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


cal Pull Believed to Be strong
Enough to Get the Appropriation
Congress has been asked by the War
Department to make further appropria-
ton of Sis. 255 for the test Of the Gath
mann system OF firing high explosives In
case this appropriation is made the coun-
try, when the trial is completed, will have
spent at least $500, 600 upon an invention
which has been severely criticised by ar
my and navy ordnance experts, and the
utility of which, even in the event of a
successful trial, viii be open to question
Although the safety of the system, the
efhciency of the fuse used. and the accu-
racy OF the projectile are absolutely IN
known factors, and tests made at the n
dian Head proving grounds discounted the
value of the system, the strong influence
behind ft-Cathmann being a relative or
close friend of Senator Handmade = 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 TO
have Congress direct that at least one of
the monitors under construction be equip
ped with Gathmann guns. Only vigorous
opposition by members of the House pre-
vented this legislation.
Failing to secure the adoption Of a sys
ten the safety of which was unknown by
either the army or navy, its promoters
announced their purpose to build an IS
inch gun, specially designed TO fire the
Gathmann shell, and Congress was asked
to make an appropriation of S65,000 for
1ofi of he c7FT $40 fln0 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
steel, is forty-fouT feet long and weighs
ffty-nine tons. The projectile weighs
1890 pounds and carries a charge OF see
pounds OF vet guncotton. Although Con-
gress appropriated for a Gathmann gun,
the weapon constructed contains no novel
feature except its large bore The novelty
Of the GathIaann system is found in the
shell, which has very strong head and
very thin walls which gradually thicker
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 d.
ameter Of the bore of the gun, so that
powder gases would surround and press
upon the shell. tne base of the shell to be
closed only by gas tight plunger or pis-
ton.
Mr.. Gathmann asserts that the shell VIII
be able ito crush or break IN the side OF
an armored vessel By impact above the
water line Upon striking the guncot-
ton charge win detonats. and the forces
generated viii act il tie direction Of the
line OF fire, destroying the structure OF
the vessel over Z considerable area IN the
vicinity Of the impact: in addition, the
stress viii be transmitted through the wa
ter to the underwater body of the vessel,
and open UP portion OF the vessel below
the water line Experiments made at
Indian Head do not substantiate this
claim.
IN compliance with the request OF the
Gathmann Company, the President Gp-
pointed 4 board consisting Of Major J. G.
D. Knight Corps of Engineers; Capt.
Rogers Brine Ordnance Department. and
Capt. Joseph H WissneT, Seventh Artfl-
Iery.. representing the army. and Lieuts.
Joseph Strauss and ClslaHd Davis. repre-
eentis,g the navy. to prepare 4 programme
fer tha 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 10 TIE safety CT the sys-
tenn i. which are included the streasth
of the shell to resist the shock of dis
charge. the action of the fuse while the
pTojectile is in the gun, id the inersness
of such a large mass OF guncotton when
discharged at a high velocity. the efficien-
cy of the fuse, whether it viii aetonate
the guneotton charge on impact and the
accuracy of the fight OF the pr0jectile-
All these are important factors il the
conditions which obtain in actual con-
Aict. - the report said, land are unknow n-"
That Is TO say. according to an official
who discussed the matter today. the adYo-
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 fred through screens at service
velocities the pTojeetiles being fully
loaded and fused. to test the strength of
the pFojectiIe to resist the shock of cis-
charge and two rounds fred at Pinch
Krupp plate suitably secured to steel
structure of such a character as TO give
support to the plate in the same manner
as when attached to the side of q battle
ship These rounds will determine Wheth-
er the gun charge viii detonate on i'm
pact, and, in case of defamation, will give
an idea as TO the effect on KTuppized ar
NOR
The third test requires the discharge
of eighteen rounds at maximum yeloci
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 Jour preceding, Will IN meas
ure, demonstrate the safety Of the sys-
TEN and give a fair presumption OF the
effectiveness of the gun
Should the result warrant, the board
recommends that two rounds be fired at
a floating target. The boards estimate
of cost of these experiments, exclusive of
the cost of ammunition, which viii re-
qui e an expenditure Of S33. 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, Sc, SEQ; 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, So $50
Targets-To procure steel structure
representing a section of the framing
behind arnor, as attached to battleships,
and fit thereto a KruppiZed armor plate,
Sc, 500; TO procure a KrUppized plate TO
fit to structure. with bolt holes and belts,
complete, $4,000; total. 800.
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, SS5. CO.,
To procure one Kruppized plate and
two cast steel plates. with armor bolts :
Kruppized plate, S12, $50; east steel
plates, $500; grand total, $751; 900.
During the tests of the Gathmann
gun system at the Indian Head proving
grounds one OF the shells burst inside
the gun brea king fha rear end Of tho