The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-16
POWER OF BIG GUNS.
Batteries on One Warship Can Fire Seven
Thousand Pounds of Metal at One
Charge.
IN. Y. Times.

The biggest gun carried on any Of the
battleships is thrteen-inch breech load
ing rife. The battleships Indiana, Ore
gon and Massachusetts each carry four
of these guns. They also carry eight s.
inch and four 6-inch guns. These form
their main battery. In their secondary
battery they carry twenty 6-pounders, six
1.pounders, and six machine guns. If
all these guns were fired at once, projec.
tiles weighing nearly 1000 pounds would
be thrown from each of the big BATTLE
ships, and some of these shots could be
sent about ten miles. The muzzIe energy
of these guns would be 202, 463 tons, or,
in plain language, the force with which
the projectiles would leave the muzzles
of the guns would be equal to the impact
of 202, 46S tons dropped one foot. These are
the fighting ships of the United States
Navy, and an idea of their power can be
had when their guns are studied little.
The Iowa is slightly inferior in arma
ment to the battlsships just mentioned.
She carries four Pinch guns, eight
S-inch guns, and six 4-inch guns. In her
secondary battery are twenty 6-pounders,
four 1-pounders, and six machine guns.
The Texas is smaller yet. She carries
two 12-inch guns, six 6-inch guns, twelve
6-pouders, six 1-pounders. and eight ma
chine guns. The batteries of the cruiser
Brooklyn consist of eight S-inch guns
twelve 5-inch guns, twelve 6-pounders,
T. nd civ aohi
The New York has six S-inch guns,
twelve 4-inch guns, twelve 6-pounders,
four 1-pounders, and six machine guns.
These guns throw projectile cylindro-
conical in form, which can be thrown a
mile for every inch of calibre, roughly
speaking. On board ship, however. the
guns are never elevated to get the maxi
mum distance because the angle ut which
the gun would have to be elevated would
be such that the reooil might hammer the
breech down on to the deck and do con-
siderable damage. A l5.inch guns etfec-
tiveness is about eight miles.
A 13-inch gun weighs 135.5O0 pounds,
or COS cons. Its total length is 40 feet
and it's greatest diameter 40 inches. 1t
takes $50 pounds of powder to discharge
one of these guns, and the projectile
thrown weighs 1.loO.pounds. The muzzle
velocity is equal to 2,100 feet a second,
and at 2,5oO..yards it is equal to sos feet
q second. The muzzle energy is equal to
33, 627 tons dropped one foot, and this shot
will perforate &C.. &c inches of steel at the
muzZIe. g
THE TWELvE-INCH GUN.
A Pinch gun weighs IS tons, and is
1858 feet in length. Its greatest diameter
is As inches. 1t requires 425 pounds of
powder to send the s5o-pound shot on its
journey. This shot leaves the muzzle at
rate equal to 2. 100 feet second, and its
muzzle energy is equal to 1886 tons. 1t
will penetrate "a. 16 inches OF steel at the
muzzle.
The 1O-inch gun will throw proiectile
weighing 500 pounds, and the charge of
powder weighs 225 to 240 pounds. The
gun weighs 25.7 tons, is 27.4 feet in
longth, and its greatest diameter is 40
inches. The muzzle velocity is 1900 feet,
the muzzle energy 1864 TONS and the
shot will perforate 49, rs inches of steel. !. =
The largest gun carried on any of the
armored cruisers is an S-inch. This gun
weighs 10 tons, is 25 feet in length. and
it's greatest diameter is 1878 inches
This gun throws projectile weighing 25O
pounds and takes a charge Of l05 to lis
pounds of powder. This gun on a war
ship is effective at about five miles. Its
muzzle velocity is equal to 1850 feet a
second, and the velocity at 1900 yards is
equal to 1,6i5 feet second. The muzzle
energy is equal to SOIL tons, and the pro-
jectile will perforate 16. 10 inches of steel.
A 6-inch gun weighs AS tons, and IS
1873 feet in length. Its greatest diameter
is 21.5 inches. This instrument Of de-
struction will throw projectile weigh
ing 100 pounds, and requires fifty pounds
OF powder for the charge. Its initial We
locity is equal to 1900 feet second, and
it's muzzle energy is 2,770 tons. Its
1OO-pound shot would perforate 0.27 in
ches of steel placed at the muzzle of the
gun.
SOME OF THE SMALL GUNS.