The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-09

ness which one associates with Nasmyth
hammers and the casting OF steel.
one Of the nrsf objects 10 strike the az.
tentlon IL an immense tuht or barrel Of a
cannon standing thirty feet IN height,
showing the appearance OF ihe Instrument
before turning and polishing. Near by Is
exhibited tube OF even vaster gropor-
tons. for Il represents the core in which
the barrel r. cast. on the same floor We
see a series OF enormous steel plates. in
tended for the armor Of battieships. which
have been subjected to tests by the Creu-
sot projeetiies. One OF these plates played
part. though a passive part. IN seeies
OF studies" on behalf OF the United
States navy In 1880. The plate. ten
inches IN thickness. was fired az by a
cannon OF six inches eaiibre. carrying a
shot weighing a hundred weight with the
average velocity Of go yards second.
Two OF the projectiles. being Of steel hard
ened by what Is known as the Holzsr
process. went through the plate in well
cut. smooth. round holes. but when the
projectile was OF softer material II aetu-
ally stuck IN the plate and may now be
seen there 40 tightly lodged as 10 seem
part OF the casting.
Supplying as these results seem. they
are surpassed by the exhibits represent
ing the trials OF later date. In 1895 the
arm0r plates OF the Russian battleship
The Three Saints was subjected 20 sim
liar tests The plate. however, had no
less a thickness than sixteen inches, while
the calibre OF the cannon was increased %
nine and one-half inches, ana the weight
OF the projcctile 10 over 80 pounds. the
velocity remaining about COO yards a sec
ond. The plate In this case was not per-
forated, the projectle having apparently
penetrated 10 the greater part OF the
width and then bounced out. number
Of other plates tell the curious history 81
the struggle between the force OF the
proiectile and the resistance OF the armor,
in which successive discoveries or inven-
tione have alternately given the advans-
age 90 one side and the other, until al
present the problem seems like that IA
nous logical one OF the encounter OF the
irresistible force and the imm0vao.e OBJ
etacie.
Railway locomotives. vast cyclinders
for printing machines and other products
of the arts OF peace are close by, nut
these deserve a separate article. We as
cend a staircase to view the cannon
themselves. & notice catching the eye. as
we see foot upon the first step.
do not touch. danger OF death.
This startling announcement Is due 10
the presence OF electric currents IN con-
a+t-Efr+-+~N~N
vast dynamos.
The largest gun shown r. an immense
str,scsure whose tube stretches no lees
than eleven yards into space from the
nlatform on which Il stands. The caiiber
OF this weapon Il nine and one-half
inches: u weighs about twenty-five tons.
and carries it, projectile. weighing
three hundred weight. 20 a distance OF
nearly sixteen miles. although Il II not
effective" beyond the range Of twelve
miles The breach OF this cannon e.. OF
course. OF mammoth size. and 10 delicate
IL the mechanism % the piece that the
breesh can be- opened by one man with
the aid OF a kind Of winch. One man
can also adjust the pointing OF the can
non for taking aim. Cannon similar 70
this shown have been ordered from the
Crensot works for arming the Spanish
cruisers cisneros. Cataiuna ana Prineessa
de Asturias. These guns have all the
latest improvements. The charging Of
the breech and all the movements Of
pointing and turning can be performed By
hand or by electricity The initial We
locity Of the projectiie IL about half q
mile per second.
Nearby IL gun mounted In turret
ian eclipse" that IL 70 say. turret that
disappears as soon AZ the shot IL fired
and reappeara a. the moment required
20 take aim and 70 discharge q new pro-
jecsne The surret IL really . kind OF
steel dome or carnpace. out o. which
proiecte the barrel Of the cannon. and
which nts like n piston into che cylinder
That comparison. in fact. gives the hint
OF the mechanism % the immense APP
paratus. for the tower disappears simply
BY being Withdrawn. By piston action