The times., 1898-03-07

New England lumber camp. waiting for
the Spring freshets. the gunshop at the
Washington Navy Yard. where all the
ordnance for the vessels Of the Navy is
manufactured. has grown into a veritable
beehive Of activity, and big piles Of guns
have disappeared untn not one remains
to mark their erstwhile resting place.
The men who work there know that
they are Eone-know that the last con-
-iEnment left the yard Saturday They
know that The guns had been piling up
there for months. that the commandan:
OF the yard almost begged the department
10 remove them 10 make room in the shop
for new work, but that he received the
answer that they were reserve guns, only
to be used in cease Of emergency, and that
the navy yard was the fittest place for
them
Then the orders came 10 ship the guns
to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, not a few Of
them, but the entire lot. just as soon as
they could be loaded and transported.
With these orders there was Immediately
unusual activity about the yard. No
squads Of new men were put to work. but
all vacant places We're filed and the work
IN hand was conducted with all possible
haste. Then there came orders for five
thousand soft metal caps. or points, for
armor- piercing shells and projecIiles an
order such as had never been received be-
fore. and the work WAS pushed through as
fast as possible
In addition 10 this there was a squad
of skilled mechanics put to work over
hauling every piece Of machinery connect
ed with the manufacture of ordnance.
Not a nut. screw or bolt in the entire shop
was overlooked. Old and worn parts of
machinery were replaced with entirely
new parts and thoroughly tested. Every
pulley and belt was subjected to the Sc
veresI tests. and such new tools as were
needed were supplied in generous num-
bers. These men worked under officers
Of the Ordnance Department. worked
night and day, and yesterday they We're
stiIl al it. Their work is almost complet-
ed, however. and the gunshop has never
been in such good condition and so ready
for quick work as At present. The men
know what il ali means. II means that
the most thorough preparations are be
ing made for war. and not an employe OF
the gunshop believes differently. although
it has been officially given out that there
is no unusual activity
IT viii be interesting 10 note Just what
shipments Of ordnance have been made
lately. Ten ten-inch rapid-fire guns, part
Of The armament of the auxiliary cruisers
Of the American Line, have been ship
ped. FoTJy-nine f0ur-inch guns Of the
los 4
hreD, thought by many To be the most
effective gun IN use al The present day
followed them quickly and six six-inch
guns trapid fre). with the latest appli-
ances in the way Of electric firing appa-
ratus, which have Just been completed,
were shipped Saturday.
All OF these guns are accompanied by
mounungs and ready TO be set up at cnce.
With a few exceptions they are intended
for the auxiliary cruisers, and can be
mounted IN TWO days, or even less. There
are thirty-six auxiliary cruisers available
for this Government and Of these the four
American liners, the six Red d coasters,
The two Merchant and Miners coasters
and the ten coasting vessels or the Old
Dominion Company can be completely
armed with the guns that have been
shipped from the navy yard here. Other
auxiliary vessels are on the Pacific coast.
Of these vessels for which ordnance has
been shipped, the four American liners
would be equipped as commerce de-
stroyers. and the remainder as Iigi,- aun-
boats for haTbor defense and To prevent
blockade running. Some Of ,hem are very
fast and with their modern batteries
might prove themselves dangerous foes in
sea fight
The one hundred and Eve large caliber
gums shipped lately represent value Of
millions of dollars and have been under
construction for some time. They were
All made al the Dayy yard and represent
The highest type OF arms in their class.
ne live and siN-inch breech-lOading
guns OF the Chicago and Atlanta now
being remodeled and repaired have been
changed TO rapid-fire guns and shipped
TO the Brooklyn Navy Yard. where they
are ready for mounting on the two
cruisers, The guns for the main and
secondary batteries Of the new warships.
Kentucky, kearsarge Illinois. and Wis
consin. now under construction, are
nearing completion, and could be made
ready al short notice
The work that Is occupying the men in
the gun shop al present is the construc-
tipn Of one hundred Maxim Nordenfeldt
ouick-fire guns OF small caliber. for use
in the tops Of the ships, and for the
land forces. They are being completed
and made ready for shipment with the
utmost speed. These guns can be com
pleted under hurry orders in "A week. and
in the event Of war would probably be
turned out in large quantities for the
use Of the naval reserve OF the different
States and 10 equip the increased forces
Of marines that would be drafted for the
battleships and cruisers.
The work. however, that interests the
employees Of the gun shop and strength
ens the belief that preparations are being
made for war IS the manufacture Of the
soft steel points Tor the armcr piercing
prOJcctiles and shells and the placing Of
copper bands upon all projcctiles on
hand intended for the heavy guns. The
copper bands are welded around the
shells 10 make them fit perfectly, and 10
take The rifing Of the guns the metal
~ The projectiles being too hard 10 be
affected by Tiiing
The soft steel caps. which are being
made la such large quantities, lit over
the point of the shell, and are fastened
by welding. These caps are an inyen-
lion. made necessary by the progress IN
the act Of hardening steel and are not
usually carried IN large quantities by
the ships unless The amount Of am
muniion f. increased To the war limit
and makes their presence necessary.
When a shell with point or the hard
est steel. fired from one Of the modern
guns at great velocity, comes I'm con
tact with the aTmored side OF a great
ship. the impact creates such great heat
thai the shell or Drotectile and the
Hrmor are fused. thus stopping the pro-
gress 0f the projectile or allowing the
shell 10 explode on the outside Of the
ship and only cracking the arTnor OF
doing comparatively small damage.
When fitted with these points Of soft
steel the shell strikes the hardened
armor Of 4 battleship. the soft steel point
mel frsd -1d lsrf,