The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-05
Seven Great Coast Defense Weap-
ons to Be Operated by
Electricity.
SOLDIERS AWAIT CANNON.
One Twelve-1nch Rifle With Its
Mountings Weighs 212 Tons
Special Cars Re
CURED.

| The United States exhibit Of big guns
at the Worlds Fair. plans for which were
| announced yesterday. will be the most
made at exposition. 1t will include
seven iarge-tyEe coas:-ds Tense guns.
which will be operated up 10 the point of
firing by a company of Coast Artillery.
So large are the guns that IL they were
actually fired the information and concus-
sion would be so great that 1t would
shatte- windows and prove disastrous to
installations in buildings within a wide
radius OF the exhibits. For this reason
drills will stop at the point Of firing.
AL the guns will be set up Just as they
are when in use IN coast Notifications. It
will be possible for visitors to closely in
| spect them. and their workings will be
explained by the regulars in charge Of
them. During the Exposition these soldiers
will give two exhibition drills around the
guns each day.
Captain Archibald Campbell Of the
United States Coast Artillery has charge
OF the exhibit. the big guns on the hill
above the Government building being as
follows:
The western gun Is Pinch, breech-
loading rifle. on a disappearing carriage;
the eastern. at the top OF the hill. is
6-inch. breech-loading rifle. also on dis
to the southwest.
On the lower plateau is a finch How
itzer. installed on wooden platform, with
mortar. set on wooden platform. A T.
inch mortar on concrete foundation,
showing the largest pattern of this class
OF ordnance. It is capable of firing four
miles in the air and dropping a projectile
within range OF from one to eight miles.
ENORMOUS WEIGHT.
In service this mortar would be sur
rounded by earth parapets. but to give VS.
itors an opportunity Of entering the gun
pit. the parapet will be removed from the
rear section. In addition there are a fifteen
FOUNDER, rapid fire barbette gun and six
inch barbette gun.
The placing Of these guns will require
ty. The Pinch rifle weighs with its car
riage 212 tons. The gun proper weighs 60
tons, and specially constructed cars will be
place by means of hydraulic Jacks and
bookings.
The guns, will be brought on the Dxpo-
ntion tracks close to tie place where
weighs seventy-five tons. and is the heav-
lest single piece Of the display. In in
stalling the mortars and Howitzcrs an
AZ derrick. which operates on the prIn-
ciple of gin pole, will be used.
The One Hundred and Nineteenth Coast
Artillery, y. 8. A. has one company. con-
sisting Of fifty-six men, quartered on the
Worlds Fair grounds This detachment
has been assigned by the War Depart
ment to perform the work of Installing its
heavy, guns The company will remain
here throughout the Exposition.
Considerable progress has been made in
the preliminary installation construction.
Concrete foundations are being laid. and
nearly all the grading and excavation has
been completed. The first shipment for
the exhibit left the arsenal at Watertown,
N. Y, this week and will be here in q few
days.
When the guns arrive the detachment on
the site will perform all the strictly mill
stallation. This will include the ma
chinery by which officers communicate
with the gunners. such as the telephone,
the telautograph. the azimuth instruments
and the range finders.