The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-20
BIG NARSH|PS
OF AMERICA
Criticism of Carrying Too
Many Guns Made
BY BRITISH OFFICERS
Events are Making Criticism
Look True

Boston. May lit is an old complaint
against American men-of-war that they
are overloaded with more guns and heaV-
Ter guns than they ought to carry. ms
was the criticism launched by British
officers against the wooden frigate Consti-
tuition IN the years before the war OF
1872. Now it is heard again against the
steel ships of our battle line. and the
recent development of some weakness IN
the gun deck of the Maine is eagerly
hailed as proof that this criticism is a
lust one-that the huns of our warships
are not strong enough for the weight and
stress which they must bear.
As matter Of fact, such mishaps as
that to the Maine are extremely rare in
the United States naval service-more
rare. perhaps. in that service than in any
other in the world. The fleet which
boasts the Oregon has not been plagued
10y weaklings.
Since the battle Of Santiago a wonder
fuI advance has been wrought in the pow
CT Of American naval guns. Take the Z
inch 45-ton rifle for instance Five years
ego this weapon with the powder then
in use. sent its prtjectile rushing out Of
the grim muZzle tt a velocity equal TO
21o0 feet a second. and with a muzzle
energy and equal to 5000 foot tons-that
IS the energy developed by dropping 26,-
600 tons one foot But the improved r.
inch rife. like that with which our latest
battleships are armed. gives its prejectile
p velocity Of 2.sy9 foot seconds at the muz-
zle Of the gun. and develops the enormous
1nuzzle energy of $1,000. This new weapon
weights 52 tons.
OF course this increased weight and
power mean an increased strain upon the
steel hull that must bear such titanic
artillery. The stress due to ships
battery is now about quarter greater
than il was in the Spanish war. But. on
the other hand. of course these newly
armed ships can work just so much more
destruction to an enemy.
What is true of the great 12-inch rifle
is true of the smaller but efficient six-inch
gun. which makeup the broadside bat
terry Of the latest battlesaips which we
have commissioned. \ six-inch rife,
which in 1898 weighed about five tons,
now weighs eight tons. Such a weapon
was then about Is feet in length It is
now q feet The muzzle velocity Of the
100-pound projectile Of a siX-inch rifle in
1883 was equal TO 1900 feet a second,
and its muzzle energy to 200 foot tons.
The muzzle velocity of the new six-inch
rife like that carried by the Maine and
TO be carried by the New Jersey and
u.
here in Boston Harbor. is no less than
$500 feet a second, and its muzzle energy
no less than $500 foot tons.
This immensely enlarged power is due
not only to longer and better rifles. but
10 smokeless powder of a new compost
ton and of greater strength. OF course.
the naval designers and the shipbuilders
of the country know that they are deal
ing with a tremendous power in this new
artillery. The twin battieships Rhode Is
Maine-inded IN vry havist arma712StHPa
land and New Jersey will carry arma-
ments even heavier than that Of the
Maine-indetd the very heaviest arma-
ments ever launched upon the ocean.
The Maine has = finch turret rifles
and Is siX-inoh in broadside. The New
Jersey and Rhode Island viii have the
four Pinch am u II the siX-inch rifles
of the earlier ship. AM then in place Of
tSs other four six-inch rifles Of the Maine
they viii have eight eieht-inch guns-of
course very much more weighty and more
powerful Tho projectile Of a six-inch
rife weighs lGo pounds. the projectile Of
an eirh--iu-h lille. 25n Four Of these
elsht inch Iiles in each of the new ships
Will be contained in the novel superim-
posed tu-rets mounted on the two main
12-inch turrets fore and aft
In View Of the difficulty with the Maine.
II may he interesting 20 note the extra
ordinary precautions which Uncle sam
takes IN his newest ships to see that his
mighty guns are securely fastened to the
vessel that must bear them. Battleships
like tho Rhode Island and New Jersey are
practi ally rs wei as theoretically float
In forts. and must furnish stable and
we'll protected gun platforms Tho heavy
protective deck. a ''turtleback" of nickel
steel serves as the bomb proof OF
the fort hut also as the subfoundation
for the gun mounts The novel super
imposed turrets. each containing two
twelve-inch and two eight-inch Hfies. rise
from the main deck but turn upon
cylindrical steel foundation which rests
upon the protective deck. From the pr
tective deck also rise the baroettes. cyIin-
ders OF tCn-inch steel which protect rhe
turning ceSr and ammunition hoists The
amidsh;ps harbettes for the eight-inch
ri:'es are sustained by buIkheads which
rest upon thu protective deck. But the
most massive framework of the whole
ship IS really that which upholds and
protects the huge eight an twelve-inch
rifles in their circling turretS.
So also with the broardsi6e suns OF the
Rhode Island and New Jersey They are
lighter weapons 1t Is true-l00-poun6ers
OF six-inch calihre. These guns stand
upon the gun deck. sheltered behind ar
NOR six inches thick The deck beneath
them, 10 which the gun mounts are at
tached is powerfully strengthened. This
deck Is Of steel plate to begin with. In
derneath at a distance Of several inches
is fastened an extra plate. The interval
between these two plates-the deck plat
Ing and the layer below it's filed in
SUNNY Ni>h HaIu WOOD ana Do4teu
through again and again making an ex-
traordinary- heavy cushion. Then this
thick deck beneath the oroadsids guns is
supported by stanchions. that is 10 say.
steel posts by steel brackets. Some Of
these steel stanchions which tie the gun
foundation 10 the protective deck are
ave and one-haif inches in diameter
This brief description is sufficient to
show the care that is being taken at Fore
River 20 have the guns Of the Rhode
Island and New Jersey give a good ac-
count Of themselves in an emergency. and
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