Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-10-28
COSTLY MONSTER MISSILES.
fsoss Tempered with as Much Cure -
Razor Blade.


Razor Blade.
The invention of the modern high
POWER guns have brought into use pro-
SETTLES that are the finest product o.
ingenuity and improved machinery,
calling forth the best efforts OF skilled
artisans. Instead of cast iron globes
that could be turned out by any foun-
dry twenty years ago, use is now maze
of the grades Of steel, tempered WIN
as much care as razor blade, anu
ground and polished with as much ex-
actitude as a surgical instrument. The
complete story of the manufacture Oh
armor-piercing projectiles by the steer
works in Reading is secret SO care
fully guarded that 1t has always peeh
hard to obtain, but at present, wheh
the big plant is running on war foot
ing 1t is still more difficult, as only
employees and government inspectors
are permitted to enter the companys
immense machine shops. Shells 4, D.
6, 8, 10, IL and Is inches in diameter
are being made for the navy, and ., y
and IL inch sizes for the army. Here
is the history of the making of H.
inch she'll and as the projectiles OF all
sizes are made in the same manner II
gives some idea Of the vast amount OF
labor required to equip fleet. In the
casting shop molten steel Is cast into
solid piece twelve and half inches
in diameter. It Is then taken to the
forge room, where, after being reneat-
ed, 1t is hammered down to ten ana
three-quarter inches, and considerably
elongated during the process. Next IT
is conveyed to the machine room anu
placed upon a specially constructor
lathe and turned and pointed. The
only parts of the shell that bear
against the rifed surface of the gun
are the conical end and the copper
ring that encircles the base. This ring
is soft, so as not to injure the rifiing
After the finishing cut has been given
to the projectiles the diameter OF the
largest part Of the cone is 1913 inches'
and that of the body of the shell is
$50 inches. Then the extracting
score" is cut. There is a V-shaped
groove. in which a tool can be fastened
when it is desired to withdraw the
shell from the gun. The next move
is the boring of five-inch hole in the
base of the projectile to a depth OF
fourteen inches. Tempering follows.
in this process the shell is suspended
point downward, into receptacle
flled with molten lead, and is allowed
to settle until the metal rises above the
cone base. At first the temperature
of the lead is but 500 degrees, but 1t IS
increased gradually to 1900 degrees.
The work of heating continues for
many hours, when the shell Is with
drawn and sprayed with water, to give
it hard exterior. Next follows q
bath in a vat filled with secret ingre-
dients after which the shell is cooled
with Jet of water Once more the
shell goes back to the machine shop,
where the hole in the base is widened
half an inch and the depth increased
two inches. The hole is then thread
ed and screw plug inserted. The
grinding room is next. Here the ex-
treme diameter Of the cone is ground
down to ten inches exactly. The work.
men now apply the band score"
which is a groove for the reception OF
the soft copper band. After the soft
steep cap has been fitted to the tip
of the projectile, on the theory that
when the shell strikes the armored
side Of battle ship the point will be
protected without any interference
with it's penetrating power, the work
is finished so far as the steel company
is concerned. 1t is then boxed up and
shipped to some United States arsenal,
where 1t is filed with an explosive
compound and made ready for its
work Of destruction. Philadelphia
Record.