The sun., 1901-10-09


guns. This cannon gradually developed
into the two-pounder and the four-pound-
er, but at this point the dead weight OF
the gun became too great for the value OF
the ballistic results. Arm0r was rapidly
increasing in resisting power, and conse-
quenily greater balistic power was re-
qllired Of the gun.
Up to 1880 all artillery used cloth
bag for the powder charge. Breech load
ing was universally used and the metal
lie cartridge case, with its illuminate cap,
was in universal use in infantry arms,
hut the genius of Mr.. Hotchkiss first
adapted the model of the infantry cart
ridge to the breech mechanism of the ar
tillery, and created speed of fire from
n single barrel gun fully equal to that OF
the best infantry rifle.
Constant Improvement has taken place.
To another American, Hiram Maxim,
belongs the credit of first practically
utilizing the recoil energy of the gun to
perform the different functions OF OPP
Grating the breech mechanism and load
ing the gun, thus rendering il semi-auto-
matte or fully automatic. The semi
automatic gun is one in which the rec0u
energy only operates the breech mechan-
ism, the loading being done by hand. In
the automatic, nll operations except
aiming are performed by recoil energy.
In developing its system of artillery,
the American Ordnance Company has
followed a different course from Euro
pean manufacturers by retaining its
brcech mechanisms and accessories as
nearly as possible and making the semi
Dutatnn tip and antarnn tif faaturao h
sidiary attachments, so that gunners are
always familiar with the mechanisms
themselves, where the types are not rem
dered obsolete. Again. in case that the
automatic or semi-lutomatic attachments
should in action become deranged or be
smashed by projectilc, the gun is not
disabled ms these attachments can be re-
moved in a few seconds and the gun is
still rapid fire.
Great progress has also been made in
the strength of the gun and its ballistie
powers. Five years ago the extreme
powder pressure allowed in gun was
ID tons to the square inch. To-day the
American Ordnance Company has no diff
ficnlty in fulfilling the demands of the
United States Navy for guns that will
take a service pressure of seventeen tons.
The magnitude of this requirement can
be appreciated by comparing this pres.
sure Of $4,000 pounds per square inch
with that of the steam pressure in loco
motive boilers Of 300 pounds. The veloc.
tiles Of proiectile have advanced also
from 1000 to 5000 feet per second. or
at the rate of more than 1000 miles pcr
hour.
The manufacture Of nroicctiles has also
been greatly developed by this company,
until mt present it furnishes steel pro.
jcctiles as cheanly as caStiron ones could
he furnished a few years ago. The skill
required in artillery manufacture may be
appreciated when il is known that il,
many parts of the gun and its ammuni.
ton no greater variation is permitted in
measurement than OnethouSandtb of an
inch.
1t is this great exactitude. constantly
applied that renders the American Ord
nance Company, through the trained skill
of its workmen and the perfection Of it,
machines, capable of manufacturing sat
isfactorily very high class commercial
machinery.
Every ship in the United States navy
from hattleship to torpedo boat. carries
in its battery guns manufactured by the
American Ordnance Company; their guns
were i'll the fights of Manila and San
tiago. If our neghbors, Venezuela and
Colombia. should come to blows. guns OF
the American Ordnance Department viii
undoubtedly be pitted against each other