The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-11
TURNING OUR GREAT GUNS
work for the Coast Defense at the
Waterviiet Arsenai--Bui Buiiding the
I6-Inch Monster That WIN Cost
100000, Throw u Projectiie Fif-
teen Miles, and Use 1000 Pounds
OF Powder at a charge.

teen Miles, and Use 1000 Pounds
OF Powder at n Charge.
watervliet n. Y, Letter in the sun.
The great gun factory at the Water
vliet arsenal is humming with activity
in these days. On every side and in
every department one hears the whirr
Of ponderous wheels, the creaking of
giant cranes, the rafting Of colossal
chains, the rumbling of heavy convey
ances, and the clang of many ham
mers. Hundreds of men are at work at
huge pieces of ordnance. 1t is here
that the government is building the
great l6-inch gun which, when finished,
will be the largest in the world, and
here, too, guns are being made for sea-
coast defence and field service.
The great ordnance factory is beauti-
fully situated on the west side of the
Hudson river, and commands an in
spring view of that picturesque stream.
In summer time the grounds are splen-
didly cared for, and on all sides give
ample evidence of the skill of the gar
rison's landscape gardener, The walks
are broad and well shaded by trees,
whose branches keep off the hot sun
shine. The roadways are gravelled and
perfectly kept. Near the pretty cot
tage of the commandant are golf links,
croquet grounds, lawn tennis grounds,
and other spots for outdoor recreation.
A stream of water running through the
grounds gives the arsenal an additional
charm.
HISTORY.
1t was on July Ii, 1913 that the first
purchase of land for an arsenal was
made in the village of West Troy The
deed of that date conveyed a little
more than one acre, lying on the east
side of River street, now Broadway,
and affording river frontage of about
700 feet and about twelve acres on the
other side of the street and opposite
the first plat. For this plat $2,5S5 was
paid. In 1914. under the direction of
Lieutenant Colonel Bomford of the ord
nance department, the government be-
! gan the construction of an arsenal. 1t
was originally designed as a small de-
| pot for supplies, and the buildings con-
| structed at that time were suited to
! that purpose. In 1915 more buildings
were erected and more land was ac-
| quired. In 1882 thirty more acres of
| land was purchased. Since then the
| government has from time to time add
| ed to the property until now its area
| comprises about 13S acres. 1t was not
| until Oct. is, 1887 that the manufac-
| ture of ordnance was begun here. The
| first section of the large shop was
| started in October 1890, just three
! years later. On the anniversary day,
in 1898, exactly three years afterward,
work on the second section of the same
shop was begun. Since then this gun
plant has turned out hundreds of cam
non and many mortars. 1t is a great
compliment to the arsenal to say that
! every instrument Of war ever turned
out of the vast gun factory has been
! a complete success. When taken to
the proving grounds at Sandy Hook
these pieces have been found in every
way satisfactory. The arsenal employs
| about 400 men.
The length of the gun factory is
about 1000 feet. 1t contains machin-
cry of the latest type. The three cleo
| trio cranes in the shop are marvels of
mechanical ingenuity. The smallest has
a capacity of 80 tons, the second of IS
tons, and the third of 130 tons. These
cranes pick up ponderous cannon with
| marvellous ease and convey them the
| full length of the shop. 1t is remark
able sight to see the largest crane carry
a gun weighing thousands of pounds as
easily as though it weighed only few
| hundreds. Another wonderful machine
in the main room of the gunshop is
the compositor. This is a very accu-
rate measuring machine and takes ac-
count of the one-thousandth part of
an inch.
ONE SPECIMEN PRODUCT.
Many guns are seen in various stages
| of construction in this department.
One of the most interesting is a gun
designed to throw a 1000 pound steel
or iron projectile about twelve miles.
1t weighs 80 gross tons, or about 49,
200 pounds; 4j0 pounds of brown pris-
matte powder will be used at each
| discharge. 1t is breech-loading gun,
and IT is possible to fire u shell from
it about every two minutes. To look
through this gun from the breech end
is like peering through a long, narrow
tunnel The distance is most decep-
tive, one imagining 1t to be much long
er than it really is.
lhe nfSL lnBOt Tor this monster gun
was cast in October last at Bethle-
hem, and was for the tube forging. 1t
weighed $500 pounds. The jacket
forging weighed 10000 pounds The
tempering and annealing processes are
also done at the Bethlehem shops. EV-
cry ounce of the metal used in this
monster gun Is fluid compressed. The
specifications demand the most exact
ing tests, Specimen pieces from all
the forgings are carefully subjected to
elongation, breaking and bending
tests. The hammer which pounds the
tube into rough shape is capable Of de-
livering blow of l20 tons, or ten tons
more than the celebrated Krupp ham,
mer. When finished the gun will weigh
1875 tons. This is six tons more than
the monster gun which Krupp exhib-
tied at the Worlds Fair. Before the
American gun is finally accepted il
must Withstand charges of powder
which, when fired, will develop pres
sure of at least $4,000 pounds to the
square inch. The gun will have nc
trunniOns, but will be secured by steel
straps to its carriage This is the first
modern gun built by this government
in which trunnions have been omitted
The gun when completed will cost