La Junta tribune., 1898-04-30

az II can be completed will be followed
With great interest. The gun Is the IN
yention of Rear Admiral j. a. ho"ei'
OF the United States navy. whose au'o
mobile torpedo was so effective ana
his name In conjunction with II ce'
taiply insures measure OF success
Rear Admiral Howell has been con-
duc,inx experiments for several years
To improve the yesuvIus' guns and op-
yiate the difficulties which they pre-
sent. He believes that the only means
nv which a safe, accurate and effective
gun can be secured Is by embodying IN
the projectile the two-fold character
of piece and proJectile: that is, to have
It receive impulse from forces residing
within Itself. Upon these lines he mas
worked until he has evolved gun
which will speed rocket containing
the explosive with the accuracy OF
rifle ball. He believed the rocket must
he made to revolve with the same TO-
tary motion Of n steel projectile huried
from an ordinary gun To do this the
enormous pressure OF twenty tons to a
souare inch would be required In an
ordinary gun. Such force would de-
tomato any mass OF high explosive al
the instant OF discharge. He therefore
conceived the idea of revolving both
the gun and the charge. The projectilc.
consisting. In the 1O-inch caiiher. Of
one hundred pounds of gun cotton. Is
.ucased in n thin metal envelope. the
rear end OF which contains rocket COM
posItion and the head percussion fuse
which ia set In action by the force OF
impact. This Is placed in the gun, and
when, by a mechanical contrivance, II
has been spun up to twenty-five hun
dred revolutions per minute. friction
cap igni,es the rocket composition.
and the banked up pressure at the base
starts the rocket. This. then. begins
its flight with n rotary motion corre-
spending to that of the gun. The fact
that this motion Is due to neither the
resistance OF the atmosphere against
vanes nor to the escape of a part of the
propelling gas from n number Of vents.
gives 1t great range. velocity. and,
above all. perfect accuracy-while the
absence OF any initial shock of dis
charge renders It absolutely safe.
The heaviest war rocket fired from
the new Howell gun will weigh three
hundred pounds. the range will be
about three thousand yards. and lis ac-
curacy almost equal to that OF rifle
prejectilc The piece. though 1t can
not be called a high angle FIRE gun. nor
one Of point-blank range. Is between
the mortar and the rifle. The new gun
can be used In both offensive and de-
fensive operations. ashore or afioat-in
fact. the Illustration represents a bat
tlcship attacked by several Of these
guns and the effect Of a detonation
AGAINST her armored sides.
The enemy is supposed to have been
one OF large neet that has engaged
the Sandy Hook batteries. and. either
through the smoze and confusion Of
battle. or some other chance OF war.
has succeeded In passing the fort.
clearing the Channel OF torpedoes by
countermining. and Is speeding for the
Narrowa, from which point she ex-
poets to make Of New York mass Of
smoking ruins. She has not reckoned
well. however. for. owing to great
draught OF water. the battleship Is
compelled to follow the ,ortuous main
ship channel. which brinKs her within
range OF the new weapons Of destruc-
lion mounted on the point at Coaey
s~land.