The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-11
Monster Ordnance to Be Placed
on Admiralty Head.
PUGET SOUND IMPROBABLE.
Dynamite Gun Of the Largest and
Most Effective Pattern to He Add
ed to the Protection of the Strait
Of Juan de Fuca-Its Mate Will
He at Port Royal-Power of the
Great Gun-Ises Wet Gun-CottOn.

The earthquake gun ia 10 be with us.
That Il 10 say Il Is % be established in all
its threatening potency at the entrance 10
Puget sound.
Over the lofty bluffs Of Admiralty head Is
TO be set one OF the huge dynamite guns
which have proved themselves the terrors
OF mo9ern warfare.
Advices 10 this effect have just leaked cut
through the war department al Washing
ton. The news Is especially important be-
cause Admiralty head /. cne OF only two
points In the United States which have been
chosen as stations of these greatest crea-
tions of latter day belligerency. The other
point is Hilton Head. Port Royal sound.
S. C.
1t IL not the big gun OF the vesuvius
which is TO be placed at Admiralty head.
II is something altogether new and bigger
the very biggest piece Of ordnance of it's
kind in the world Technically it is the
new fifteen-inch dynamite gun. Practi-
caliy Il discounts the yesuvius several
points. II carries bigger shell, has a big
ger destructive area, and Is more accurate
than the guns which have made excava-
tons in the earth at Santiago and seq. the
Dons chattering to their prisons
Will Make the Sound Impregnable.
The entrance to Puget sound is already
wei! fortified, but the addition Of the dy-
Mantle gun will render it practically i'm
pregnahle. vessel will be a wonder and
It's commander the owner to title to naval
immortality who can successfully float In
past the ten-inch disappearing carriage
guns and the mortsrs already placed at the
three points which command the entrance
to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. But the vessel
or the captain who attempts TO get past the
new dynamite gun is not likely to be able
10 even prove his identity. At least this IN
the way an enthusiast would figure II,
T,xxa~ v@Afr. f,fE AL s4rp
San Francisco bay, and which, by the way.
is higher and in some respects is consid
cred more formidable than Gibraltar. has
huge. gaping scar in its side. where an ex-
perimental shot with dynamite gun much
smaller than the one which 1t Is proposed
to place at Admiralty head tore It's way
through the earth and rock. That scar
stands as a warning to foreign warships
that the gun yet remains hidden behind the
breastworks ready to let go whenever some
nation gets too risky with Uncle Sam.
At the entrance 10 the Strait of Juan de
Fuca are three such promontores as Lime
point. All are armed with the heaviest of
modern ordnance. Add to one of them, Ad-
miraltv head. the monstrous piece Of new
marital mechanism. ard it becomes incon-
ceivable tina. Puget sound can be entered
by hostile war vessels.
Effective at Three Miles.
The dynamite gun has a range of three
miles For a distance of a mile and half
IL will carry a charge of go pounds of high
explosive What the explosion of go pounds
Of dynamite would signify Is more easily
conceived than described. For the full dis
lance of three miles the gun will carry a
charge of fifty pounds.
Compressed air is used in the dynamite
gun. BY this means the weapon is made
much lighter and more easily handled than
the powder guns. Wet gun cotton is used
because of its superior security in hand
ling. The explosive nature Of the gun cot
ton is rendered merely latent by being wet.
and the use of a small quantity OF dry
gun cotton placed in the head of the pro-
jectile before firing liberates Its power.
Doubtless the commanding Importance OF
Puget sound In connection with the de-
velopment Of American relations with the
Orient is partially responsible for the action
Of the department In adding this important
piece Of coast defense ordnance to the for
tifcations at Admiralty head. Eventually
a third gun is 10 be placed on Fishers
island, which guards the eastern APP
proaches to New York city. There viii
then be dynamite guns At the four most i'm
por,ant harbor points in the United States,
namely New York San Francisco. Seattle
and Port Royal.
With Admiralty head. Marrowstone point
and Point Wilson thoroughly armed. there
remains but one possible means of entering
Puget sound. That is by Deception pass.
But Deception pass is virtually unnaviga-
BILE Large war vessels certainly cannot
penetrate il, and smaller vessels could get
through only under the most experienced
pilots A few hours work at mining would
render even this impossible.
Merged Into a Mining Monthly.