New-York tribune., 1903-01-18
BIG GUN MEETS TESTS.
EXCEEDS BEST HOPES.
Gen. Cro1ier Declares Ii Grooming
Ordnance achievement.

BOOK proving ground from lne Io-lhch ui
recently completed at the Watervet Arsenal at
Troy. ". Z. The test. pronounced by General
Crozier Chief Of Ordnance, of the army, sue
cessful from every point of view that could be
covered by observation marked, according TO
the consensus of opinion Of all the experts pres
ert the longest stride in advance in the history
Of ordnance development in the United states
According TO the unanimous judgment of these
experts the tests also gave the new gun first
place among war engines Of destruction.
The hreechblock stood without injury the
swain Of the enormous pressure TO which it
subjected 1t did not blow out, did ii be-
come iamrned. The muzzle velocity exceeded by
six feet TO the second the calculations of the de-
siguers of the gun. and the striking force of the
rroiectile was slightly higher than 5000 foot
IONS as calculated in advance. The only unde-
7errnined point in the tests the effect of the
discharge on the sun itself. Whether or not the
EXPLOSION Of the enormous charge of smokeless
,,oUder-the largest according to General
,--,ozie- eyer fired from . gun-expanded the
metal 70 the limit Of elasticity. can be discoV-
cred only after minute measurements OF the
tore with the star gauge If the bore was not
rernanently enlarged by fraction of an .nch
which was not disclosed in General Crozler $
talks 10 the newspaper men. the tests proved the
sun all that has been expected OF 1t Ihls TACT
will not he made public until after the Ordnance
z,oa-5 which had charge of the test. has filed
its report
The charges fired after preliminary 300
rounds Of brown prismatic powder, with a cast
i7o, rroiectile Of full weight had been dis
,,,s-ea5 mere cast iron solid shot weighing 24O0
,oun5S each. driven by $40 pounds Of smokeless
powder. made on a new plan especially Tor prov
ing the gun The preliminary shot was nTed 10
sea AT 40 2. n The shot struck the water
,o1,- half mile from the beach and ricochetted
oft which fol-
l.,,-a.5 the rroiectile from the gun was at least
ef-,- feet long and the blast Of gases and
smoke reached 10 nearly one hundred yards in
front Of the nluzzie. The recoiI Of the gun was
six feet and its muzzle was slightly raised by
he force Of the discharge. This shot was fired
II an upward angle Of IL degrees The muzzle
velocity was 2003 feet, and the breech pressure
was $1,000 pounds to the square inch
The second shot was fired with full charge of
ESQ rounds Of the new suokeless powder exactly
~ 81 o'clock. The appearance Of the discharge
WAS similar to that Of the first except that the
-a,7-re IF flame seemed longer and there was
less smoke The muzzle velocity Of the projectile
in this case was given as 2.306 feet six feet a
second more than had been expected The pres
sure at the breech was $4,000 pounds square
inch-nearly 2O0o pounds higher than was looked
for The projectiIe struck the water at about
the same distance as the preliminary shot, as the
for this elevation was computed $500 yards.
The projectfle ricochetted once, according to
those who followed its course with glasses;
twice. according TO the statements of some OBJ
servers
For the third shot the velocity frames We're
taken down and the elevation of the gun was
changed to four degrees, or 1900 yards. The
velocity, il was assumed, would be the same as
the powder charge and projectile were the same
in weight The pressure at the breech was
slightly less than in the preceding shot The
rrojectile struck the water, throwing UP a nigh
column. and ricochetted once. Just after the
firing Of the third shot General Crozier said;
To-day'z tests seem have demonstrated :e that that
Tor rosst - defence we can depend upon their work
There is much TO contend win eit lIt n, rovine
r. The hreech might becsme jannned or blow I ouI
charges today without such an accident an and I'll IL
F bs ot been expanded to the limits Of the
elasticity Of the steel the gun has 0een @ pr9ce9 cco
plished something new in heavy ordnance
General Chaffee said:
Conclusions as to the effectiveness and usefulness
Of his piece rest wholly with the Ordnance e. De-
Tar as ] can see the tests were successful
Major Charles S. Smith, commandant Of the
Proving Ground, said:
The gun seems to have stood the tests perfectly
thai than afas 5aaf GS With bot t other members OF
:he Ordnance Board in my Official report
The firing was in charge of Lieutenant w H
Tschappat. and the electrical connection for the
second shot-the first with d full charge-was
made bv Major ]. P. Farley, who had charge OF
i74 construction Of the gun. News Of the death
a West Troy of Carl A. Christensen the master
mechanic at wateryliet who had immediate
charge Of the work of building the gun, was re-
ceive6 during the test. 1t was said that ne had
died from paralysis due TO overwork-
rr q 1,rief address before the first shot Gen
eral Crozier said:
z-,e,s,ar o not It viii be considered advisable to
h,fl5 a number Of these guns VIII depenQ IargeIy
lron the question Of the s9ilclency ot
ft may be decided that because our lz-lnch guns
seem able 10 take care of an enemy II Is s9
- sFic, Ne are about TO test. The comparison, on
rbeir- ~eiarfve effectiveness IS interesting; me
-Tre 70 i1cb throws a projectile weighing l,gD
pounds the ls-inch one Eeghlng Z4Vv p Pouig@a- i@e
II 5ifferen+ The striking force Of the lb-lnch gun H.
owing 10 the enormously gTeAttst "a ~
rrojectie. and four-tenth lliieS '''"' - '
Ne may say that the f6-inch gun is further ahead %
= the I2-inch than the Iz-lncn W. a5%.aca we
have taken the development OF or ol .Latfo,
wish say that for the aesls M aG i y Rirnie
f this gun the credit is due 70 MAJOR u trit
Major Charles 5. Smith and Major - -, L1Idi,ss5
We have gone beyond any point ever tir 70
ia the DEVELOPMENT Of ordnance, " lr 80
dar The largest charge Of smokeless powasT ever ;
discharged from any gun IL II I15 him irreeuariy
49, @apers.e 50 much heat that the tests VIII not
result as We hone may behave Gao ii AZ. J Jt
or blow ont the breech block. or eheI y
rr,1 W. aSDe~f a velocity Of 1900 feet ana a
pressure OF nearly 3S 0G poancs 20 Ile s4ua'' ~
The tests were conducted by the ordnance
Board Of the army. consisting Of Major Charles
( sr73tf, connrnandant Of the proving ground;