Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-06-08
BIG GUNS LONG LIVED
THIS is ALREADY DEMONSTRATED BY
THE PRESENT WAR.

ANaNaA Reports ITOIQ
the officers on board the battleships and
monitors in the West Indies speak in
the highest terms of the behavior Of the
heavy guns mounted on these ships.
Not one of the big guns has exhibited
any signs OF weakening, although some
OF them have already been fired more
times than foreign ordnance experts ex-
pected they could be fred with safety.
American naval officers, who know how
guns are made down at the Washington
gun factory, confidently predict that
every big gun in Sampson fleet will
outlive the war unless put out of action
by the enemy.
Since the war began deal Of nom
sense has been printed about the life
Of big guns, as the result of which the
general opinion held among persons who
have not the opportunity to learn the
| truth is that one Of the "peacemakers"
on the Oregon, for example-a gun
which hurls half ton Of steel through
33 inches Of wrought iron-cannot be
depended upon to stand the strain Of
more than 100 firings and may even go
to pieces much sooner. 1t is not difficult
to discover the origin Of the 900 fir
ings" fallacy. 1t is the same as that Of
some other similar ones.
| Not long ago book was published in
England on Modern Naval Artillery"
in which was described the manufacture
Of heavy ordnance at the great Elswick
factory. "Brassey's Naval. Annual,
the leading authority in Europe on ma
val statistics declared at the time the
book came out that there was no better
authority on the subject of the life Of
big guns and quoted from it this state
ment: ut is generally understood that
the life of the 81 ton gun may be taken
at 1870 rounds and the 10 ton gun at IS
rounds, both with full charges" And
Captain Ordo Browne, the EnglislLprd-
nance expert adds, 1.-THE number Of
rounds which heavy gun will fire be-
fore becoming unserviceable is unfortu-
nately very small"
We began making modern guns only
ten years ago, the armament Of the first
cruisers of the white squadron having
been bought abroad. Just / years ago
this month the first contracts for gun
forgings of modern construction were
let to the Bethlehem Iron company. We
began the manufacture OF the very type
of guns about to be discarded abroad.
Since that contract was let we have
built a gun factory at the Washington
navy yard, where have been built all
the heavy guns on our battlcships, mon
itors and fighting cruisers. Americans
, do not generally know it, but it is q
fact, undisputed by foreign experts who
have studied guninalSing in the United
States, that the Washington gun factory
} turns out the finest "hooped" guns IL
) the world-far superior to Krupp' s.
and, in fact, the only heavy naval guns
, of this type which will stand the strair
of long service.
Just how long our big naval guns
NAV be expected to live is matter o.
opinion, for none of them has died yet
3 Not one of them has ever even broker
down in service. One of the Miantono
. moh's 10 inch guns now waiting for
chance to sink an cnemy's ship, hls hat
t about as severe test as any OF the BIZ
= guns in the navy, flor the gun was on
0 of the first turned out of the gun facto
n nv. Gunner Michael w. Gilmartln, nov
= on duty at the New York navy yard
o fired this gun more than 100 times a
the Indian Head proving grounds. Tina
o was some years ago, before the gun wa
o mounted aboard ship. Since it was frs
: shipped to the testing ground this gu
y has been fired more than 200 times, an
J. it is just as fit for service today as tn
h day it left the factory. No gun abroa
Q can show such record.
The Miantonomoh's guns, it must b
remembered, We're among our earl
guns. In strength and stability they ar
inferior to the newer ones The wa
n with Spain may result in data frol
which may be determined the avcraG
n life of the IL inch and ID inch guns
;. Int ordnance officers say the war WI
q have to be long one to put any OF on
4 heavy guns out of action. That all
the new guns will be serviccable aftt
|. as many as 800 firings is the opinion
many of the experts, and some place I'd
r. figure much higher. Abroad the gun
10 makers doubt that their big "hooped
= onns would live through single heav
r enpapement. American experts belle'
~ that American guns will outllve the
@ usefulness, be scrviceable when the
=. places are usurped by guns of still mt
It construction.
W While none of our big guns has bee
IT. long enough in service to Indicate no
l.. many more times it may be safely hre'
!. the fact that none of the Washlngt(
~ puns has ever burst in service goes
n long way toward proving the superb
70 itv of American guns over those OF 10
o. eipn make. Down at Indian Head Il
V other day gun was destroyed by u
explosion of high explosive smell
the breech during an experiment. re
v. tnnately no one was injured. But abro'
a. pnn accidents under service conoltlo
rn are Of not infrequent occurrence. II
70. norts from our naval attaches snow IN
or these accidents are seldom reported
US the newspapers, excepting where the
al ;s loss of life. Especially is this true
of Germany, where number OF o
re Krupps have burst. The good behavl
r. IF American big guns is only amour
. iIlnstration of the ability of tho 4anN
TO outstrip the foreigner.-Ne" ~
Sun. -
Timely Information.
w Tho Spanish spies i'll THIS couhV
all sbou1d lose no time in informing op'
Il