Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-04-10
Throws a Ton and a Half Shot Thirty
Mites

Throws a Ton and a Half Shot Thirty
Miles.
At Sandy Hook Is the biggest gun In
the world. 1t may not be generally
known, but the United States sur
passes all other nations in the manu-
facture Of the most stupendous ord
nance.
The weapon referred to is twenty
yards long and weighs 130 tons. The
projectile discharged by this monster
is sixteen inches In diameter and five
feet long and weighs a ton and quar-
ter.
The charge of sinokeless powder is
of 1000 pounds we ght, and when the
projectile leaves the muzzle It Is trav-
eiling at the rate Of 1900 feet a Sec
ond. The cost of each shot fired, at
the lowest estimate Is $1,000.
The gun has been discharged eight
times It Is calculated that 1t can be
fred 800 times before 1t will become so
worn that it will be necessary to refine
the bore, after which 1t will be good
for 300 more rounds before another re-
lining.
In order to make these prodigious
guns strong enough to Withstand the
powder pressure, which Is as high as
10000 pounds to the square inch, they
are built of successive layers Of hoops,
In this monarch there are four such
layers.
Special machinery had to be con-
structed for har ding this great
amount of steel. From the beginning
Of the work until The final inspection
was nearly. three years. and the ap-
proximate cost was $150.000. The gun
was made at Wate rvliet arsenal, near
Albany. It's great length and weight
prevented the use Of the railway in its
transportation, so great wrecking
lighter received It at the wharf of
Watervliet from a specially constructed
steel car, whence 1T was f1oated to the
proving grounds at Sandy Hook.
This piece of ordnance has not been
mounted, and because Of it's unprec-
edented length ard weight 1t will
never be possible to secure an eleva-
ton greater than Is degrees. 1t is we'll
known that As degrees gives a pro-
jectie its greatest 'ange.
AS II is. however, this ton and
quarter Of solid metal, driven by full
charge of smokeless gunpowder, will
describe an arc thirty miles in length,
the highest point of which will be more
than three miles above the surface Of
the land or sea. Starting from Sandy
Hook in quest of q hostile battleship
1t would not catch sight Of the vessel
until Ii had climbed we'll up into the
sky.
1t is impossible. of course, for any
ship to carry and handle such q colos-
sal gun. 1t and all similar cannon are
for harbor and coast defence.
n
construct a battleship powerful enough
to withstand the terrific impact of one
Of the solid shots. The strongest IRON
clad ever launched would be shattered
and sunk by a single missile that went
home, and any ship approaching from
the sea would have to steam four
ffths across the zone of fatal danger
to itself before drawing nigh enough
to give effect to its own fire.-New
York Sun.
How He KNEw.--One morning two
young women entered the Saltville
grocery and after some discussion
of gingersnaps and two pounds of
crackers.
stopping at Miss Gray's?" in
uuired the clerk, as he tied up the
bundles.
yes" said one of the young wo-
men. with evident surprise.
"Came about yesterday forenoon?"
said the clerk.
How did you Enow?" asked the
Young woman, curiou3ly.
"Um. Well. 1 can most generally
tell" said the clerk, without glanc-
ing at the object of his mind reading,