, 1902-05-26
DISAPPEARING GUNS
GIVEN TEST BY SECRETARY OF
WAR ON THURS
DAY.
Tests Witnessed by Senator Warren,
Representative MondelI, Ex-Mayor
schnitger Of Cheyenne and The Re-
pubIican's Staff Correspondent
Huge Engines Of War.

Correspondence of The Republican,
| had the good fortune to be included in
the list of guests invited by Secretary
Root to witness an exhibition of the
practical operation of the big disap
pearing guns over which there is
quite a spirited controversy in con
gress. Two batteries of these guns
form part of the armament of Fort
Washington. one of the d%efenses of the
national capital on the Maryland shore
Of the Potomac. twelve miles down the
river. The war department has been
chary Of allowing civilians to inspect
these defenses. and Secretary Roots
guests were the first to see the guns In
actual service. The batteries COM
mand the Potomac for the entire range
of the guns, which is about ten miles.
One battery is one hundred and forty
feet above the river. the other one hun
bred and seventy-six feet. The latter
stands on the crest of a hill, which
slopes rapidly from the river side, and
which has sharp ravines to the right
and left, making it stand out as If it
were an Independent fortress of itself.
From the river there is no sight of gun
or fertilization. The immense granite
emplacement is faced with earth, and
is flush with the top of the hill, and, as
the guns. when not firing, disappear
behind the emplacement it is a veri-
table masked battery
All officer of ordinance department
explained in detail the working of the
disappearing gun to the Secretary and
his guests. He said that the gun on a
non-disappearing carriage remained in
full view of the enemy at all times and
was therefore exposed to the fire Of an
approaching enemy, while the disappear
ing gun is invisible from the front. *
cept at the moment OF its discharge.
The immense gun, which weighs
twenty thousands pounds, is elevated
from its place of concealment in less
than a minutes time, and with the
work Of but n man. This is acccomp-
lished by a counterweight, and a sys.
TEN of two levers embOdying strength
and simplicity. The IL carriage of
a ten-inch gun weighs 81. 900 pounds,
and the counterweight $1,000 pounds.
The counterweight not only serves to
elevate the gun. but takes up the recoil
when the gun Is fired. this being aided
also BY pressure of a piston in a cylin-
der partly filed with oil.
Ammunition for the ten-inch gun
consists Of a two hundred and, twenty
FIVE pound steel conical shell, and four
hundred and fifty pounds of powder.
In the exhibition for the visitors brown
cocoa powder was used, which produces
considerable smoke. In actual war
fare. smokeless powder is used, render
ing the battery completely indiscern-
ible to the enemy.
Brigadier General Wallace F. Ran
dolph chief Of artillery, United States
army. directed the firing assisted by
the commanding officers of the battery.
At the word of command, an ammuni-
ton carriage was wheeled from the re-
cesses Of the emplacement; the solid
'ten.inch shell thrust into the breach
Of the gum, and, following this. two
ropes In lengths Of about "a inches,
and the two sacks seemed to fit loose
ly In the breach of the gun, behind the
%projectile. The breach was closed, and
the gun raised above the top of the en-
placement. the whole operation from
the time the word Of command to load
was given being less than a minute.
Then the command to fire followed.
There was q deafening explosion, a
cloud Of brown smoke, and then q
whining sound. like that of a railroad
train rushing at a speed of a mile a
minute and then five miles down the
river q stream of water shot from the
surface. seemingly forty or fifty feet
high. Before the shot struck the water
the gun sunk rapidly, and easily. back
to It's position behind the e~mplacement.
and was being loaded for a second
shot.
Four more shots were fired with
success equal to that Of the first and
there was no doubt In the minds OF the
spectators as to the utility and practi-
cability Of the disappearing gun in com
parison with a stationary and exposed
weapon.
Among those who with Secre-
tary Root witnessed the exhibition
were Senator's Warren, Burrows, Quar-
les. Harris and Cockrell. of the senate
committee on military affairs; Sena-
tors Perkins, Tillman. Gallinger and
Teller, Of the appropriations committee
and Hemenway, Littauer. Bell. Watson.
Overstreet and vreeland, of the house
appropriations committee, Representa-
tive Shanroth, Gen. Gillespie. Assistant
Adjutant General Carter. and a num-
Der Of newspaper correspondents. Elk
Mayor Schnitger of Cheyenne was also
one Of the party.
Senators Warren, Cockrell. Tillman
and Teller are earnest advocates in the
senate Of the disappearing gun type.
Senator Proctor, Of the military af-
fair~ commltfee IN making somewhat