New-York tribune., 1900-04-01
DOUBLE TURRET A SUCCESS
SHOWN BY TESTS ON THE KEARSARGE
TO BE A TERRIBLE ENGINE
OF DESTRUCTION.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNH.l

fBY TELEGRAPH THE IRIBUNH.]
Washington, March 91-Admiral Sampson told
the naval authorities here to-day Of the test Of
the battleship Keersarge at sea yesterday, when
the purely American device Of two story turrets
was first put to the service firing test with re-
markabie success. The figures given Of the tre-
mendous shooting power OF this magnificent en-
CINE of destruction are almost inconceivable At
single broadside the guns Of the ship threw
mass Of chilled steel from the rifles of her main
battery aggregating g. I5O pounds. with a muzze
energy of SO 276 foot tons. At each discharge OF
the four guns In the double turrets 2.7OO pounds
of projectiles were thrown out with velocity Of
2 100 feet a second The fighting power OF the
Kearsarge. shown by her broadside from
main battery alone Of $3.50 pounds. will be ap-
preciated by comparison with that Of $500
pounds Of the Iowa
There is no wonder. under the circumstances.
that Admiral O'Neil, the present chief Of Naval
Ordnance; Admiral Sampson, his predecessor in
that place. and Captain Folger, now command
ing the Kearsarge, and Admiral SIMPSONS
predecessor at the head OF the Ordnance Bureau.
after yesterdays severe trial should express
themselves as fully satisfied that the double
turret innovation In marine architecture is per-
fectly successful. The Kearsarge and the Ken
lucky are the only ships afoat that possess this
development along modern lines Of the Ericsson
tionized warships, and all doubt Of their prac-
ticability and superior offensive qualities has
now been settled
SEVERE TEST ENDURED.
From Admiral Sampsons account OF the Kear-
sarges performance yesterday II evident
that no new vessel ever endured a severer test
of her construction. The two twin turrets. one
fore and the other aft, each contain pair Of
S-inch rifles superimposed upon a pair Of 13-
inch guns. All four guns concentrate their fire
at any point in a radius OF nearly three hundred
degrees. In casemate protection between these
turrets fourteen 5-inch rapid fire rifles, Of
which in each broadside Yesterday,
in heavy rolling sea, which caused all aboard
to wish that the ship had been provided with
little more freeboard, the four guns Of each
double turret were fired almost simultaneously
ahead astern. and straightaway the
side, one gun OF the quartet functioning with a
few seconds delay. The big 13-inch guns
fired In couples, and the superimposed eights
were set off sngly and in pairs In all directions
The stability OF the ship was put to the supreme
test Of a volley from every gun pointed to star
board, followed by a similar salute to port and
examination failed to show a sign Of weakness
undue strain
Admiral Sampson gratifled to find that
none Of the predicted faults Of the system de-
NelOpeU. III naQ been COntenOeQ that the blast OF
the S-inch guns superimposed above the big a.
inch guns would make it impossible to operate
the latter. and that man could live In the
lower turret. AS a matter Of fact the blast was
30 light that two officers stationed In the sight
ing hoods the lower turret were unable to
agree as to whether there was any blast at all
and If there they could not tell It's direction
A piece of cotton wool placed in the forward
slit Of the middle of the sighting hood was
driven into the hood. but on either side II re-
manned undisturbed.
IN ACTUAL BATTLE CONDITIONS
Contrary to predictions. there was no Diff
Guilty IN maintaining the four guns in the super
imposed turrets in parallel: the shots were de-
Iivered almost in one spot Owing to q fault In
the electrical connections. which can easily be
remedied, It was not possible to discharge more
than three OF the guns together but the three
shots. at 1000 yards. dropped In the same place
in the water. There were no blank cartridges
used but the enormous weights Of metal for
combined turret and broadside fire were actually
thrown. The splendid ship operated as ir
actual battle conditions existed. For the nrst
time In the Navy the new electrical appliances
for turret turning and ammunition hoisting
were used, and their designed functions were
performed without the slightest hitch. The adop-
ton OF electricity instead OF steam or com
pressed air for these purposes in United States
warships more than indicated and there
will be return to the old methods.
The ordnance officers expressed only single
regret to the result OF the Kearsarges per-
formance. The 6-nch guns they said. should have