The Winslow mail., 1898-07-09
WORKING BIG GUNS.
An Exciting Scene On a Great
Battleship.
How Thirteen-Inch Cannon Throws
a ProjectfIc weighing 1,1OO
Pounds-CIearing for
Action.


Action.
ST am told" said Capt. Higginson, of
the battleship Massachusetts,, now of
the flying squadron. that the Indiana
put a she'll from her 13-inch gun
through a target at 1000 yards, and
then went through the same hole with
second shell. Pretty good work for
one Of these fellows" and the muscular
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 tape measure or 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 account of the
stupendousness of this greatest engine
Of destruction, Of modern days. A "13-
inch breech-loading rife" as the big
gest gun used in the navy is technically
described, is a piece Of metal weighing
10000 pounds, few inches over 80
feet in length, and with a powder space
1916 inches in diameter and 80.8 inches
long.
The only reference to 13 inches is in
the diameter of the steel projectile fired.
This monstrous gun throws projectile
that weighs LOO pounds, and the
amount of powder consumed for each
shot so fired is $50 pounds. The eXplo-
SIGN of this powder sends this weight
of LOO pounds of metal from the muz-
zle at the speed of 2,100 feet per sec
ond, and with an energy Of 33,627 tons
enough to send it through "a inches Of
steel at 1000 yards, and 21 inches at a
mile distant; and while the mechanism
Of this gun is complicated, 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 bright, clear day, and the Mas
sachuetts has sighted an enemy's war
ship. The preliminary work Of clearing
for action has been accomplished; rail
ings, 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 compart-
ments closed the electric plants for
lighting the ship, turning the turrets
and working the ammunition lifts,
started; the ammunition magazines
opened, and, lastly, the sick bed pre-
pared.
In the forward turret with the great
pair of 13-inch rifles stands a crew Of
12 men, six to each gun. In the hood Of
the turret, just above the men, sits
senior officer and junior officer. ''Si
leDce!' is the first command, and grim
ly the half-naked men of the gun crew
stand behind the guns. "Cast loose and
provide" sharply rings the order, and
every man is instantly working.
The gun captain and numbers two,
three and four, who are the practical
gunners, unshackle the great monster
from its peace fastenings; 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 provides drink
ing water and does dozen other things.
But all is done within space of four
minutes, and again each man in his
place stands like a statue of bronze.
The ammunition has come up pre-
pared with fuses, and then come the or
ders, in quick succession: "Open
breech, sponge, land she'll" The great
hydraulic rammer pushes in the big
1,10Q-pound steel projectile. Load
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," comes 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
everybody clear, says Ready" and the
officer in the hood above responds with,
Point" Slowly both turret and gun
are moved until the range finder indi-
Gates that the muzzle is pointing at the
enemy. Then, quick as flash, the Off
Ger in the turret hood closes the electric
circuit and the big projectile goes on it's
path of ruction.-George Edward
Graham, in Leslie's Weekly.