Evening star., 1901-12-09
TRIAL OF TORPEDO GUN
PNEUMATIC WEAPON THREW
SHELLS FAR sEAwARD.
Huge Columns of Water Thrown High
in the Air when They
Exploded.

dispatch from Savannah, Ga, yester-
day SAYS: The pneumatic aerial torpedo
gun upon which work was in progress for
eleven months, was tested Saturday at Hill
ton Head. Mounted on the north end OF
the island, the gun occupied position that
will make the entrance to Port Royal har-
Dor secure against feet when its strength
has been supplemented by that of batteries
of rif1ed guns and mortars that are to be
established when fortifcations have been
constructed.
Though the officers of the board that con-
Quoted the test would not discuss the re-
suits, it seemed clear to spectators that it
was success. If such should prove the
case the government will pay the Pneu-
matte TORPEDO and Construction Company
of New York, the round sum of 100000 for
the gun.
Fifty feet long, and weighing fifty tons,
the great gun, having yet no parapet
about it, is naturally the first object to at
tract the eye of the visitor, but it does not
represent any greater triumph of mechanics
than the machinery that stands in the
building fifty feet to it's rear. In that build
ing are the two compressors that reduce
air to pressure of 1000 pounds to square
inch, at which enormous energy 1t is stored
in tier of tanks in the building and under
the gun, with which connection is afforded
Electric power is employed in the manlp-
ulation of the gun, which is moved rapio!y
and with ease by one man, who controls
the current that elevates or depresses the
gun, revolving it upon it's runway.
On the arrival of the government board
on Saturday the test was begun. The re-
qufrements of the government called for a
satisfactory demonstration of facility In
handling the great pieces. Expert Creel-
man, in charge Of the gun, went to the
position Of the gunner, on the left side or
the weapon, and brought the wheels and
levers into play that controlled the piece
and elevated it to some sixty degrees OF in
clination, and then reversed the action.
Then followed the most interesting fea-
ture of the test Out from the magazine
were trundled the loaded torpedoes. The
speed in loading was satisfactory, cutting
that of the specifications almost half. One
ten-inch, five eight-inch, two six-inch and
five dummy shells were fired.
In the ten-inch shell were 200 pounds or
nitro-gelatine, in the eight-inch 100 pounds
and in the six-inch fifty pounds. The dunn
mics contained only sand, but were so con-
structed as to weigh 1,1S5 pounds, the same
as the loaded full-caliber projectie.
The range of the gun with full-caliber
shell Is 1900 yards.
The power OF nitro-gelatine may be un-
derstood when it is known that the naval
experts have found by experiments that
the explosion of 500 pounds of this explosive
under water will exert a pressure, with
| in radius of forty-five feet, of $500
pounds to the square inch, enough to crush
in the sides of ship.
The first SlX-5nch torpedo was fired from
an elevation of thirty-five feet. About ten
seconds were required for a shot of the
average size to find it's mark, and the eye
was thus enabled to follow its flight. Far
out to the sea the shot fell. The cap had
been arranged to explode the torpedo upon
impact, which it did, sending a column OF
water high into the air.
| The next was also a siX-inch torpedo.
| This was timed for an explosion one quarter
of second after contact. 1t was seen
when it struck the water $500 feet from
the muZzle Of the gun, but explosion fol-
| lowed. The heaviest of the loaded torpe-
! does, the six inch, was then fired, it's cap
| being set for one seconds delay after Strik-
| ing. 1t struck in thirty-five fathoms of
water but if it exploded there was no evi-
| dence of it in the stations shore.
ThenNthe five-inch shells were fired, the
| first for explosion after half a seconds de-
| lay, which caused a column of water to as
| cend as big a waterspout. There was
! great crash as the shell exploded.
| The second was to explode impact,
which it did, sending column of water
| hundreds of feet into the air. The third
| exploded after quarter of q seconds de-
| lay, and the fourth after half a second.
! These shots were to ascertain accuracy,
| followed, the five dummies being loaded and
fired as rapidly possible. The specifica-
tions called for the five shots within twenty
| minutes. They were fired in ten minutes
and thirty seconds.
The test closed with a trial of the en-
durance of the gun, air shots or blanks
being fired at intervals Of three minutes.
Forty shots were fired and many more
could have been fired.