The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-11
EXPLOSIVE HURLED 3 MILES.
NEW l0-FOOT PNEUMATIC GUN
AT FISHERS ISLAND TESTED.
Its Caiibre Is IL Inches, and u Discharged
Five Shells Weighing More Than Half
q Tor Each In II Minutes and 81
Seconds The Guns Great Accuracy.

q Ton Each In n Minutes and IS
Seconds The u Great Accuracy.
4 new dynamite gun Of destructive
powers which 1t Is declared exceed those
Of any weapon yet designed has just been
subjected to q successful series Of tests
by a special board Of officers OF the Bureau
Of Ordnance Of the United States Army
at Fishers Island. For several years the
Government has been engaged In the crea-
ton on Fishers Island Of a fortifcation
which will render the eastern entrance of
Long Island Sound i~mpregnable to any
naval attack and thus efectually protect
all the shore cities from New London TO
New York. In this scheme OF defence
the dynamite gun covering the narrow
channel between Fishers Island and Plum
Island. on which formidable batteries have
also been erected. plays a conspicuous
part. Owing to the secrecy maintained by
the Government relative to these new works
the trial was conducted in private.
The gun which was built by the Dyna-
mite Gun Company Of New York at Scran-
ton. Pa. was installed recently in q battery
at the western end Of the island and last
week was reported ready to undergo its
final trial prior to acceptance 10y the Gov
II IL a pneumatic piece forty
feet long with n calibre of fifteen inches
Of the same EeLeral type as that OF the
batteries now In position at Sandy Hook
and San Francisco. but II embodies many
new features designed TO increase its aocur-
acy Of FIRE and rapidity OF action. new
type Of fuse assures absolute certainty
It IL said. Of the explosion OF the shells
both on impact with the water or the side
Of a vessel and by delay action. -.
Thu trims Nyprn made in the presence oil
the board, composed of Majors McSutt
and Birney of the Bureau of ordnance,
President T. s.. Darling of the Dynamite
Gun Company and Frank Creelman, Robert
Gunlach and other civilian experts. The
gun Is counted or a seacoast carriage,
permitting an elev alton of IS degrees and
a rain through the full arc of the circle,
power for this purpose beng upphe
by electric motors. placed nde the car.
riage. With the full-calhre proyecule ~
proved it's ability 20 hurl 500 pounds OF
nitro-gelatin, sufficient TO annlihlate any
ship aioat- a distance of about 5000 yards.
with a degree Of accuracy not excened.
II equalled, by the most modern types OF
~large-caibre rifed guns. With smaller
projectiles the range was almost oooolec
without any sacrifice of accuracy.
Two DAYS were devoted to putting the
gun through an exhaustive series OF tests.
The first shot sent a 6-inch shell, carrying
fifty pounds Of explosive, a Instance OF
5,763 yards. bursting on impact n hurhns
a column of water 800 feet into the ar
With a io-inch shell, carrying go pounds
Of nitro-gelatin. the extreme range was
found TO be 1880 yards, the shell exploding
under water with the desired delay action
of two seconds. The test FOR accuracy
resulted in planting five S-inch shells az
the Respective ranges of 5.043, 5,035, 5,O2O,
5000 and 1910 yards, all Of which would
have taken decisive effect had the tAiGet
been a battleship at a distance oil about
| three miles, or about double the limit oil a
practical fighting range. which is now
GENERALLY accepted to be about 2,5o yards
Still more astonishing was the test lor
rapidity Of fire which resulted in dischaig-
ing five full-calibre shells weighing LIS
mounds. or more than half a ton each, IN
ii minutes SIS seconds, far in excess OF inc
speed attained by any other gun OF mes "
GA libre and almost bringing the ~~apph
within the class OF rapid-fre pieces. lhls
was the more remarkable a. the ieat was
Accomplished under the d~isadvahtase ,pl
a raw crew OF eight men ~ the gun, WIN
two at the magazine. nearly 40 icel uis-
tant from the breech.
As a test of endurance the specifications
! called for the firing OF twenty-five AR
shots" or h In an ordinary Ir"dtr
gun would be termed blank carriages, w
! Two hours, but no difficulty was found III
dischsrging forty shots in that time. the
regular pressure Of 100 pounds IN me
storage reservoir remaining pracflcnily
constant with a uniform pressure "a ,hc
gun of i,OJO pounds al each shot. PHOTO
! graphs and -kalstechnOscope pictures
az the gun in action were taken by william
Paley Of New York A coinyahlCh gan
ha. lust been mounted ia tho fortune. ~
! M Hstnn Head, defending the naval aliJi'
| a, Port ROYAL, : G., and viii u" tested 10y
a.. came hoard within "A few days.