Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-05-28
WITH A l3-INCH GUN.
How the Monster Is Served and Some In
formation About 1t.

f0rmatlOn ABOUT LIE
From Harper's Weekly.
II am told," said Captain Higginson
of the battleship Massachusetts, now
of the flying squadron, "that the In
diana put shell from her 13-inch gun
through target at 1000 yards, and
then went through the same hole with
a second shell. Pretty good work for
one of these fellows" and the muscu-
lar little captain stroked the muzzle of
one of the four 13.inch guns that make
up the main battery of the big ship of
the line.
Don't get out a tape measure or a
foot rule and measure off 13 inches
and wonder to what portion of the
gun that refers, because it would avail
you little, but rather listen to the ac-
count of the stupendousness of this
great engine of destruction of modern
days. A 13.inch breech-loading rifle,
as the biggest gun used in the navy is
technically described, is a piece of
metal weighing 136, 1000 pounds, a few
inches over 80 feet in length and with
powder space of 1876 inches in dame
ter and S0.8 inches long.
The only reference to 13 inches is
in the diameter of the steel projectile
fired. This monstrous gun throws
projectile that weighs 1,100 pounds,
and the amount of powder consumed
for each shot 80 fred is $40 pounds.
The explosion of this powder sends
this weight of LOO pounds of metal
from the muzzle at the speed of 2,1O0
feet per second, and with an energy of
80, ,627 tons-enough to send it through
"a inches of steel at 1000 yards, and
81 inches at a mile distant; and while
the mechanism of this gun is compli-
Gated, and while every part after every
shot must be cleaned, so complete is
the discipline aboard that it may be
fired once every three minutes. And
there are four of these terrible engines.
1t is a bright, clear day, and the
Massachusetts has sighted an enemy's
warship. The preliminary work of
clearing for action has been accom-
plished; ratings, ladders and boats
are down and have been slowed away,
and everything movable in the big ship
fastened. The glass port lights have
been replaced with steel, the water
tight compartments closed, the electric
plant for lighting the ship, turning the
lurrets and working the ammunition
lifts started the ammunition maga-
zines opened, and, lastly, the sick bay
prepared.
In the forward turret with the great
pair of 13 inch rifles stand crew of
twelve men, six to each gun. In the
hood of the turret, just above the
men, sits senior officer, and a junior
officer. "Silence! !" is the first COM
mand, and grimly the halfnaked men
Of the gun crew stand behind the guns.
Cast loose and provide" sharply
rings the order, and every man is in
stantly working.
The gun captain and number two,
three and four, who are the practical
gunners, unshackle the great monster
from its peace fasteniDgs; one sees
that repair tools and cleaners are
placed, gets water and hose ready;
another opens the safety valves and
exhaust pipes, starts the smoke fan
and ships the sight; and another pro-
vides drinking water and does a dozen
other things. But all is done within
a space of four minutes, and again
each man in his place stands like
statue of bronze.
The ammunition has come up pre-
pared with fuses, and then come the
orders, in quick succession, "Open
breech, sponge, land SHE'LL" The
great hydraulic rammer pushes in the
big L. pound steel projectile. "Load
first cartridge and 'the brown pow
ded, one.half that quantity necessary,
goes in. load second cartridge" and
in goes the second. "Down lift," and
the ammunition carriage goes down for
more. "Close breech," comes the or
der quickly, and followed in an in
slant by "prime," when the captain
puts in the electric primer.
Then the captain of the gun, seeing
everybody clear, says "ready," and
the officer in the hood above responds
with "point." Slowly both turrets 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 circuit and the big projectile
goes on its path of destruction. So
every one of the 26 rifed guns begin
to speak, and "Hell has indeed broken
loose.