Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-05
BIG GUN AT SANDY HOOK.
II Can't Lave Any Man Take It
Awav.o Saws Watchman.

The New York Tribune of today says: Be-
fore the break of yesterdays dawn the big
16-inch gun-the greatest in the world-that
has Travelled by water from Troy, began the
last fifteen miles of its journey-from Sta
pleton to Sandy Hook. The tugs /. j. Mer-
rift and w. E. Chapman towed the lighter
Captain Tom. on which the gun rested, with
the big derrick Monarch dashed alongside.
The total weight was $50 tons.
Slowly, against the tide, the tugs with
their precious burden, made their way down
the main ship channel, arriving at the Ord
nance dock, Sandy Hook, at s:o5 am. For
two weeks dock builders had been rebuild
ing and strengthening the pier and laying
a new railway track on it to insure the safe
transportation Of the monster gun to its
final destination, two miles inland
Four hours were occupied after the ar
rival of the gun in fitting checks a spe-
cially strong flatcar for the barrel of the
gun to rest on. The heaviest part-from
the breech to the trunn.on-WaS to rest on
a steel framed car brought with the gun
from Watervliet arsenal.
All was ready at a few minutes after /
o'clock, and the gun; which had been hang
ing over the pier from the Monarch's great
derrick was lowered Handsomely as the
sailor men say, to its resting place on the
two fiatcars. Al. empty fatcar separated
those that carried the gun from the locomo-
ground. When the army officer in charge
of the work gave the word, the engineer
opened the throttle cautiously, so as not
to start the load with jerk, but it re-
quired all the steam he could muster to
start with, and at frequent periods SO great
was the strain, sand had to be used on the
tracks to make the wheels grip.
There were many anxious moments while
the great load Travelled over the pier for,
of all the big guns that have been landcd
at Fort Hancock, this was the biggest. AS
a soldier put it. This is the daddy of them
all-the rest are just sons of guns
Extreme caution was used, even after
terra frma was rea ched, and at no time
was the speed of the train faster than a
man could walk. Half mile from it's land
ing place the gun was switched to side
track and left in charge of a Waterman,
who said, without smile: Il have orders,
sor, not to Pave any man take it away"
Major Charles Smith, in command of the
Sandy Hook proving grounds, when asked
about the final disposition of the great
weapon, said: We shall run the gun out
on the track about a mile and half
further, to a point where the big Gathmann
gun was tested. 1t will be temporarily
mounted on the crude carriage used for
that gun while we fire some proof shots
We have found that when these guns of
big caliber are fired as close as half mile
the shock skaters about all the windows In
our buildings, SO we now take them down
the beach far enough to protect ourselves.
1t will take some days to mount this gun
and after firing the proof 3hots we may
await the completion of the disappearing
carriage being made for the gun at Water
town. N. "
The gun is 40 feet long. The diameter of
the breech is 5 feet inches, and of the
muZZle feet inches. 1t is estimated that
it will throw shell weighing 2,iOO pounds
twenty-one miles.
The Merritt & Chapman Wrecking Com
pany, which accepted the contract to trans
port the gun by water after the railroad
had refused, is to receive $500 for it's work