The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-03

war the Washington navy yard il
one OF the most interesting spots 10
pe found anywhere Strictly speak
II ing. IL is not a navy yard at all. but
q gun factory. Here Il Is that all
the heavy guns and most or the light
landing and boat guns for the navy ara
built. The amount Of work done in this
great national factory is enormous. even
in times OF peace. but now that the lathes.
engines and tools are running at full
speed "a hoars out of ~ the number OF
guns and gun carriages turned out is
nearly trehled.
Passing thrsugh the gate with its trim
marine sentry pacing to and fro. the WIS.,
itor sees uniformed officers Fastening this
way and that, busy with their duties. and
hears on every side the duh rumble OF
machinery. the heavy thud OF the trip
hammer and the snort.ng of the steam
cranes A small army of craftsmen In
the offces are busi.y preparing plans and
drawings for the use Of the gun builders.
ana the civilian bosses and foremsn OF
the shops are everywhere keeping watch
with eagle eyes Theirs is a most respcn-
sible duty. for any careless and incompet-
ent workman with a single slip of his tool
might spoil gun or carriage which had
cost the government thousands Of dollars
TO put together.
The putting together or assembling
OF modern gun Is apparently a simple
matter But II is really one OF the most
delicate operations in the world The
greatest care and precision are necessary
to make the different parts exactly fit.
and one revolution too many of pane
or boring tool would injure the part be-
yond repair. Hence comes much Of tee
fascination in watching the construction
OF one OF the bis guns as IL shows In
massive and polished beauty ready to
take Its place on one OF our men-of-war.
First Of all the tsbe Of the piece comes
to the factory from one of the big steel
companies the Bethlehem or the Midvaie,
which have the contracts to furnish forg-
ings. The tube comes In the rough. with
on.y core bored out, and looks like a
heavy piece of steel pipe. For the four
inch guns II Is - feet inches long. while
for the l3-inch guns IL attains q length of
70 feet This tube forms basis for all
future operations. A modern gun IL built
up by slipping upon IL number OF jack
cts and hoops. and shrinking them TO q
perfect adjustment. A 1s-inch gun. when
finished. has IL separate and distinct parts
which have been assembled and fitted to
the m!nutest fraction of an inch. AS the
caiihre and size Of the gun diminish. tho
number Of parts Is reduced. and the four
| inch piece is composed ~of only five. In
building up the gun the rough tube and
the bands are first placed In the lafhes
and carefully planned down to the dimen-
sions required. The diameter OF the In
terror OF the packet which il to slip over
the tube half way its length. must COR
respond with mathematical exactness TO
the diameter Of the tubes exterior:
while the hoops which In turn fit over
this jacket, must be treated with like
precision. This work Of planning Is done
In the great north gun shop. as It is
known at the navy yard. and when II Is
completed the tube and the bands have 10
be carried 10 the shrinking pit at the
north end OF the shop. where the next
process is to be undergone. There are
three heavy travelling cranes IN the shop,
Of no. 40 and Il tons lifting power capacity
respectively, and they pick up the huge
pieces OF iron and carry them to their
destination as easily and lightly as II they
weighed nothing at al.
The shrinking pitt is deep hole sunk
In the floor of the shop and fitted at each
end with an oven. These ovens, In which
the bands are to be expanded until they
can slip over the gun tube. are heated by
an air and oil blast 10 temperature of
70 degrees F.. for this degree OF heat is
necessary TO expand the heavy jacket for
the IL and 70 inch guns. At the pit the
tube ls planted carefully on end close 10
the oven. In which Is being heated the
jacket that II Is 10 receive. Pipes are SO
arranged that stream OF water can be
run continuously through the core Of the
tube 10 keep II cool and prevent expan-
sion by the heat as the hot jacket slips
over X. When all Is ready the men who
are 10 perform the delicate task stand at
attention Each one of them has his own
particular duty. and they are trained 10
act In concert. like a company OF soldiers.
TIE jacket has been placed I'm the oven
and sealed up. TO await expansion by the
| heat. The foreman gives the word. tn.
trave.ing crane comes up and lifts OF
the hot It'd OF the oven exposing the
jacket within. the hooks are made fast 10
a clamp previously attached 10 the jack
ct and the heated mass is lifted care
FUZZY from It's fiery bed. The engineer Of
the crane watches, with hawk-iike eye
the signals OF the foreman below. and
when a SUFFICIENT height has been reached
the jacket is swung over the tube and
lowered. Men with immense canvas NIT
tens guide ii as Il comes down and adjust
II in pace. When II has been slipped over
the tube, streams Of water are turned on
to cool 1t. As IL cools ii shrinks bacs. TO
its original size. and the delicate opera
ton Is complete
Strange as IL may seem. after coming
through It's fiery ordeal. the Jacket hard
iy shows q sign Of heat az ii Is lifted from
the oven. There IL slight blush tinge.
IL from the cold jacket which went In.
TIE exterior OF the tube and the interior
Of the Jacket being exactly the same size.
only the slightest expansion h required
10 make on. slip over the other. From
3~ie9 20 5-i0o OF an inch is all that Is al
aeHed. even In the monster J3-tnet gtins
So the speesiies, ard most accurate work
Is necessary after the jacket leaves che
oven. for il the iron should cool of be-
fore it was in place q would clamp st
once upon the tube ard the gan would he
ruined. A similar process Is gone through
with in slipping the smaller hoops over
the Jacket.
Tire shrinking Of one part on another
makes an absolutely perfect we'd ard
after once the band In in place nothing
short Of chipping IL or piece by piece
would r@nos4 II. The shrinking OF tn.
different lands OF the piece having bssn
finished. i, IS again put ia the lathe ard
turned down to the required size and the
edges OF che bands are bev-ied OF TO give
3 neat appearance II ID then ready for