The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-04-21
MODERN GUNNERY.
Great IL Skill Required In Handling
the Mammoth CannOns
Now In Use.

| There was a time not long ago when
Artilierists actually aimed their huge
weapons. took careful sight, etc, and
discharged them by ''yanking" the lam
| yard when the proper order was re-
| ceived. That was gunnery. Under the
| conditions of modern warfare few if
any of the simple processes which in
| the wars of the past were found eff
| cacious can be used. In these days the
| officer who handles the modern high
| velocity rifle must be a scientist learned
| in chemistry, geometry, electricity,
| physics, metallurgy and explosives or
| he will mess things. In olden times
many a chance was taken. Half a dozen
| shots might be needed to get range.
| Now not a shot must be wasted 1t
| costs too much in actual money, and
besides, the piece with its delicate mech
| anism undergoes such a fearful strain
each time it is discharged that every
| thing must be settled in advance
| Then when the time comes to explode
| the charge a button is pressed by some
| body remote from the rife and the
trouble breaks out right there. ,
To reduce the firing of the great
| guns as nearly as possible to an exact
science an elaborate and systematic
series of experiments has been going on
| ever since the first modern breech-
loading rifle was turned over to the gov
| eminent several years ago. Every shot
that has been fired at the testing
| grounds has been recorded in an Off
cial log" which tells absolutely every
thing that happened at every dis
charge.
The United States army ordnance
| proving grounds at Sandy Hook, \. j.,
is the scene of all the important testing
and proving of the coast defense and
| other army ordnance. There are two
| distinct branches of work there-test-
| ing and proving. Testing is the longer
and more involved of the two. 1t is
| done with a type" gun furnished by
the makers. After the type" gun has
been tested and pronounced satisfac-
tory the other guns of the same type
are proved. Proving is simply less
| involved test.
The officers who test great guns are
| engaged in service that is distinctly
dangerous all the time. although they
would be the first to deny it, Weakness
| in a gun can be discovered only by ac
tual trial, and it announces itself by an
explosion. Every now and then when
| gun eXplodes at the Hook the public
| gets an idea that it was due to careless
| ness. when, as a matter of fact, the re-
suit was one to be expected. The men
| at the proving grounds who discover
a weakness in a gun forestall posi-
| bic big accident at fort.
The test of a type gun in the case of
| huge weapons like the eight, ten and
! twelveinch steel rifles extends over
| period Of many months. Such can
non is fired as quickly as possible to
| test its behavior under great continu-
Gus strain; quick firing powder is sgd
| to test its capability to withstand sud-
| den and enormous shocks; many kinds
| of proiectiles are fired to try its rigidi-
| ty and the quality of its rifling; it is
| elevated or depressed to the extreme to
test its behavior under all conditions;
| its action in recoil is studied; its en-
| terror and interior are watched con-
| tinually to note the effect on the mate
rial of which it is made, and every shot
| is recorded by electrical instruments of
wonderful accuracy, and often by pho
tographS.
The speed of the projectile at the
| breecn at the very moment of getting
its start is' known as the initial veloci
| ty. It is ascertained by means of little
copper Instruments known as pressure
gauges. They are screwed into the
| breech and the eXplosiCh congresses
them so that the force exerted by the
| powder charge can be determined accu-
rately. The force of the explosion and
the weights of the powder and pro,
| jectile to the very ounce being known.
the initial velocity is ascertained readi-
ly.
| At the moment of firing an indescrib,
| ably delicate electrical instrument fer
back in the recording office, where .he
| terrific shock of the discharge cannot
| affect it. registers the time to the ten
thousandth part of second. So deli
cate is this register that it can be read
only with powerful microscope.
| At the muzzle of the gun is wire
which is broken by the proiectile as il
leaves the muZzle, ard the little instru,
ment again registers the time. BY this
time the muzzle velocity is determined
| In the line of fire there are big wire
screens, each of which is connected
with other registering instruments
with electrical wires. AS the shot cuts
| them the instruments record it. Thus
the speed of flying projectile flying, as
these big ones do. at the rate of almost
$500 feet a second can be measured as
accurately as the speed of horse or a
running man.-Chicago Chronicle.
| One Step Too Many.
The Australians are said to be o
rather solemn people. but circum
| stances sometimes amuse them in spite
of themselves. The recent elections in
Victoria supplied several laughabe in
cidents. A candidate for a Melbourne