Cañon City record., 1898-07-07
WORKING BIG GUNS.
An Exciting Scene on a Great
Battleship.
How = Thfrteen-Inch Cannon Throws
u ProJectiIe Weighing 1,1OO
Pounds-CIeRrinR for
Action.


| the battleship Massachusetts, now of
\ the flying squadron, that the Indiana
put a shell from her 13-inch gun
through 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 l3-inch guns that make up
the main battery of the big ship of the
\ line.
/ Don't get out a tape measure or foot
rule and measure OF l3 inches and
wonder to what portion of the gun that
\ refers, because 1t would avail You little;
/ but rather listen to the account of the
stupendousness of this greatest engine
| of destruction. of modern days. \ '-13-
| inch breech-loading rifle as the big
| gest gun used in the navy is technically
| described, is piece of metal weighing
4 $4,000 pounds, few inches over 80
| feet in length, and with powder space
/ l5-5 inches in diameter and SOS inches
| long.
The only reference to i3 inches is in
| the diameter of the steel projectile fired.
| This monstrous gun throws projectile
/ that weighs 100 pounds, and the
/ amount of powder consumed for each
shot so fired is $50 pounds. The explo-
| sicn of this powder sends this weight
| OF 1.lO0 pounds of metal from the muz-
\ zle at the speed of 2,lOo feet per sec
! end, and with an energy of 33,627 tons
enough to send ii through % inches OF
| steel at 1000 yards, and 81 inches at 4
/ 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 il may be fired once every
three minutes, And there ar. four OF
these terrible engines.
Ii is bright, clear day, and the Mas
saehuetis has sighted an euemy's war
| ship &c preliminary W. r.. OF clearing
for aeti5s has been -cso=riished; rail
| ings. i-- aad aIts -rs l0wn and
have -as.l a,.-.-, - -ything
u0- big rs. i. The
shfs A-,s ieplaeed
~a,.r' ...j c5nPart-
;he r.-c.-,e ants for
aip. forming ae turrets
TIE gnmUnition lifts.
-er te mHunition magazines
=, aaH. lastly, the sick bed pre-
Pared.
In lie forward iurret with the great
1 Ea,r Of - inch rifles stands crew OF
sss .'sass. six fn each Rnu.n In the hood o.
tae turre.. Just above the men, sits
senior Officer and a junior officer. Isl
| lencei- is til first command, and grim
| Is The ha3s naked men of the gun crew
| stand behird the guns. Cast loose and
provide sharply rings the order, and
| eve-y man i instantly working.
ne gun captain and numbers two,
three ard four. who are the practical
! sunners. unshaekie the great monster
, from its peace fastenings: one sees that
repair tools and cleaners are placed,
gets water and hose. ready; another
OPENS the sefety valves and exhaust
| pipes, starts ibe smoke fan. and ships
the sight; and another provides drink
ing water and does dozen other things.
But all is done within a space of four
| minutes, and again each man in his
place stands lik. 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 shell" The great
hydraulic rammer pushes in the big
| l.1OO-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 fash, the Off
Ger in the turret hood closes the electric
circuit and the zig projectile goes on its
path of destruetiou.-George Edward
Graham, in Leslie's Weekly.