Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-09
THE new DEFENCE MARVEL
Uncle Sans Latest Weapon for
Coast FortificationS.
ITS IMPACT IS SAID
TO BE IRRESISTIBLE
One OF the Most Marvellous
Guns Ever Made.
It is Capable of Throwing Over Ton of
Steel Distance of Twenty-one BIiles-It
is Known to the Army as Type Gun, and
is the First of a Series.

Baltimore Sun Special.
Washington, May 6.-Oapt Wheeler
of the Ordnance Bureau today was
ordered to the Watervliet gun factory TO
inspect the final work on what is ex-
pected to be one of the most marvellous
weapons ever constructed. 1t is intended
for part of the defences Of New York
harbor. There is something startling
in the capabilities claimed for it. In
the first place, it must be understood
that no warship can Withstand the inn
pact of projectile fred from it at
range OF from to IL miles. 1t costs as
much as the entire batteries of the
smaller vessels, aud every time 1t is
fred the expense to the government
will be several thousand dollars. 1t is
solely an experimental weapon, and it
will weigh 100 tons and will be Of 10,
inches muzzle diameter. The total
length is 40 feet 20 inches, with
diameter in the rear portion Of so
inches. The length of the bore is 81
feet 4 inches.
This weapon is known to the army as
type gun, and is the first of series
proposed for the sea coast defences
Years ago when this question was
under consideration board, of which
Secretary Endicott was president, con.
ceived the idea of mounting some 16.
inch guns in the Qualifications system,
but for several years no appropriation
was available with which to construct
the first weapon. This Eoard reached
the conclusion that Is of these guns
should be provided for the protection
of New York, and it was also recon.
mended that 10 should be mounted at
San Francisco, s at Boston and at
Hampton Roads.
Other rified guns of large oaliber
heretofore constructed are the italian
gun of 17.75 caliber, the French gun
of 1G 5-inch caliber and the armstrong
gun of l6. 25 caliber, which is carried
on the old battleships Benbow and Sans
Pareil. Not one of these compares in
point of energy and range with
the new American 16-inch gun. With
smokeless powder the latter will require
a charge of 5T6 pounds, but If the old
black powder be used, 1,l76 pounds
will be required. With a maximum
| powder pressure of between 81, 600 and
$4,000 pounds to the square inch it II
estimated by ordnance officers that tho
| gun will hurl proiectile weighing
| 2,370 pounds with muzzle energy Of
| 2, 300 feet per second. developing
! muzzle snergy of $1,000 foot tons. but
| it ia not improbable that by using
| slow burning powder the gun would de-
| velop even greater velocity than this,
| with relative small increase in tho
chamber pressure.
Tha italian gun throws projectils
weighing 1000 pounds with IN energy
OF aO,ouU foot tons, and the French gun
n projectile weighing i, 700 pounds with
a muzzle velocity of 1,700 fset per
second, while the English guns pro-
iectile weighs 1,S00 pounds. The pro-
| jectile of the American weapon will be
the height of some soldiers, or feet
inches. and the penetration in steel
ABB inches. No battleships are pro-
tected with such thickness OF armor.
| Doubtless the most noteworthy
feature OF the gun will be its enormous
range, which is estimated at about 81
miles. A firing table prepared by
Major Ingalls, shows that the range is
Obtainable with muzzle velocity of
| ., 800 feet per second with the necessary
angle elevation of the piece The
trajectory shows that in ranging for this
distance the shell would reach the
| maximum elevation of 30,5l6 feet.
This is almost infinitely greater than
the maximum range hitherto obtained
| by any other gun, which stands at
present to the credit of o KTupp weapon
which was fred on the Merren range
in the presence Of the German En-
| peror. The measured range was found
TO be, roughly speaking, 1919 miles.
The greatest height reached by the
Krupp shell in its flight was q, 456
feet and the time occupied between the
firing of the gun and the striking of
the projectile was one minute and ten
seconds. This performance, great as
it WAS, becomes positively insignificant
compared with the new l6.lnch gun.
Army officers say that should this
weapon be mounted at Sandy Hook
with radius of 21 miles circle
struck would enclose great area of
territory. Pointed to the north the
gun would throw its shells far beyond
New Rochelle on the sound and Tucka-
hoe on the south would be easily
within range. The circle enclosing it's
zone of fire would pass through Hemp
stead and Long Beach. on Long Island,
and it's shells would pass far above
Staten Island and fall half mile pe-
yond Atlantic Highlands: Keyport and
Perth Amboy would be open TO attack
and SO would Milburn in New Jersey.
Paterson would be within reach, with
four miles to spare As the extreme
height of the trajectory of the pro-
iectile from this gun is 30, 5l6 feet, or
above five and three quarter miles, 1t
would rise higher than the combined
heights OF Pixies PEAK and Mount