Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-16
INDESTRUCTIBLE GUN
ORDNANCE DEPT ABOUT To TEST
A CANNON OF NOVEL MAKE.
MADE OF STEEL RINGS AND 4 TUBE.
Can he Taken Apart, Carried Around
i'm Sections by the ArtiIIerymen,
and Put Together In n few MinuteS
Time.
(Correspondence OF the plspatchl

/ HBVHAfHNt VI AHt |tHRAAIusj
WASHINGTON. January l5.-The ex-
perts Of the United States Ordnance De.
partment have under consideration a new
gun that is expected TO revolutionize the
gentle art Of cannon-making. The diff
Guilty encountered by the makers OF
heavy ordnance has always been that
when constructing a gun to be used for
firing the tremendously powerful charges
used In these days, II has been impos-
sible TO guarantee that the explosion will
not damage the gun so as 10 In time
render 1t useless. Occasionally the gun.
| after being tested by the usual means,
and declared 10 be satisfactory. has.
when fired on board ship or in the bat
terry Of fort, exploded Unexpectedly.
scattering death and destruction ali
around. So impossible, seemingly has
It been to make absolutely sure that a
gun turned out OF the foundry is fawless
and safe against bursting. that tho
makers have given up claiming Il, and 50
an explosion has come 10 be looked for
periodically, and regarded as a matter Of
course. Moreover. the life OF a gun is
not so long as such an expensive piece Of
machinery should be. The constant
pounding the gun gets from the explosion
Jars 1t TO pieces and makes IL dangerous
TO handle after a few hundred shots
have been fired.
The claim is made for the new gun that
IL IS indestructble, and meets all the
needs Of heavy ordnance that experts
have been seeking in vain for so long a
time 10 procure. II was invented by
Edwin +. Blood, Of Chicago. The most
interesting feature Of the gun 20 those
who are not experts in the matter OF tho
force exerted by exploding powder on
metal, is that the cannon is constructed
in such small sections that II can be
carried around by the artillerymen who
use It. It can be taken 20 pieces and
put together again In an amazingly short
time, and when ready for firing, accord
ing to the claims Of the inventor, IL i5
the strongest cannon ever Invented.
Here Is what Mr.. Blood says about 4:
THE gun is constructed in sections Of
moderate weight, each section being
made, not Of cast but Of rolled steel
disks carbonized to the desired degree
Each section is ring shaped and OF a
size 10 match the central steel tube.
which is forced into place through these
rings by hydraulic pressure. The Sec
llolS are Htlu lIAllbNAbly ANbtAAtI hN
means of steel rods which are bolted on
cross heads at each end. The largest and
heaviest part Of the gun e. the central
tube Of thin steel containing the bore
The simplicity and ingenuity OF this ar
rangement Of steel tube fitting into steel
rings OF tapering size will be seen AZ
)nce. When the inner tube expands
with the heat it is only clasped the
closer in the embrace Of tho steel rings
D. f-t. 3..fr1
3 cold the rings are frightened by tho
nner barrel being pressed into the rings
~ hydraulic force, the indicator on the
hydraulic pump used for this purpose
moving the degree OF force applied. BY
his means every square inch on the sur
ace Of the tapering inner barrel is sub
ected 20 exactly the same pressure
Ience the initial tension impaired to the
utter steel disks is regulated and dis
ributed throughout the body OF the gun
Nth exact nicely. and can be relaxed az
iii, relieving the gun from the strain
T a high tension when desired.
THE means now employed 20 create
ne initial strain OF large guns do not
ossess any feature OF certainty or even
leans to ascertain the degree OF force
pplied, and no two Of the many forgings
hch make up a large gun are OF equal
nsion. Some are oyerstrained, some are
he parts which are overstrained 20 meet
he force of conclusion without the proper
lppOrt Of the parts which are lax, and
e vibration produced by tho explosion
powder rapidly crystallizes the parts
lder high tension.
These conditions are unavoidable under
e present system OF building large
mon and account for their short life
is n well authenticated fact. caDab'e
Il 1ftr1sf vs.lff
atoms produce changes in the mole
lar construction Of metal. causing
lnulation and capitalization. In this
mon the seams between the disks
-ming the body OF II check the vibra-
ms produced by the explosion OF powder
the same principle that a fracture IN
bell checks its vibrations Hence. these
ks will not crystallize. and being %
2 finest fibre under equal tension. they
arantee great durability.
In case the inner barrel Is powder
rned or its rihing impaired, II can be
ckly removed and a new one supplied,
king practically a new gun.
The vast advantage this gun posses
in the feature which permits
to be quickly knocked down. shipped
sections OF moderate weight 20 any
ired location, and again quickly as
lbled will be readily seen.
nAA'tANA Atiif'iAdl ltAllfe ~ IL can
built in a fraction OF the time now
uired 10 build a cannon by any other
wn method. BY this system Il is prac-
bic 10 build a gun Of Pinch caiibre
much shorter time than IL Is possible
build a gun OF 10-inch callbre by the
sent methods.
he different difficulties which have
stofore been encountered I'm the art
making very heavy cannon are by
new system met under conditions
,h admit OF their being practically
easily overcome or solved. entirely
owing the elements OF imperfecton
no longer leaving the construction OF
guns largely 20 speculation and
ice"
viii crafty these gallant men whose
compels them 10 stand by while one
no enormous guns used nowadays IS
, with the possibility ever present on
gun being blown 20 fragments. 70
yn that the experts who have ex-
led the new BLOOD gun regard II as
safest, as well as the most ingenious
,vised, piece OF ordnance yet sub
ed. 1t remains 70 be seen now what
severe test which the gun Will have
ndergo or the provlng-grounds Will