The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-19
WORK OFNAvAL ORDNANCE
rr o,yE1L's REPORT ON TEE RE
CHLA' sULTS OF THE WAR.

charles O'Neil. Chief OF the Bureau OF
Segs.rcs lust submitted to the Secretary Of
uN N.vv. does not deal TO the extent that
tne M eypected with the lessons to DO
mlhp. ,rom the use OF modern ordnance in tho
onN.Si,h snain, but Is nevertheless an inter-
va. summary OF what the Ordnance Bureau
ett n-rlIsbed in the war. As soon as war be-
ec N. immlnent." says Capt, 0'Neil. "orders
em. .,ysn for large quantities OF powder. pro-
,I.,,,ss Of all kinds. fixed ammunition.
vi arms and small guns for secondary
,u..,.s md contractors were required to
pns.nn work without intermission and to in
" ~, their capacity. All vessels OF the navy
". AIled up with ammunition. even those on
49, stations. and supply vessels laden with
s..ryc supply we're kept in readiness to sup
ry the fleets.
,...,numbers we're prepared and issued. and
i."rchine tubes. &c. for seventy-f1ve auxiliary
.o,nsdo boats we're also prepared. The Gov
.,nment shops we're required to work continu-
.n.lv and by these means an adequate supply
Iw,r material ofall kinds was procured"
Thu war taught the great value OF smokeless
..rdsr and IL is with considerable satisfac-
ror that Capt. O'Neil is able to say that after
~,nv difficulties the manufacture OF smokeless
rorder made by the bureaus formula from
,'o,rble nitro. cellulose dissolved in ether-alco-
M. uniform In character and possessing good
l,spipr qualities, has become an accomplished
t.t Continuing on this subject the Chief OF
Ordnance remarks:
"considerable quantities have already been
,rovided. and a few vessels have been given
,omplete outfits: all vessels fitted out here
mar will, II time and money permit. be sup
pued exclusively with smokeless powder. ex-
,.rt A certain number OF charges OF brown
rowder to be used for target practice. In order
that the supply of the latter on hand may be
used up, and because it is cheaper than smoke
SHE bureau could have supplied consider
,he quantities of smokeless powder to various
vessels during the late war. but. as owing to
the lack Of time 1t was imPraeticabie to supply
il part, as q few guns using the brown powder
would nullify the advantages gained by the
use Of smOkeless powder in others.
THE bureau has now in process OF manu-
itcture a large quantity. and will endeavor to
accumulate a sufficient supply to gradually in
toduce II in all vessels In the service, Con
sum OF money for the erection OF a Govern
ment factory for the manufacture Of smokeless
powder, q parcel bo OF land c1s.r on tn the tb Indian ilrr Head 4
On the subject OF armor. Capt. O'Nen has
this TO say:
"IOlBl0eraDle Improvement mas Deen maQ0
h the, method of face hardening armor. as
applied to experimental plates. and the bureau
Is tested one OF. o inches IN thickness and
another one TX inches in thickness submit,
showed excellent qualities. somewhat In ex-
resS Of plates, previously presented which had
R e. treated eSStt.d ?. Ry other processes GS There IL but
that previously used can be manufactured, re-
Iuhing In q considerable saving OF weight
which now has to be assigned for protection in
Since the date of Capt. o'Noils report of a
Ysar ago 1.12 guns OF various calibres from 4 to
= S sI1ffs aeso have T RSss S omPP4iss st a taS 4 Hnch!
Pinch and twelve, 13-inch,. Thirty.three
S S.Hs eG apa 1sG ia stan salc Eo nRfin % s Gl6in'5 Tbi fzPe
Viz sftSI private fi!ate dErms hay have ni ALSO BEEN enG partly tH@ comS
ElSss. t EHsSttgfSs -i hsEs t Rssn SEdSre 4lin 1SF a hpi
os3.tnch l~14-pounder) gun.
While no material change has been made dur
"a OF Of guns gum under d msnufseture. new SV designs
i've been prepared for future runs Of all cali
h~s calculated to insure a much. greater muZ-
Do same calibre at present, In service, The
board the battleshfps Maine. OHIO and Mis-
monitors authorized at the last session Of Con-
ETsss.
SdohiNOg III hoNO OOOh oONOlGl{ lCbI0u
during the recent war, and Capt. O'Eeil says
tis gratifying to be able to report that their
performance has been in general thoroughly
tails OF some OF the mounts for guns Of small
sfs!i6ro developed and were quickly or are be-
Heports have been received from the various
vessels as 70 the performance of their ord
nance. and the general tenor of them has been
mat guns. mounts. turrets and ammunition
That such should be the case In so complex
STRUCTURE as a 6attleship and its equipment Is
certainly gratifying" he remarks. Improve
ments are, being made constantly, and each
new vessel, Is superior to her predecessor in
many details OF her armament and ordnance
Capt, ONeil is In favor Of the use Of cleo
Scty in operating turrets. On that point he
Experience has shown that guns in turrets
more accurately and made to follow a moving
SSGGet than when operated by steam. hy-
SIaaiic,1 or pneumatic power There are nc
Snu no delay In obtaining a full working press
VIZ W. ana no Troublesome or noisy exhaust
SsPfS 70 deal With. A bprned.out fuse can be
SaI as me wires can be led below the armored
i SseK n tSsIs Is little liability of the latter becom-
Concerning the Vesuvius he says:
dhe Eesuvius was put In order. as far as
S soSsas : 80 lar as her pneumatic guns were
SVpT1Irn ed and MAS fitted out with a good
aNt- = n-s phiO lC DpL1O III
IoIvon shells of Santiago. but the bureau has
Itsea unable to obtain any reliable data as to
,e execution done by them. The guns OF this
.essel 10 not represent the best efforts OF the
Smpany. having. a shorter range than the
Suns supplied to the army. Thu vessel herself
% ~ wei adapted for general service. and the
ssyuseSsSnoh OF her utility must soon be consid-
me report contains these references to the
tu N ~ ~ Ine ordnance Bureau in the manufac-
The bureau has in process OF manufacture
n.y., Wv naval gun factory 100 heavy 1-pounder
ttic cSIn guns. nearly half OF which are prac-
Si 9511 Completed. These guns fire at the rate
ks.TrTV snots per minute. but are nearly as
iSs ' ana as large as a .~6-pounder. and have
INN N muktsaavantaGe OF using their ammunition
m9n belts. which is always a source OK more
X Il Ess trouble, The bureau does not consider
IN ie hrlounder guns as OF any appreciable value
critIhe economy OF the battleship or large
suhs,t except, perhaps. for boat guns. and will
IA oIs ~ ior them on the torpedo boats about
WbSSn Uu,it lie 5-pounder sem~i-automatic guns.
but wb autoihatlc guns work we'll they are ideal.
came, ha anything goes, wrong the difficulty
IN pe quickly remedied as Il rule.
,dne bureau is also making sixty five semi
isu csnIt siX,pounder guus mt the naval gun
Itro oiy Intended for the new t~orpedo-boat de-
anal e IT'S which will carry, in addition TO five
bonn fSuls, TWO twelve FOUNDERS each. A six
ieisrroI seml-automatic gun OF the kind above
Ina NOV 10 was recently fired 1000 times at
Of anS VIng ground without hitch or the failure
might hap ar OF the mechanism. and probably
"a lrcI many more times.
ton, 6heW ,high-pOwered 3-inch gun tfourteen-
tmSIssILa, mas been designed. calculated to have
oTvIIHHnnse velocity Of 5000 foot seconds, and the
dtredh' iF THIS type OF gun have been or