La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-09-17

FROM the Bhiladelphia RECORD.
Modern warfare has developed into a
science that levies upon the services of
experts and experienced mechanics as
largely as the pursuits OF peace. 1t is
an expensive operation, and very few
among the millions who read the Prov
ess of the American navy have any
conception of the enormous cost of
each shot that is fred Those whose
knowledge of arms and ammunition is
limited to the impressions received
from the display of cannon and pyra-
mids of spherical cannon balls in
parks, armories and national ceme-
teries cannot realize what great chang
es have taken place within the past
ten years.
The invention of the modern high
power guns has brought into use pro-
iectiles that are the finest product of
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 made
OF the grades of steel. tempered with
as much care as a razor blade and
anu pOllSueu Win rs uluSu "a
actitude as a surgical instrument.
The complete story of the manufac-
ture of piercing projectiles By
the steel works in Reading is a secret
SO carefully guarded that 1t has always
been hard to obtain. but at present,
when the big plant is running on a
war footing. 1t is still more difficult,
as only employees and government in
spectors are permitted to enter the
company's immense machine shops.
Shells four, Eve, six, eight. ten, twelve
and thirteen inches in diameter are
being made for the navy, and eight.
ten and twelve-inch sizes for the army.
Contracts aggregating several millions
OF dollars are being filled there. and as
the company operates the largest pro-
jectile plant in the world. there are
few American vessels that do not car
ry these shells.
Here is the history of the making OF
a ten-inch shell. and as the projectiles
of all sizes are made in the same man
ner, 1t gives some idea OF the vast
amount of labor required to equip
fleet. In the casting shop molten steel
is cast into a solid piece twelve and
half inches in diameter. 1t is then
taken to the forge-room. where. after
being reheated 1t is hammered down
to ten and three-quarter inches, and
considerably elongated during the
process. Next 1t Is conveyed to the
machine shop and placed upon spe-
cially constructed lathe and turned and
pointed The only parts Of the shell
that bear against the rified surface of
the gun are the conical end and cop
per ring that encircles the base. This
ring Is soft. SO as not to injure the
rifing. After the finishing cut has
been given to the projectile the diane
ter of the largest part OF the cone is
ten and five hundredths inches.
and that OF the body Of the shell nine
and ninety-one-hundredths inches.
Then the Extracting score" is cut.
This is V-shaped groove. in which
tool can be fastened down when it is
desired to withdraw the shell from the
gun. The next move is the boring Of
a five-inch hole in the base of the pro-
jectile to a depth OF fourteen inches.
Tempering follows. In this process the
shell is suspended. point downward. in
a receptacle filed 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 four hours.
when the shell is withdrawn and
sprayed with water to give 1t hard
exterior Next follows bath in vat
filed with secret ingredients. 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 threaded and a screw plug In
serted. The grinding-room is next.
Here the extreme diameter Of the cone
Is ground down to ten inches exactly.
The workmen now apply the band