The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-17
POWER OF THE BIG GUNS
SHIP THAT CAN FIRE 1000 POUNDS
OF METAL AT ONE DISCHARGE.
The Machine Gums Deadly WOrk-The
Tbirteen-Inch Rifle Can Throw a
Shot weighing 1,1OO Pounds.
New York Times.


New York Times.
The biggest gun carried on any of the
battleships is a thirteen-inch breech-loading
rifle. The hattie ships Indiana, Oregon and
Massachusetts each carry four of these
guns. They also carry eight eight-inch and
four six-inch guns. These form their main
battery. In their secondary battery they
carry twenty six-pounders, six one-pound-
ers and six machine guns. If all these guns
were fired at once projectiles weighing near
ly seven thousand pounds would be thrown
from each of the big battle ships, and some
of these shots could be sent about ten miles.
The muzzle energy of these guns would be
POP, 436 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 1876 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 a little.
The Iowa is slightly inferior in armament
to the battle ships just mentioned She car
ries four tweve-inch guns, eight eight-inch
guns. and six four-inch guns. In her sec
ondary battery are twenty siX-pounders,
four one-pounders, and six machine guns.
The Texas is smaller yet. She carries two
twelve-inch guns, six siX-inch guns, twelve
sX-pounders. six one-pounders, and eight
machine guns The batteries OF the cruiser
Brooklyn consist Of eight eight-inch guns,
twelve hVe-inch guns, twelve siX-pounders,
four one-pounders, and six machine guns.
The New York has six eight-inch guns.
twelve four-inch guns, twelve siX-pounders,
four one-pounders, and six machine guns.
These guns throw a projectile cylindro-
conodal in form which can be thrown a
mile for every inch of caliber, roughly
speaking. On board ship, however, the guns
are never elevated to get the maximum
distance because the angle at which the
gun would have to be elevated would be
such that tho recoil might hammer the
breech down onto the deck and do cOnsid-
cradle damage. a thirteen-inch guns eff
fectiVeness is about eight miles.
A thirteen-inch gun weighs 1860 pounds,
or COS tons. It's 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 LOO pounds. The muzzle velocity
is equal to 2,100 feet a second, and at $500
yards it is equal to 1906 feet a second.
The muzzle energy is equal to 1887 tons
forate 1856 inches of steel at the muzze.
THE TWELVE-INCH GUN.
A twelve-inch gun weighs 45 tons and is
3G.S feet in length. Its greatest diameter is
As inches. 1t requires 425 pounds of powder
to send the S50-pound shot on it's journey.
This shot leaves the muzzle at a rate
equal to 2100 feet second, and it's muZzle
energy is equal to 1885 tons. 1t will pene-
trate 2416 inches of steel at the muzze.
The ten-inch gun will throw projectile
weighing 500 pounds, and the charge of
powder weighs 225 to 240 pounds. The gur
weighs 25.7 tons, is ga feet in length, and
its greatest diameter is 40 inches. The
muZZle velocity is 1000 feet. the muzzle
| ergy 1864 tons, and the shot will perforate
1875 inches of steel.
The largest gun carried on any of the
armored cruisers is an eight-inch- This gun
weighs 13 tons, is 20 feet in length, and it's
greatest diameter is 2S.75 inches. This
gun throws a projectile weighing $50 pounds
and takes a charge of 105 to rs pounds of
powder. This gun a warship is effective
at about five miles. It's muZzle velocity is
equal to 1850 feet second and the velocity
at 1900 yards is equal TO 1.615 feet a second.
| The muzzle energy is equal to SOIL tons,
and the projectile will perforate 1910 inches
A sx-inch gun weighs As tons and is 1873
feet in length. Its greatest diameter is 21.5
inches This instrument of destruction will
throw projectile weighing 100 pounds, and
requires fifty pounds OF powder for the
charge. Its initial velocity is equal to 1000
feet q second, and its muZzle energy IS 2,I13
tons. This 1O0-pound shot would perforate
1927 inches of steel placed at the muzzle of
the gun.
SOME OF THE SMALL GUNS.
-Four ana IlVG-lnCH guns are divided INTO
| two classes, breech-loading rifles and rapid
fire gums The rapid-fire guns can throw
twelve projectiles minute with deadly
curacy. The four inch rapid-fire gun weighs
3,40O pounds, is 1877 feet long, and it's great
est diameter is thirteen inches. The projec-
tile weighs thrty-three pounds, and it re-
quires twelve to fourteen pounds of powder
to discharge it. It's initial velocity is equal
to 20C0 feet a second, and its muzZle en-
ergy is 915 tons. This projectile will per-
forate 7.18 inches of steel at the muzzle of
the gun. The five-inch gun weighs 1900
pounds, is ia feet in length, and its great
est diameter is 1853 inches 1t throws
pounds e' and requires twenty-eight to thirty
pounds of powder to discharge 1T. rms
projectile, would perforate nine inches OF
steel at the muzzle of the gun It's muzzle
velocity is equal to $3.50 feet a second, and
its muzzle energy is l,754 tons.
The four-nch breech-loading rifle weighs
$3.50 pounds, is 1871 feet in length, and its
| greatest diameter is thirteen inches. 1T
| throws Il y-three-pound projectile with
! a charge of twelve to fourteen pounds of
| powder. It's muzzle velocity, muZZle ener-
| gy and perforation at the muzzle is the
| same as the breech-loading rifle OF the
| same size
,The five-inch breech-loading rife weighs
! $50 pounds, is 13.5 feet in length and its
| greatest diameter is eighteen inches. 1t
| throws projectile that weighs sixty
| pounds with a charge of tWenty-siX TO
! twenty-nine pounds of powder. The muZZle
II
! at $500 yards the velocity Is equal TO li25
! feet "A second Its muzzle energy is equal
| to 1850 tons and the projectile Will peg
! forate S67 inches of steel at the muzzle.
A HAIL OF BULLETS.
| Machine guns form a very important part
| of a vessels armament. These destructive
implements can be worked so fast that they
| throw a perfect hail of bullets on the object
against which they are aimed. The Colt
| rapfd-hre gun has been mounted on several
of the boats Of the mosquito fleet. This gun
| is of six-millimeter caliber, which, according
| to the way the size of guns are calculated
| here. is equal to .236 caliber. or the same
| size as the rifle now used by the navy. This
| gun can fire 200 shots minute and has a
! range of 200 feet The metal in the barrel
| of the gun is one inch thick and the cart
| ridges are fed from a belt. containing 1902.
| stored in a steel box attached near the
| breech At q test made in the navy yard
bullet from one of these guns was sent
/ through a three-eighths inch of steel plate,
| through twenty inches of wood through a
! steam coil and finally through another one
oiobtb- steel Mate. The gun weighs