The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-21


dernned the Wespoa after Pre-
viOus Unsuccessful FrfaIs-POIItI-
cal Pull Relieved TO Be strong
Enough TO Get the Appro sriation.
Congress has been asked by the War
Department 20 make further appropria-
ton Of S115, 255 for the test CT the Gath
mann system of firing high explosives. In
case this appropriation is made the eoun-
try, when the trial is completed. viii have
spent at least $500, geo upon al invention
which has been severely criticised by ar
my and navy ordnance experts, and the
utility of which, even in the event Of
successful trial. viii be open to question.
Although the safety of the system, the
efficiency Of the fuse used. and the accu-
racy Of the projectiie are absolutely IN
known factors, and tests made at the IN
dian Head proving grounds discounted the
value of the system. the strong influence
behind it-Gathmann being relative or
close friend of Senator Handmade a de-
termined effort in 1898 to force the navy.
by executive direction, to adopt it Fail
ing TO induce the President to give the
necessary order, attempts were made 20
have Congress direct that at least one OF
the monitors under construction be equip
pes with Gathmann guns Only vigorous
opposition by members OF the House pre-
vented this legislation
Failing to secure the adoption of a sys-
tenn the safety of which was unknown BY
either the army or navy, its promoters
announced their purpose to build an IL
inch gun specially designed TO fire the
IL -l-naI
to make an appropriation Of $4,000 for
construction Of the gun and 10000 for the
purchase of ammunition for the test This
time the request was granted. and the
Bethlehem Company has built the gun
The weapon is built wholly Of nickel
stsel, is forty-four feet long and weighs
hfty-nine tons. The proiectile weighs
800 pounds and carries charge OF 600
pounds Of wet guncotton- Although Con
gress appropriated for Gathmann gun,
the weapon constructed contains no novel
feature except its large bore The novelty
Of the Gathma1n system is found in the
she'll which has very strong head and
very thin walls which gradually thicken
as they approach the base
Mr.. Gathmann's plan required that the
outside diameter Of the body Of the shell
should be considerably less than the di-
ameter of the bore Of the gun, so that
powder gases would surround and press
upon the she'll the base Of the shell to be
closed only by 2 gas tight plunger or pis-
ton
Mr. Gathmann asserts that the shell viii
be able +'to crush or break IN the side Of
an armored vessel by impact above the
water line. Upon striking. the guncot-
ton charge viii detOnate, and the forces
generated will act II TIE direction of the
line Of fire, destroying the structure CT
the vessel over q considerable area in the
vicinity Of the impact; il addition, the
=
ter to the underwater body Of the vessel,
and open up a portion of the vessel below
the water line" Experiments made at
Indian Head do not subztantiate this
claim.
In compliance with the request Of the
Gathmann Company. the President 2p-
pointed 4 board consisting OF Major J. G.
D. Knight. Corps of Engineers; Capt
Rogers Brine Ordnance Department. and
Capt Joseph H WIssner, Seventh ArtiI-
IeTy.. representing the army and Lieuts.
Joseph Strauss and Clslsnd Davis. repre-
sentirg the navy. 10 prepare & programme
for the trial OF the system
IN its report the board expressed the
opinion that the system Should first he
tested under conditions that would give
information as TO the safety CT the SyS-
tenn. in which are included the strength
Of the she'll to resist the shock Of dis
charge, the action Of the fuse while the
projeetiIe is in the gun I'D the inersneSs
OF such a large mass OF guncottOn when
discharged al a high velocity, the eficien-
cy of the fuse, whether It Will detonate
the guncotton charge on impact. and the
accuracy of the flight of the projectile-
"All these are important factors IN tbs
conditions which obtain in actual con-
fiict," the report said. land are unknown"
That is to say. according to an official
who discussed the matter today. the advo-
Gates of the system desired it Installed
on American warships when its safety was
absolutely undetermined.
The programme OF test submitted by the
board contemplated the dicharge OF two
rounds fired through screens at service
velocities. the projectiles being, fully
loaded and fused, to test the strength Of
the projectiIe 10 resist the shock of dis
charge, and two rounds fred at Pinch
Krupp plate, suitably secured to a steel
structure of such a character as to give
support 10 the plate in the same manner
as when attached to the side of a battle
ship These rounds will determine wheth-
er the gun charge viii detonate on i'm
pact and, IN case of detonatOn will give
an idea as to the effect on Kruppized ar
NOR
The third test requires the discharge
of eighteen rounds at maximum veloci-
ties, of which five shall be fired over the
water for range and accuracy and the
rest into the butt or at fragments Of the
plate. These eighteen rounds. together
with the four preceding, will, in a meas
IRE, demonstrate the safety of the sys-
tenn and give a fair presumption of the
effectiveness of the gun
Should the result warrant. the board
recommends that two rounds be fred at
a floating target. The boards estimate
OF cost of these experiments, exclusive of
the cost OF ammunition, which will re-
quire an expenditure Of $33,S55, is thus
submitted:
Gun-To purchase the carriage used in
proof frings,- there being none other
available in the possession Of the Gov
eminent. $4,000. labor and material in
installing the gun and mount at Sandy
Hook. 81. $50; labor and material in pre-
pairing for the various twenty-five
rounds, $500; total, 80 $50.
Targets-To procure steel structure
representing a section Of the framing
behind armSr. as attached to battleships,
and fit thereto a Kruppized armor plate,
$500; to procure a KrUppized plate to
1T TO structure. with bolt holes and belts,
complete, 81. GOO; total. $15,S00.
For labor and material in erecting tar
get structure. maintaining butts, screens,
etc. $4,000.
To build steel barges in accordance with
plans prepared by Naval Constructor
Bowles, $4,000.