Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-01
NO MORE l6-INCH GUNS
ONLY ONE IN EXISTENCE STA
TONED AT SANDY HOOK.
Uncle Sam Had Planned TO Build Forty,
but Cost of Operating Proved
Too Great.

Gen. Crozier. chief Of ordnance OF tho
army. said yesterday that while the lG-inch
gun at Sandy Hook n. j.. Will continue as
part of the defense OF New York har-
Dor II is not at all likely that the gov
eminent will build any more guns Of that
caliber. The i6-inch gun was built at the
Watervliet arsenal and Is the only one In
existence. II weighs 1876 tons. about
252 coo pounds. its length being 4aia feet
and the diameter at the breech feet .
inches. In the early experiments Il was
found thar more than half a ton OF pow
der. costing SECS, was needed to fire the
projectile. The latter cost $500
The government might have stood this
outlay were IL not for the discovery that
small regiment OF men was required 70
handle the piece properly and also that Il
was next to impossible 10 get A safe car
rlage for the enormous weapon About
three times as many men were required to
handle the 16-iHch gun were needed TO
care for a 12-inch.
Government Planned to Build Forty
The government had planned to build
forty such guns, eighteen to be placed at
Sandy Hook. ten at San Francisco. eight at
Boston and four at Hampton Roads. The
great point made for the gun was that
its projectile would sink a battleship II II
hit. It's range was about twenty-one miles.
or in other words, If fired with the proper
elevation the gun could send s projectile
from Sandy Hook to City Hall Park. The
pruiectile IS siXty-four inches long and
weighs 2.370 pounds. The largest army guns
in use now are the Pinch guns
Col. Greer, the ordnance officer IN charge
of the Sandy Hook proving grounds says
that the experiments with this gun, while
showing that the gun could DO all that was
expected Of it In one way, have neverthe-
less convinced the experts that as weapon
IT is too costly.
Ordered Seven Years Ago.
THE gun now at Fort Hancock" said
lie, was ordered, l think, about seven
years ago. when it was decided TO increase
the eallber OF our largest weapon for coast
defense from twelve to sixteen inches.
At that time England was having a num-
Der OF such guns made and great things
were predicted for them. Al OF the English
guns were failures. Our own gun was COM
pleted several years ago and has been
fired perhaps half a dozen times in proving
H. In one way II was a success, as 1t has
done ali that was predicted for II in range
and effectiveness. There is no doubt of
the result If it ever hit anything.
ION the other hand. however, every dis
charge of the gun is tremendously costly
in the amount Of labor required and In the
expense of the charge. The gun is little
more likely perhaps, 10 miss the target
than a smaller gun, and miss is pretty
costly Taking it all in all. 1t would seem
as though several guns OF smaller callber
would be more effective than one l6-inch
gun. That is the conclusion drawn, ! think
by most experts who have looked into the
matter. 1t is not at all likely, In my opin-
ion that the government will ever build
another one. although of course, the gun
now at Sandy Hook viii probably be kept
there"