Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-01-15
BIGGEST OF GUNS.
Building Monster TO Protect the Harbou
of New York.

The largest gun ever built in the
world is now being constructed at the
Bethlehem, Pa, Iron Works for the
defence of New York Harbor. This
enormous piece OF ordnance will
weigh, when completed, 126 tons. 1t
will exceed by six tons weight the mon
ster gun which Krupp, of Germany, ex-
hibited at the Worlds Fair in Chica-
60. and, in length it will be nearly Eve
seet longer than the German gun.
This monster American weapon is
being fabricated by the Bethlehem
Iron Works, under the orders OF the
War Department. 1t is the biggest or
der ever given to any establishment In
the world. That an American plant
:an execute the order shows the ire
mendous strides which have been made
in this country during the past ten
Tears.
The intention of the War Depart
nent, it Is announced, is to mount the
great piece on specially built founda-
lion. on Romer Shoals. The protec-
lion for this gun will be a turret,
which will wholly inclose the crew
and the greater part of the gun. From
its position on Romer Shoals the great
sweep of the channels leading into
New York harbor. There is not, it is
declared, a vessel afloat to-day with
armor of sufficient strength to resist
its shot. Mr.. John F. Meigs estimates
that a blow from the new gun would
have striking energy equal to that
Of q 2.0G0-ton ship when running at full
speed. The shot from the gun, he
adds, would smash, crack and batter
down any armor which 1t could be
possible for ship to carry The
question of piercing was hardly worth
entertaining.
The cal!hre of the new gun will be
sixteen inches. The lcng h, from
bleech to n,nzzle, will be forty-nine
feet, two inches. Tkrnul h the beech,
in vertical line the gun will have a
measurement of exactly five feet. kIr.
Meigs computes the weight OF a shot
for the new gun at little over 1890
pounds. That means more than ton
Of metal. The heaviest shots fired in
England have not weighed over 1000
pounds.
The powder charge for the Ameri-
can gun will weigh nearly 1000
pounds. Provided extreme elevation
for range could be obtained. a shot
from the New York Harbor gun would
be liable to travel more than sixteen
miles.
The greatest care has to be exer-
cised in the fabrication CT this great
weapon. If jacket or hoop be shrunk
on out OF line the piece may be there
by rendered useless. All measure
ments are brought down as close as
3-1CO OF an inch In the final riflina
work the great mass of metal will have
to be slowly TUNED on a lathe while
the rifting tool works its way through
the bore.
All metal used in the great gun is
fluid compressed. The specifications
which are being adhered TO demand
TIE tie most exacting physical tests.
Specimen piessss CT f-llattasi meta, are taken
from al! forgings and are srbjssted
to-elongation, breaking and bending,
tests. Finally, every part of the gun
must be of forged metal. The tube,
for instance, has been cast and rough
bored 1t will next have a mandrel in
troduced through its length. and then
be placed under the hammer
For this latter stage the Bethlehem
Works have the largest hammer in the
world. It is capable Of delivering
blow of 12O tons, or some ten tons
more than the famous Krupp hammer.
The building OF the new 16-inch gun
Is an expensive undertaking. The gun
Itself viii cost about $4,000. For
single guns the average cost to the
Government for all fabrication work In
this country is roughly estimated at
81 900 per ton OF gun.
: The cost of the gun carriage and
turret will bring the cost up to az
much again as the weapon, while the
cost for foundation will, it Is estimat.
ed. round out grand total OF at least
100000. The foundation for the 16-
inch gun will require depth. 1t la
said, of fifty feet IL earth be the basis.
This foundation must be constructed
Of concrete.
Brigadier-General Flagler Is report
ed to have declared that harbor such
as New York should possess at least
one gun capable OF stopping any ves-
sci an enemy might send in, when
every other gun in the harbor had
proved futile. IN other words, the 49,
inch is to be regarded as the salvation
of the port when every other piece Of
ordnance in the harbor has failed.