The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-04-30

is known as the disappearing type For
a proper understanding of the carriage,
however, il is necessary TO know the prin-
ciple upon which the emplacement is con-
structed. 1t consists of two or more wells
containing elevators of enormous power,
which raise and lower massive iron plat
forms, each carrying a 12-inch gun and
carriage.
The gun is loaded and aimed at the bot
tom of the well, entirely under cover. By
simply touching 4 lever the gun is raised
to the roof of the fertilization fired and
again lowered to the bottom OF the well.
The rapidity with which these huge weap-
ons may be loaded and fired is a matter
of stonishment-only a few minutes in
| teryening between shots. The modern
seacoast ordnance thus far adopted for the
American service are the s, 10. r. and 13-
inch breechloading rifles, and the 12-inch
breech-loading rified mortar.
| In addition TO these some form of heavy
rapid fire gun will probably be adopted
| for sweeping mine fields and protecting
shore batteries against possible land at
| tacks.
Heavy guns do not constitute the only
means of defence both the army and
navy are abundantly supplied with guns
of smaller calibre, of the most approved
| type and design.
These guns include weapons for all
!
| gency. America has guns SO small that
| they may be strapped on mules back.
| The mountain and light artillery played
| an important part in the seige of San
| tiago. and the lighter guns in the fleets OF
Admirals Dewey and Schley did good serv-
| ice.
Acknowledging ProjectiIes.
| Guns would be WORTHLESS unless the pro-
jectile used was sufficient to pierce the
most formidable armor plate known to
shipbuiIders. A shell must be made SO as
to deliver its enormous energy to the yes
| sells armor without suffering fracture or
distortion. That American genius has ac-
complished this result, was exemplified in
the war with Spain. The armor that pro-
| tected Montojo's and Cevera's fleets was
pierced by the projectiles from American
guns as If it had been so much pine plank
ing. Some idea as to the size of projectiles
used by the larger guns may be gained
from the accompanying illustration. All
of the armor- piercing projectiles used by
both the army and navy are constructed
from the hardest kind OF steel capped with
some soft metal, so that it will not shat
ter when coming in contact with any for
eign matter. The projectiles used in the
smaller guns are of equal excellence.
! With the finest ships. the most powerful
guns, the best proiectiles, and the bravest
and most skillful soldiers and sailors in
the world America has nothing to fear
from foreign foe. either on land or sea.
Not only has this country the best guns
In the world but 1t also has great many
of them, and the number is rapidly being
increased. According to the latest statistics
there are over five hundred OF the heavy
class guns on the various vessels of the
navy, divided between the 13-inch, 10-inch
S-inch and 6-inch types. In the army.
there are even a larger number of big
guns that stand guard over the harbor en-
frances OF the seacoast cities. over a
thousand of these monsters frown from
the different forts.
The sandy Hook Peacemaker.
In a few weeks there will be mounted at
Sandy Hook the largest gun ever built in
The world. This is the great 126-ton rifle
now at Watervliet, n. Y. It is proposed
to place the great gun in Gruson turret.
The plates will have an average thick
ness of thirty-three inches Of chilled steel
There will be a belt used in the building
of the great turret. The plates will first
be mortised or shaped. and then fitted in
place, and the interstices will be filled with
molten metal. The Gruson turret will be
dome shaped and will be close to the
ground All that will be visible of the
great gun will be the muzzle which it is
proposed 10 swing so low that for all or
binary angles of elevation it will barely
clear the ground. The turret will stand
on a solid concrete foundation fifty feet
deep and 100 feet square. The cost of the
turret emplaeement and machinery al
Sandy Hook is estimated at s., 500. 600. The
gun costs about s12e 900. The cost of the
. turret alone is placed at 81, 800, 000