The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-06-04


draulic ram necessary for taking up the re-
coil, running the gun in and out, and Civ
ing vertical train. The forward end Of the
under frame is pivoted to the trunnion
bearings. which bearings are rigidly secured
to the turntable This turntable, rigidly
attached to the turret rests on series OF
live rollers, or trucks fitted to revolve on a
fixed circular track just within the upper
surface of the barbettes This turntable
can be revolved in less than one minute.
TO LOAD THE BIG GUNS.
The hydraulic power which revolves the
turret, elevates and depresses the gun,
checks the recoil and returns the gan to the
firing position, and also operates the load
ing mechanism. TO train the gun the
division officer. from his station on the
sighting platform, turns L wheel in the di-
rection in which he wishes the turret t.
revolye; it can be stopped by screwing down
on another hand wheel at his right 1t
the officer wishes to elevate or depress the
gun he has at his left another wheel to ac-
complish his purpose,
The ammunition hoist, carrying the bio
shot is arranged to revOlve with the turn.
table SO that the operation Of loading cal
be performed with the turret in any posi-
ton; but the gun must first be run out and
laid level This is readily accomplished
by the division officer working the hanC
wheels on either side of him. To load the
gun man below the turret deck works {
lever that hoists up the ammunition until
it is pointed fair for the entering the breecf
Of the gun, when hydraulic telescope
rammer shoves it into place in the loading
chamber All this work done by hydraulic
power is substantially similar to that per
formed in the turrets Of our own battle
ships.
After the ammunition is moved home
the breech block is swung into p lace, the
gun is laid for the target, the charge is
primed and the great piece is sighted.
The division officer then presses button
and the mass of metal is sent forth to dc
its work. And how tremendous this work
is can be accurately told Thus, for the
13-inch guns of the Indiana, Massachu-
sets and Oregon the striking energy IL
foot tons for each gun just after the shot
leaves the muzzle is about thirty ythree
thousand TONS for l2inch gun the
energy is about twenty five thousand nine
hundred foot tons; for the Pelayos II. D
inch gun it is thirty thousand tons, and
for her inch twenty-four thousand tons.
Usually four of these guns Of large cali
Der are mounted on board battleshlp.
Two OF the guns are placed in il turret on
the fore and aft line Of the ship forward,
and two are similarly situated aft. The
advantages of this method Of emplacement
are that it allows the greatest thickness oi
armOr protection to be used for Il fixed
weight. it offers the poorest target to the
enemy's guns, it secures the maximum
weight of fire over the largest arc of train,
and a greater number of pieces can be
mounted in the secondary battery without
interfering with the ares Of fire of the diff
terent guns.
When the turrets are placed, as they
were in the Maine, an echelon, the armol
and guns are out near the sides Of the ship,
making the vessel roll in a seaway, though
more big guns-when mounted catty cor
nered-can be trained to fire right aheaC
and right astern than when the two tur
rets are on the middle line of the ship.
The practice observable in the most re
Gently constructed battle ships of foreign
navies is to have the two turrets, with
their pairs of guns, situated as far apart as
possible, utilizing the space between for the
mounting of the secondary armament.
There is noticeable peculiarity in the
composition Of the primary ornaments o
our battleships, when compared with the
batteries on board foreign built ships.
Other nationalties, as we have said, place
in their battle ships four guns of large cal
iber-1O, II, y or 13-inch-supple
mented by large number of rapid fire
pieces of 1. ) or 6-inch, and to these are
added still greater number Of much
smaller pieces, usually known by the
weights of the projectiles fired from them
at 3, 6 and II Founders. These three
types we find in our ships, but we have,
in addition, an intermediate caliber, the
S-inch gun, and herein lies the peculiarly
spoken Of, for no other battle ships the
world over possesses this feature Abroad
when there is difference it is not espe-
cially great; thus the Spanish ship Pelaye
carries two l3 5-inch guns, one in each
turret forward and aft, and two inch
guns. one each in turrets at the side. But
our battle ships carry four II or l3-mch
guns and eight 9-inch guns,