Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-23
PLANS FOR NAVY YARD
Improvements Which Will
Cost S3,0oo,0o0 Projected.
HUGE GUN FACTORY
NEW BUILDINGS WHICH OF
FICERs HAVE RECOMMENDED.
Summary of the Work Already Ac-
acknowledgements of Old
e.. and New Methods.

1t is the purpose of the naval authorities
to make improvements at the Washington
navy yard commensurate with its 1mpor-
| lance as one of the best big gun factories
I in the world, provided Congress will be
reasonably and fairly liberal in the matter
| of appropriation at its next and succeeding
| ing sessions.
In addition to tie one million-dolar i'm
provements now under way, as exclusive
| ly described by The Star several days ago,
| improvements have been recommended for
next year amounting approximately to three
million dollars. The necessity for the new
buildings and machinery at Uncle Sam
great gun foundry at the navy yard has
| been apparent for some time in order that
| the plant can keep pace with the demands
of the rapidly growing and superb Amerl-
can navy.
The new buildings which the gun foundry
officers have recommended are stated to be:
A new sighting shop and the necessary ma
chinery; a new brass, iron and steel foun-
dry and the necessary appliances; new
gun shop for the manufacture of medium
and small caliber guns, with new ma
chinery; a new locomotive house for the use
of the locomotives of the gun factory rail-
road a new forge shop: extension OF the
east and west gun carriage shops by erect
ing new shops on the site at present occu-
pied by the old foundry; new pattern
shop; a freproof pattern storehouse; a
muster house for mastering the thousands
of employees.
Summary Of Work Accomplished.
The necessity of the proposed improve
ments can be In measure illustrated by a
| summary of the great work accomplished
| In the past fiscal year and that under way
at the naval gun factory. The expenditures
tha for
terials amounted to 1888. 100. The value Of
| finished work sent out from the factory
during the past year was 1885, U6 Inc
reason given for the excess Of value shown
| in finished work sent OUT over That OF
| expenditures for the year is that lot OF
the work finished was commenced In the
preceding year and in some cases the year
| before. but goes into the accounts with TINS
years product The value of unfinished
| work in hand at the beginning OF the pres
| ent fiscal year was S6Go0,0O0.
| 1t is an axiom that money, material and
| labor are more carefully expended under
| strict supervision at the naval gun factory
| than in almost any other department OF
| the government Every ounce OF metal ana
| every minute of labor expended is required
| to be accurately accounted for, 1T Is SAID
| During the past year shipments of ord
| nance material (guns, etc.) were made TO
| III United States naval vessels in commits
| sion, the total weight of the articles
| shipped being 1856, 600 pounds, and to the
| proving ground at Indian Head 80, go
| or a total of 80, 922, 100 pounds of ordnance
| material sent out of the gun factory.
| Great credit for the handling Of these
| vast supplies of war materials and for the
| complex recording of all receipts and ex-
penditures in the large establishment is
| due Major Jesse 3. X. Lee. chief clerk
/ to the superintendent of the naval gun fac
| fory, and his force of assistants.
Power of Modern Guns.
Speaking of the development in the de-
Of Ia nf ha
American navy, as illustrated at the Wash
| ington naval gun factory, an experienced
| machinist and advance worker said to
| Star reporter:
This general development is not due
alone to Improvements in guns or powder,
or projecties, but to the simultaneous and
| progressive development of all three.
Less than half century ago the heaviest
gun known was the 6S-poundcr. This gun
was about nine inches bore, and fired a
| 6S-pound projectile, with a 16-pound charge
| of gun powder, but was powerless against
| four and half inches of wrought IRON Our
| battle ships today are equipped with 12-
| inch guns, which, with a charge of 400 to
| 42J pounds Of smokeless powder, are ca
| pable of driving an S50-pound projectle
| through fifty-one inches of solid wrought
| iron. In olden times 1t required nearly four
| minutes to load and fire one of the now OBJ
| solete 6S-pounders, while the new and ter
rible Finch guns can be loaded and fired
| in about fifty seconds with perfect safety.
| IF a projectile from one of the old s.
| Founders hit its mark it was due to good
| luck rather than to good management, but
| 1t is matter of proud record that our mod
ern Finch guns have scored seven hits In
/ less than six minutes at target practice
| while our 6-inch gun has record Of nine
| shots and nine hits in one minute"
| The statistics of a modern 12-iuch breech-
| loading rifle, as turned out by the naval
| gun factory, makes an interesting showing
| Its weight is 1Ol 300 pounds or over A. tons
L foot @ ;r,Al mn
est diameter of gun body is 45 inches: total
| length of bore, 1920 inches: capacitv OF
| chamber l2o43 cubic inches; total capacity
| of bore, 81 800 cubic inches: travel of NO
| jectile, 346O6 inches; weight of charpe
| service velocity, 425 pounds; weight of nro
| jectile, $50 pounds; ratio of pro1ectiie- wesbt
=, 70 weight OF gun l-ll9; chamber pressure,
| feet per second; thickness of steel which
| sheH VIII perforate at muzzle, 2418 inches:
at LOO yards. 2o.94 inches.
Museum of War Implements.
In view OF the recent action of the Span
| ish war Veterans at their annual encamp-
| ment at st. Louis in adopting resolutions
| urging Congress to establish at Washing
| ton war or military museum. ii is inter-
| esting to note that the only museum of war
| in this city Is that at the Washington navy
| yard, which has been in existence for many
| years, but Is comparatively obscure owing
| to its location. This little museum is in a
| neat but old-fashioned two-story building
not far from the main gateway at the sth
| street entrance TO the yard. Over its door,
| way is a signboard bearing the simple
| legend, Museum" On the inside are many
| implements Of destruction. illustrative of
the art of war from the primitive days to
/ the present time with its wonderful death
| dealing inventions. Ancient warfare is il
| Illustrated by queer-looking breech-load ding
! cannon. made in 1890, in Spain and
| brought over by Cortez in his conquest OF
4 ho iF.fn xx,t.f ol, vaC