The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-16
POWER OF SOME BIG GUNS.
SEVEN THOUSAND POUNDS OF
METAL AT ONE DISCHARGE.

POunds-E0ectiVene of Rapid
Fire Gums.
From the New York Times.
The biggest gun carried on any OF the
battleships is a thirteen-inch breech-load-
ing rife. The battleships Indiana, oregon.
and Massachusetts each carry four of
these guns. They also carry s eight-inch
and six-inch guns These form their
main battery. In their secondary battery
they carry % six-pounders, one-pound-
ers, and machine guns. If all these
guns We're fired at once. projectiles weigh
ing nearly 7000 pounds would be thrown
from each of the big battleships. and some
of these shots could be sent about ten
miles. The muzzie energy of these guns
would be 202 1876 tons, or I'm plain Ian
guage, the force with which the projee-
tiles would leave the muzzles of the guns
would be equal TO the impact of 2o2 4S6
tons dropped one foot. These are The
fighting ships of the United States navy,
and an idea of their power can be had
when their guns are studied a little.
The Iowa Is slightly inferior in arma-
ment to the battleships just mentioned.
She carries twelve-inch guns, s eight
inch guns, and four-inch guns In her
secondary battery are 20 six-pounders, 4
one-pounders, and machine guns. The
Texas is smaller yet She carries . twelve
inch guns, six-inch guns, u six-pound-
ers, one-pounders, and 8 machine guns.
The batteries of the cruiser Brooklyn CON
sist of eight-inch guns, y five-inch guns.
u siX-pounders, one-pounders., and 6 ma
chine guns. The New York has eight
inch guns, II four-inch guns. y six
FOUNDERS, one-pounders, and machine
guns.
These guns throw a projectile cylindro-
conoldal in form, which can be thrown
mile for every inch of caliber. roughly
speaking. On board ship. however the
guns are never elevated TO get the maxi
mum distance because the angle at which
the gun would have to be elevated wof1ld
be such that the recoil might hammer the
preech down onto the deck and do con-
siderable damage. A thirteen-inch gun
effectiveness is about eight miles
lS-inch gun weighs 135, 500 pounds. or
600 tons Its total length is 20 feet and
Its greatest diameter 40 inches. Ii takes
boO pounds of powder to discharge one CT
these guns, and the projectile thrown
weighs l,l0o pounds. The muzzle velocity
Is equal to 2,100 feet a second. and nj > 50O
yards II is equal to 1,S05 feet a second.
The muzzle energy is equal to 80 ,e27 tons
cropped one foot, and this shot viii per
forate 1855 inches of steel at the muzzle.
A Finch gun weighs As tons and is 36 q
feet in length. les greatest diameter is 45
inches. 1t requires 425 pounds of powder
10 send the Ss0-pound shot on It's Jour
Eey. This shot leaves the nuzzle AT a
rate equal TO 2,1O0 feet a second and its
muzzle energy is equal TO 25, 9S5 tons. 1t
will penetrate "a. 16 inches of steel at the
muzzle
The l0-inch gun will throw a projectna
weighing 500 pounds, and the charge of
powder weighs 225 to 24O pounds The Gun
weighs 25.7 tons, is IA feet in length. and
ats greatest diameter is 40 inches. The
muzzle velocity is 1900 feet. the muzzle
energy 1885, tons, and the shot will per-
forate 1915 inches of steel.
The largest gun carried on any of the
armored cruisers is an eght-inch Fhis
gun weighs 10 tons, is % feet in length.
and its greatest diameter is &.75 inches
This gun throws a projectile weighing $50
pounds and takes a charge of lO5 10 us
pounds of powder. This gun on a war
ship is effective at about five miles It's
muzzle velocity is equal to 2.OS0 feet a sec
ond. and the velocity at 20O0 yards is equal
to 16l5 feet second. The muzzle energy
Is equal 10 SOIL tons, and the projectlle
win perforate IS 10 inches of steel
A 6-inch gun weighs AS tons, and is 1873
feet In length. It's greatest diameter is
zl.5 inches. This instrument Of destruc-
ton will throw a projectile weighing 100
pounds, and requires fifty pounds of pow
der for the charge. Its initial velocity Is
equal to 1000 feet second, and its muz-
zle energy is 2.773 tons. This 1O0-pound
shot would perforate 1927 inches of steel
placed at he muzzle of the gun.
-Four and 5-inch guns are divided into
two classes, breech-loading rifles and rap
td-fire guns. The rapid-hre guns can
throw twelve projectiles a minute with
deadly accuracy. The 4-inch rapid-fire gun
weighs S400 pounds, is 1871 feet long, and
its greatest diameter is Is inches. The
projectile weighs 80 pounds, and il re-
quires II to "A pounds of powder to dis
charge it. Its initial velocity is equal TO
2OO0 feet second, and its muzzle energy
is Sl5 tons. This projectile will perforate
lis inches of steel at the muzzle of the
gun. The 5-inch gun weighs 1000 pounds,
is l7.4 feet in length, and its greatest diam
eter is 1876 inches 1t throws a projeetile
weighing so pounds, and requires Is to &c
pounds of powder to discharge it, This
projectile would peTforate nine inches OF
steel at the muzzle of the gun. Its muzzle
velocity is equal TO 2,2J0 feet second, and
Its muzzle energy is LISA tons.
The 4-inch bTeech-loading rife weighs
$3.50 pounds, is 1871 feet In length, and It's
greatest diameter is 10 inches. 1t throws
SS-pound projectie with a charge of l.
to IA pounds of powder. It's muzzle We
locity, muzzle energy, and perforation al
the muzzle is the same as the breech-Ioad.
ing rife OF the same size.
The 5-inch reech-loading rife weighs
6,l90 pounds, is 1873 feet in length. and il.
greatest diameter is is inches. IL throw,
a projectile tnat weighs 60 pounds with z
charge of rs to 20 pounds of powder. Tn,
muzzie velocity is equal to 1000 feet a sec
ond, and at $500 yards the velocity is eaua
to l.32S feet a second. Its muzzle energy
is equal to 1850 tons, and the projectil,
will perforate s.67 inches of steel at m,
muzzle.
Machine guns form a very importan
part of a vessels armament. These destruc
tive implements can be worked so fast tha
they throw a perfect hail of bullets on tn,
object against which they are aimed Tn,
Colt rapid-fire gun has been mounted on