Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-19
A MONSTER GUN.
Three Successful Shots from
Big 16-lnch Rife.
Test Given on Sandy Hook
Proving Grounds.
The Designer and Constructor Died
on Eve Of Trial.

New York, JAN 1S.-The most power
full gun ever built in America, huge
16-inch coast defence rife was success
fully tested at the government proving
ground, Sandy Hook, Saturday.
The gun was fired three times in the
course of the afternoon in the presence
of several hundred army officers. few
civilians and one representative of the
| Legislative branch of the government,
Congressman Gillett of Massachusetts,.
who was invited as a member of the
appropriations committee.
Among the officers present were Gen.
Chaffee. who was received with a salute
as commander OF the department of The
East Gen. Crozier, chief of ordnance,
Col. Greenough Maj. Pratt, Gen. Buff
fington, retired, Col. Thomas H. Barry,
Col. c. r.. Suter, COL T. I. Mansfield
| of the army board of engineers, and
Col. Farley of the ordnance department,
who superintendent the construction OF
the gun at the Watervliet arsenal in
West Troy.
The three tests were marked by the
wonderful accuracy with which they
fulfilled the mathematical calculations
of the army experts who have had
charge of the guns construction.
The three shots also proved that the
special smokeless powder made for 10
inch guns had been accurately pre-
pared.
The first charge was a sort of
warmer" The charge was 500 pounds
of smokeless powder and the velocity of
the 2400-pound projectile when it left
the muzzle was 1908 feet a second.
The pressure of the great charge of
powder in exploding was $4,000 pounds
to the square inch.
For the second shot the full charge of
$40 pounds of powder WAS used and the
velocity was 2206, or six feet more than
calculated.
The pressure was $4,000 pounds to the
square inch. The elevation of the guns
muzzle for the first and second shots
Twas H.. degrees, and the ranges were
300O and $500 yards.
For the final shot the muzzle was
elevated to Az degrees, increasing the
range to 1000 yards.
The velocity of this shot was not
taken. The charge was $40 pounds of
smokeless powder and the pressure was
| SO, 200 pounds to the square inch.
All the shots ricocheted two or three
times on the water, sending up great
fountains of spray.
Gen. Crozier said the tests showed
the gun was an absolute success, and
proved that 16-inch guns could be fur
nished whenever the country wanted
them.
Whether any more will be built is a
question. Congressman Gillett and sew
eral officers present doubted that any
more ever would be built a number of
smaller guns being considered more eff
fective than one enormous weapon.
The gun fired, today. cost 100000. 1t
was said at the tests, today. that the
gun undoubtedly would be mounted at
Sandy Hook. Gen. Crozier said that
while its range at its highest elevation
was about 20 miles, it could be used to
hit objects only at a distance Of four or
| five miles
Objects farther away could not be seen.
Gen. Crozier made speech just before
| the first shot was fired in which he said
the gun was planned 16 years ago and
was authorized by Congress to ascertain
| If guns of that size could be built if
needed.
He warned those present that the gun
might burst as the charge of smokeless
powder was by far the largest ever fired.
The gun was the greatest step in adj
vance yet taken in ordnance.