The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-10
UNSUI9ED TO NAVAL Use
The Ordnance Bureau Adverse to
Adopting the Gathmann Gun.
In n Report Transmitted to the Sem
ate the Weapon liz Severely Criti-
It's Practical Use Too Grent-Ex-
periments Which Were Failures.


the Navy regarding the Gathmann gun
was transmitted to the Senate by Secre-
tary Long yesterday. 1t came as a sur
prise to the majority OF the Committee
on Naval Affairs, who, yielding to the
wishes of Senator Hanna, had included an
item in the amendments to the Naval APP
preparation bill calling for an appropria-
ton of s25O.00o for the purchase OF guns
of the Gathmann type. The item was
all ready to be rushed through on Mon
day when Mr.. Tillman demanded that it
go over for a day or two until report
on the gun could be had from the Navy
Bureau of Ordnance.
The report states in part:
THE Bureau observes that the Naval
Appropriation bill as amended by the Sen
ate contains the following provision:
ITO 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-
thorized by the act approved May 4, 1898,
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
pable OF throwing the Gathmann type of
shell containing about 500 pounds Of wet
gun cotton, said guns to cost each not
more than $62.500 and the workmanship
and material to be equal to the present
standard now used in the Navy and sub
ject to the usual inspection Of the Bureau
Of Ordnance. $250.000 or SO much thereof
as may be necessary
THE Bureau approaches this subject
with much hesitancy, and only because it
believes itself in possession of important
information relative to the subject which
the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs
was probably not cognizant of; and this
being a matter of vital Importance to the
Navy at large, the following comments are
respectfully submitted for the Depart
ment's information, and the Bureau VEN
lures to suggest that the substance of
them be communicated to Congress before
final action is taken on the provision re-
ferred to.
The so-called Gathmann gun is not a
novelty, nor is 1t original with the COM
pany, and there is no reason why it should
be purchased from that company. who are
In no sense un-makeTs and have no ant
for such purpose. They would simply be-
come brokers, buying the guns e,sewhcre
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 so-called Gathmann sh Ii differs
only in slight details from an ordinary
shell except In the matter OF a safety
chamber or rear attachment to contain the
dry primer and detonatOr. which. in the
Bureaus opinion. is the only feature of the
entire contemplated outfit that the Gath
mann Company can legitimately lay claim
to.
Deficient In Range.
Their proposition is TO use a gun Of
about the same weight as the present r.
inch naval gun. but OF larger caiibre, hav-
ing different thickness of walls. and
using lower chamber pressure than the
naval gun. The proposed gun is intended
to fire a shell relatively light for its cali
bre, in order that with moderate pres
sure a fairly high muzzle velocity may he
obtained Such a gun will be deficient in
range as compared with the high-rowered
naval guns, and consequently viii have to
be fired with a greater elevation for eqL al
ranges, which impairs its efficiency for ma
val use. -,
THE last Fortifications bill appropriated
SIS, coo for large -calibre ,Gathmann gun for
experimental purposes, and one is now in
an advanced stage but has yet to be test
ed, and in advance of its test there ems
to be no necessity for making other SINH
lar guns and no justification for insta ling
them in naval vessels.
1T would be considered extremely haz-
ardous to fire shells containing 500 pounds
of high explosive of any kind from suns
mounted on shlpboard, as their environ
ments are such that should any accident
arse due to the premature explosion of
such shell in the bore of a gun ii would
be attended with most disastrous results.
So far as the Bureau can learn, such a
large mass of wet gun cotton as is pro-
posed to be fired has never been attempt
ed, and while II may be safely accomplish
ed a certain number of times, there Is dan
ger of premature explosion due to rup-
ture of the shell on account of some IN
perceived defect in the metal, to an ex-
cessive pressure in the gun, which unac-
countably 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 a bomb proof or to
withdraw to safe distance.
1T is a notable fact that in the expert
ments made with wet gun cotton both at
the Indian Head and Sandy Hook proving
grounds there has been difficulty in secur-
ing good detonations Of large masses of
1t when fred In thin walled shells such
as are used by the Gathmann Company
Quantities OF unconsumed wet gun cotton
have generally been found at or near the
point OF explosion, and the destructive eff
feet Of the Gathmann shells has in several
i'm oil oily
some cases insignificant.
Experiments Failure.
"A large proportion of the experiments
made with Gathmann shells of numerous
varieties have been failures or partial fail
ures, according 10 the official reports, ex-
cept in so far that they were safely pro-
jected from the guns.
NO official approval of the Gathmann
system either by the Army or Navy has
ever been given. and so far as concerns
the company's present form of shell, the
Bureau believes it is correct in saying that
but five have yet been made, and but one
tried with full charge for effect. and yet
1t is proposed to introduce them into the
service, whereas the cheapest form of COM
mon shell or shrapnel would not be ac-
cepted on such a test.
"One of the latest experiments with the
Gathmann shell was made at Sandy Hook.
on May 9, 1899. The object of the test
may be best explained in the words of the
inventor, as follows:
We desire to prove that even though
gun should burst in firing no explosion
or detonaton of the main charge Of gun
cotton in our shell will occur. To dem
onstrate this We propose to put one or
more of these guns in deep pits, load them
with an overcharge of smokeless powder,