The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-13

reCo3l OF ten-inch gun IS equal 10 me
force exerted by a fifty-gon locomotive
running at the rate OF thirty niles an hour
ard suddenly stopped in SIS own length.
Yet this tremendous energy is SO handled
by pneumatic power and CONFERENCE.-The
that q person standing a few feet distant
is not disturbed by the shock.
The Burlington Croxisr disappearing ear
rage, which is the standard type fer coast
forfiacations is the kind 10 be used AT
Aarrowstone point, Point Wilson and Ad-
uiiralty head. The accompanying cut
shows the gun and carriage in firing posi-
ton. the gun showing above the parapet
Of the harhette. The following description
of the gun carriage was furnished ~ one
Of the engineers Connected with the ord
nance department OF the government:
The carriage is OF the front piatle form,
and consists OF the following principal
parts wig: The lever the top carriage.
the check plates or chassis, the eleyafing
gear, the racer, the five rollers. the base
ring. the transoms. the traverse wheels.
the traverse circle. the trayersing gear and
protectile crane.
The trunnions Of the gun rests in bearings
pushed with bronze, on the upper end OF
the levers. The levers are made Of east
steel. and are pivoted near their middle
points upon an axle of forged steel. The
axle rests in bearings pushed with bronze
in the top carriage which is formed with
iron. In each cylinder are two thrortling
bars of steel. which pass through notches
In the piston and serve TO regulate the size
OF the orifices for the flow of the liquid
past the pistons. being OF veribie cross Sec
ton. The hydraulic cylinders are con-
nected by pipe at their forward ends 10
equalize the pressure in them during recoil.
The piston rods, with the pistons formed
on them, are made OF forged steel and are
fastened by means of nuts TO projections
on the front end of the chassis. They are
produced through the rear cylinder heads.
The top carriage rests upon rollers OF.
forged steel. which are placed in recesses
in the check plates. The axles OF the roll
ers are Of forged STEEL and ths rollers are
brushed with bronze where the aNles pass
through them. The check plates are made
Of cast steel. and are united by three tran
SONS. also of cast steel. the rear one being
for the traverse wheels. The check plates
are bolted at their forward ends 10 the
racer, and have guides boited to them for
the eievating rack. Their upper surfaces
have slope of two degrees to the front TO
facilitate the return of the piece to bat
terry. and to reduce the preponderance Of
the counter-weight.
The eleyating rods are of forged steel
the journal bearings at their upper and
lower ends, being pushed with bronze
The lower ends of the rods are attached
TO elevating racks of bronze. The elevat-
ing hand-wheels are of wrought iron and
are mounted on through shaft, upon
which are pinions Of bronze gearing into
spur wheels of cast steel. On the shaft
with these are pinions of bronze gearing
into the elevating racks.
The action of the system in recoiling is
such that, no matter what elevation the
gun may have when fired. II will have
practically the same inclination to the
IA van In fauI
ing position.
The racer Is of cast steel, and the base
ring of gun iron. Their inner parts form
a pivot or pintle. which has a spiral groove
cut in one of its surfaces to facilitate lu-
IRRIGATION. The base ring is fastened to the
platform with sixteen 1A.-inch holding
down bolts. The rollers are conical and of
forged steel.
The counterweight is OF lead. and weighs
about s0.0o0 pounds on a ten-inch gun. 1t
is suspended by two rods from shaft
joining the lower ends of the levers. This
shaft is OF forged steel and passes through
the lower ends of the levers INTO clips
forming a crosshead, and the holes in the
levers being pushed with bronze. 1t is
pinned to the clips. with which 1t forms
the crosshead. The crosshead clips are OF
cast steel and lined on their bearing sur
faces with bronze strips. They are given
additional support. when In the lowest po-
siton. against projection of the chassis.
The crosshead guides are formed on the
inner sides of the chassis. A vertical
rachel Is made on one face OF each cross
head TO be caught by pawl on the chas-
sis and thus hold up the counter wei ght,
This pawl Is mounted upon short crank
actuated By . long lever at the side of the
carriage. and the arrangement Is used for
lowering the piece should the recoil not be
sufficient
som are of cast steel. and the axles of the
wheels rest on roller bearings
The trsversing chain lies around the ira
verse circle and is fastened to the parapet
1t Is provided with an arrangement for
taking up the slack The circle is of gun
iron, and is cast in segments and fastened
TO the platform by lI4-inch holding down
bolts.
The action of the carriage is a. follows:
Upon firing the piece the central pivot Of
the levers moves horizontally 10 the rear.
carrying the top carriage with IT, The
lower end moves vertically upward being
constrained by the crosshead guides The
gun moves downward and to the rear in
the arc OF an ellipse The energy Of recoiI
is absorbed party by raising the counter
weight and partly by the resistance OF the
hydraulic cylinders. After loading the
paws are tripped and the greater moment
of the CONFERENCE.-THE enables il TO rafsa
the piece into battery The return to bat
terry IS softened by hydraulic counter-co,l
buffers in the cylinders. forming a sort of
dashpot.
The piece is hauled down in the loading
position by hand for drill and cleaning bv
a ~lndlass arrangement. the rope leading
through sheaves on the levers and Chassis
Three fucrum pins are inserted in each
chassis near the forward end OF the fop
carriage 10 serve points Of support for
pinching levers held vertically and encag-
Ing In ratchets bolted 10 the under sides
of the top carriage clips for heaying the
top carriage forward In case il should not
return 10 firing position A spring pre-
vents the loading crane from swinging 20
a position under the breach OF the gun
where 1t might be struck by he latter
upon recoii.
This carriage Is capable Of great rapIdity
Of fire. Ten shots from an eight-gnch gun
have been fired from IL in twelve minutes
ard twenty-one seconds In the loading
position the gun liz completely covered
from a shot arriving st an angle Of seven
degrees The field Of fire Is ~ degrees
and the pointing Of the gun can be varied
from twelve degrees elevation 10 FIVE de-
eTeps depres<ion