Evening star., 1898-07-29
Inventions Made Necessary by Exist.
ing War With Spain.
CONfRIVANCES FOR LANDING TROOPS
Ammunition and Big Guns Con-
veyed Through the Surf.
WASHINGTON ENTERPRISE


the western hemisphere; the gradual awak-
ening of this giant to a realization of the
full magnitude of his great strength so
long latent; the Intervention between the
down-trodden toilors of Cuba and their
Spanish oppressors. and the task of wiping
out all the tyrranical rule OF decayed
nation on this side of the mundane sphere
has called forth much of the practical in
ventive genius of the country, although
II is safe to say that the possibilities of
the savants of America in improvising and
conjuring fearful machines of war have not
yet been reached
So far our guns and ships have proved
to be modern enough and sufficiently ef-
fective to win victories unprecedented in
the worlds history. The suddenness Of the
war, and the rapidity with which the opera
tlons have been carried on in foreign lands
has precluded the invention or completion
of complicated engines of destruction. But
there have been needed many practicable
and simple contrivances for landing troops,
ammunition and implements of war
through tie surf from transports. and for
carrying on a campaign in a marshy coun-
try. Tine suggestion a few years ago that
the United States army would today be in
vading an snemy's domain would have been
at once cried down as the foolish imagina-
tion of some diseased brain. And so the
war with Spain found this new power in
ing on an cxtersive campaign on foreign
shores in the particular of devices needed
for the purposes mentioned above.
The Demand Met.
But the demand of the army has been
met. Most of the necessary implements
thus suggested are the ideas of old army
officers, who know just what is needed for
successfully warning against foreign foe,
and great majority of these military ad-
juncts have been manufactured here in
Washington and shipped directly to the
front from this city. Not extensively
known as a manufacturing center Wash
ington has. nevertheless, foundries, ma
chine shops and mills, with resources far
beyond the knowledge of most OF her ctti-
zens and these concerns have not been
called upon in vain for rapid work on gov
ernment contracts. Portable hospitals. por-
table breastworks. and other war things"
about which more or less OF secrecy has
been observed have gone forward as Wash
ington products
The latest, and perhaps the most i'm
portant, shipments from here have been
consgnments to the army at Santiago and
Porto Rico of what are technically known
as siege gun tanks and ''pontoon coup
lings" The force of machinists at c. A.
Schneiders Sons. 212 18th street northwest,
have been working fifteen hours day for
several weeks on the supply to be sent to
Porto Rico The gun tanks have already
gone forward. At the Schneider foundry
additional pontoon couplings. and shipping
orders are awaited, although the contract
period has not nearly terminated. The DIFF
ferent parts of the couplings are addressed
TO Gen. Roy Stone, care Gen. Nelson A.
Miles, Porto Rico"
Siege Guns Taken.
The siege gun tanks are hollow, cylin-
dricai steel affairs, sixteen feet long and
three feet in diameter. made in two parts
or divided longitudinally. These tanks are
used in landing cannon from transports
anchored some distance out from shore.
Into the lower half of tank the huge gun
proper is placed. Then the top half of the
cylinder is put in position and bolted fast,
rubber strips between the sections making
the affair completely watertight. The gun
is held in place in a cradle, as il were, and
the tank is deliberately thrown overheard
from the ship. Having a sufficiency of air
space inside, it floats buoyantly, and once
in the water is taken in tow by steam
launch or surf boat and pulled ashore. 1t
is then rolled high on the beach, the gun
lifted out of the tank by derrick and
placed on one of the carriages brought
ashore on lighters and pontoons. In these
tanks the fine steel gun barrel and the in
tricate breech mechanism is absolutely safe
from any damage by wetting in salt
water.
Six of the gun tanks were sent to Santi-
ago, where they proved great success.
Guns all the way up 10 maximum weight
of three tons were easily taken ashore in
this manner. Six additional tanks have
been forwarded to Porto Rico TO be used
by the landing parties at this latest island
to be invaded. The foundry people feel
highly eiated over the success of the gun
landing tanks. and the turning out OF these,
as well as the pontoon couplings. reflects
credit on a Washington industry not gem
orally appreciated.
Couplings With Giant Hinges.
The pontoon couplings are giant hinges
made of fine rolled steel and very strongly
riveted together. The hinges are about
sixteen feet long and have a sweep OF
about two and half feet. The pontoons
used for landing purposes are constructed
er seen around the river front On the
edge of the deck of one the hinge is Sc
curely fixed, the overhanging half, when
not in use, is folded back out of the way.
On the second pontoon a number Of
steel plates with holes in the center. When
it is desired to couple the two pontoons
together the unfastened edge of the hinge
is swung over and bolted by coupling pins
to the other barge. The hinge has a dou-
bic swing, and in this manner the motion
given the pontoons by the waves is min
imized- The pontoons swing up and down
together the coupling holding them firmly.
In this way the bouncing about of a sim
gle pontoon on the sea is avoided and a
comparatively steady platform presented.
One hundred of the pontoon couplings
were sent to Santiago and fifty are await
ing shipment to Porto Rico. They will
probably go forward this evening or to-
morrow morning.