The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-17

now 1t profits by this policy and can spring
surprises.
Uncle Sam has at his command the new
and dainty dynamite gun that can bite
harded than any Chill sauce prepared by
any chef.
This gun has had but one semi-public
trial. The others have been secret. At
this semi-public test it showed such terrific
destroying powers that the plan of lis
mechanism was at once placed in a secret
place to remain the property of Uncle Sam
until he was called upon TO use it for his
protection.
This powerful dynamite destroyer will
have it's second public test when the first
guns are fired in the Spanish-American
war. On account of its lghtness twelve
of our warships in Cuban waters have been
fitted up with these guns. They are thirty
feet long, throw a dynamite projectile of
seventy to 500 pounds of dynamite twelve
miles and are regulated with a range find
er.
The terrible damage that can be done
with these guns is shown in the fact that
when the projectile strikes the water if
the vessel aimed a is within fifty feet, she
would be sunk by the mighty force.
Before the month of April is out and
before the Spaniards can reach our coast
there will be placed at Romer Shoals 10
guard the harbor of the city of New York
the largest and most powerful gun ever
built by any nation. The gun will throw
projectile Weighing over 1900 pounds "a
distance OF fifteen miles. IL is a breech-
loading gun and will cost in the neighbor-
hood of $l50 900. II will be known as the
Mckinley 16-inch gun and is fully able to
protect the city of New York alone
The cleverest thing, fort in itself, Is
the new smokeless, noiseless and fiameIess
gun, which Is especially designed for coast
| defenses.
The value of this is that farmer who
wishes to protect his little coast line can
have, If allowed by the government one
of these guns in his shrubbery and make
| 1t warm for the enemy should they an
| proach too near. This cannon Is so inof-
fensive and inconspicuous in its works
that 1t Is invaluable for small inlets. What
the mortar boat is 10 the little bay the
! smokeless, noiseless and hameless cannon
is to the little stretch along the shore
Naval officers say that with a sufficient
number of these they could actually guard
the entire coast line making IL impossi-
bic for the enemy TO land.
The only trouble with this cannon Is
that 1t does not throw as far as the big
! guns OF the navy. On the other hand II
Is more disappearing, If you will allow
the term. A warship can fire further, 10
be sure, but 1t cannot aim as accurately
| NOW, suppose case. The Spanish ter
| ror, the Cristobal Colon, is approaching
the shore. IL opens up It's fire and It
| necessarily does damage Meanwhile Il Is
constantly approaching. During this APP
proach the little nolseess, fiameless and
smokeless cannon has sent a steady fire
into the warship and does considerable
damage to Its parts exposed above the
water.
The warship attempts to destroy the
small cannon, OF course, but how will Il
locate "? 1t Is extremely difficult to hit
any one spot from a warshlp. Even Buff
falo Bill with his trained eye would find IL
hard 20 touch target with one of these
big guns aboard a cruiser. The small,
smokeless, noiseless, hameless cannon on
shore on the other hand, readily hits its
mark. Its course describes the well known
| parabolic direction and with one or two
misses at first will hit the deck or thu
smoke stacks of the cruiser with unfaiHng
accuracy. This has been done again and
again.
An unimportant gun Is the Key West
gun. IL is a 15-inch gun and throws shells
containing from fifty pounds to 800 pounds
Of nitro-gelatne. They are mounted on
carriages arranged 10 be turned and ele.
waited by electric power so that the gunner
standing on the platform on The left Of the
gun has entire control simply by moving
levers. He traverses, stops, elcvates or
depresses without ever once taking his
eye from the sight
The breech is interlocking. The slight
est movement OF the breech Will make II
impossible TO fire Under ground on eacn
side are big chambers and the firing re-
scrvoirs. Large wrought irOr
tubes are connected underground
with the gun by two 13-inch
cast iron pipes, which connect with
cylinder air pipe IN the center Of the
gun pintle. The air flows through these
pipes Into swing Joint which allows for