t is bright, clear day, and tn.
Massachusetts, has sighted an enemy.
warship. The preliminary work o.
clearing for action has been accom-
plishcd, railings, ladders and boats ar,
down and have been slowed away anC
everything movable in the big shiI
fastened. The glass port lights hav,
been replaced with steel, the water
tight compartments closed, the elec
trio plants for lighting the ship, turn
ing the turrets and working the am
munition lifts started, the ammunition
magazines opened and, lastly, the sicl
bay prepared.
In the forward turret with the great
pair of thirtecn-inch rifles stands :
crew of twelve men, six to each gun.
The gun captain and Nos. l, 3,
and 4, who are the practical gunners
unshackle the great monster from it.
peace fastenings; one sees that repair
tools and cleaners are placed, gets wa
ter and hose ready; another opens the
safety valves and exhaust pipes, start,
the smoke fan and ships the sight, ant
another provides drinking water anC
does a dozen other things. But all i.
done within a space of four minutes
and again each man in his place stand.
like 4 statue of bronze.
The ammunition has come up pre-
pared with fuses, and then come the
orders in quick succession. "Oper
breech, sponge, land she'll" The greal
hydraulic rammcr pushes in big l.,
1OO-pound steel projectile. "Loat
first cartridge" and the brown pow
der, one-half the quantity necessary
goes in. "Load second cartridge
and in goes the second. "Down lift
and the ammunition carriage goes
down for more. "Close breech," come:
the order quickly, and followed in an
instant by " Prime" when the captain
puts in the electric primer.
Then the captain of the gun, seeing
everything clear, says Ready" and
the officer in the hood above responds
with Point" Slowly both turrct
and gun are moved until the range
finder indicates that the muzzle is
pointing at the enemy. Then, quick
as flash, the officer in the turret
hood closes the electric current and
the big projectile goes on its path of
destruction. So every one of the
twenty-six rined guns begins to speak,
and hell has indeed broken loose"