The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-09
HANNA'S GATRMANN GUN
Secretary Long Reports Adversely
on lis Use for Warships.
Nothing of Merit in the
Proposed Implement of War
Which the Ohio Senator Tried
10 Foist Upon the Government.
The Important Secrets Laid Bare.

The important secrets which Senator
TiiIman related in executive session last
night, and which Senator Hale feared
might get into the newspapers" and
which were again referred to in
executive session this Afternoon, were
disclosed today when the Secretary of the
Navy forwarded secretly 10 the Senate
the report on the Hanna gun
and shells. The report denounees The
weapon as impracticable and useless,
states the Gathmann- Hanna combination
are not gunmakers but simply brokers who
desired to obtain good sum from the
Government. and concludes by stating that
under no circumstances should tie ves-
sells Of the Navy be endangered by such
weapons as the Gathmann guns.
On Monday. when the Gathmann gun
item in the Naval Appropriation bin, TAX
ing the sum Of $25e.OO0 for few Of the
weapons. was all ready TO be rushed
through the Senate By Mr.. Hanna. Tho
remained in his seat all day for this pur-
pose. Mr.. TiIIman spoiled the scheme by
demanding that the item go o,e- iInti a re-
port could be had from the Secretary Of
the Navy. The report arrived this morn
ing, and was carefully kept private, hut
so eOndemnatOry are the statements con-
tanned therein that the Gathulaun gun
item viii be surely stricken from the BILL
and Mr.. Hanna viii have met his FIRST
defeat IN the Senate.
The rSFSrt states in part:
The bureau observes that the Naval
Appropriation bill as amended by the Sen
ate contains the following provision:
.. To enable the Secretary Of the Navy.
in his discretion, to purchase from the
Gathmann Torpedo Gun Company OF Chi
cago, Ill. the gun equipment for one or
more OF the harbOr defence monitors au-
tkOrized by the act approved May /. 1895.
such equipment to consist Of two guns for
each vessel Of not less than 16-inch bore
and not less than forty feet in length, ca
pabie OF throwing the Gathmann type Of
she'll containing about sec pounds Of wet
gun cotton, said guns TO cost each not
more than ss2.5oo. and the workmanship
AID material to be equal 10 the present
standard now used in the Navy and sub
ject 70 the usual inspection Of the Bureau
OF Ordnance, S250,ooe. or SO much thereof
as may De necessary
The bureau approaches this subject
with much hesitancy, and only because il
believes Itself in possession q important
information relative to the saSsect which
the Senate Committee ca Naval Affairs
was probably not cogniZant Of: and this
being matter OF vital importance TO the
Navy az large, the following comments are
respectfully submitted FOR the Depart
ment's Information. and the Bureau ven
lures 20 suggest that the substance OF
them be communicated 10 Congress before
anal action is taken on the provision re-
ferred TO.
Gathmann Gun Not n Novelty.
The so-called Gathmann gun is not
novelty, nor is II original with the con-
pany. and there is 10 reason Why it should
be purchased from that company who are
in 10 sense gun-makers and have 10 pant
for such purpose They would simply be-
come brokers. buying the guns elsewhere
and charging the Government a commits
sion on them The naval gun factory is
adequately equipped for the manufacture
OF guns Of all calibres and types and they
can be made there much cheaper than they
can be bought elsewhere.
The Fo-Cailed Gathmsnn sh-l differs
only in slight details from an ord nary
shell except in the matter OF a safety
chamber or rear attachment 10 contain the
dry primer and cetOnatc-, which. II the.
bureaus opinion, is the only festure G, the
entire contemplated outfit that Ga. Imam
Company can legitimately lay claim to.
Their proposition is 10 use a gun Of
about tse same weight as the present 12-
inch naval gun. but Of larger calibre. hav-
ing different thickness of walls, ard
using lower chamber pressure than TIE
naval gun The proposed gun is interdsd
to fire shell relatively light for its cali
bre. in order that with a moderate pres
sure fairly high nuZzle velocity may Re
obtained Such gun will be deficient in
range as compared with the hlgh-powered
naval guns, and consequently wi have 10
be hred with greater elevation for eo,,aI
ranges, which impairs its efficiency for na-
val use.
The last Fertilization bill appropria.ed
$4,000 for large-caIibre Gathnann gun for
experimental purposes, and one is now in
an advanced stage, but has yet 20 be test
ed, and in advance Of its test there So ems
10 be no necessity for making other sin.i-
lar guns and no justification for installing
them in naval vessels
1T would be considered extremely haz-
ardous 10 fire shells containing 500 pounds
OF high explosive of any kind from Luns
mounted on shipbOard, as their environ
ments are such that should eny accident
arise due to the premature explosion OF
such shell in the bore of a gun il would
be attended with most disastrous results
So far as the Bureau can learn. such a
large mass OF wet gun cotton as is mo-
posed to be fred has never been ATTEMPT
ed, and while il may be safely ACCOMPLISH
ed certain number of times, there is dan
ger Of premature explosion due to a run
ture OF the shell on account Of some nm
perceived defect in the metal, to an ex-
cessive pressure in the gun which unse-
eountably occurs at times, or to some 9th
er unforeseen cause. In all experiments
thus far in firing high explosives. even in
small quantities. it is considered a neces-
sary act Of prudence for all spectators to
retire TO the shelter Of bomb proof or TO
withdraw to safe distance.
1T is a notable fact that in the experi-
ments made with wet gun cotton both al
the Indian Head and Sandy Hook proving
grounds there has been difficulty in seeur-
ing good detonations Of large masses of
it when fired in thin-walIed shells such
as are used by the Gathmann Company.
Quantities Of unconsumed wet gun cotton
nave generally been found at or near the
point of explosion, and the destructive ef
feet OF the Gathmann shells has in several
instances been surprisingly small and in
some cases Insignificant
Experiments FciIure.
"A large proportion Of the experiments
made with Gathmann shells OF numerous
varieties have been failures or partial fail
ures, according to the official reports. ex-
eept liz so far that they were safely pro-
1ected from the guns.
No official approval Of the Gathmann
system either by the Army OF Navy mas
ever been given. and 50 far as conoa-,s