The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-12-27
TWEL We inch
COAST GUNS
SERIOUS DISCLOSURES OBTAINED
IN COAST DEFENSE.
II Has Developed mat .he t2lneh
Guns Now Mounted FOR Protection
Are Absolutely Useless After
One Hours Firing.
Ardmorci,c Special

Ardmorciie Special
Washington. 4. c., ua. 27.--A sc.
rious menace TO the efficiency of the
coast defense system .. the United
States has ben disclosed. within q
few days bv tests m... at Sandy
Iuos. It has developed . these tests
that the great l2iuch aua which are
mounted ON most of ... coast de-.
fauscs of the country w. practically
ruined by one hour of continuous fir.
iue.
The tests made were exhaustive.
They showed coucmah..g that a gun
of the present l2iuch pattern could
not Dee depended ou fur accurate work
after having been discharged coutiu.
uously for one hour. Th. information
adduccd from the tests aas been com.
municatad privately 90 members of
Congress- who are particularly inter.
cstcl in our coast do.n-.s and has
been received with o. sn.' deal rl con.
Germ.
The short life of thu Finch gun
Of the present pattern g. said by the
army cypcrts 90 De duf wholly to the
effect on the gun of the smokclcss
powder now generally I'm use. The
acids developed by the combustion OF
the powder acts so quickly anu pow
orfully on the rifling of the barrel
of the gun that together with the
cnormbous initial yclocit, obtained By
the proiectile fired the inner lining
of the gun is nearly destroyed lrtcr
a comparatively few discharges.
The Pinch guns now in use are
constructed with a very long barrel.
so that a great initial velocity may
be developed before the proicctile is.
sues from the muzzle. The friction OF
the projectile on the inner lining oi
the gun is tremendous. the result be.
ing tearing Of the lining. The action
of the acids released by the explosion
Of the powder on the torn lining i'm.
pairs not only the accuracy but also
the range, Of the gun.
How serious tho situation ia may
be understood in a measure. from the
fact that 1o5 12inch guns are either
already mounted ON the country's
coast defcnsos or are in course OF
construction. The guns cost the gov
ernment $4,000 each Every one now
in use will have TO De replaced with
a gun of another pattern. OF course,
the displaced guns will not De a To-.
tai loss, but congress will have to
make an appropriation for the reIin.
ing of the guns, SO that tha,r ascuI.
ness may be restored
The ordnance experts of the army
I propose to mount new gun in place
of the 12-inch rifle The new gun will
be 1i-inch rifle. with a shorter bar.
rel. It will be. despite its increased
calibro, a uifle less effective than
the long 12-inch rifle, but its life"
will be longer and It Is expected TO
met all the requirements made Of il.
The 1i-inch gun will cost about s125..
OOO but after the construction Of the
gun is begun, the cost will decrease.
naturally. 1t is thought by the ordnance
experts that the new gun can be
built for about what It now costs to
construct the long 12inch gun.
by the use of the proposed new
gun, an advantage win be gained in
that, because Of the increased weight
of the l4-inch projoCtile, the gun real
ly will strike a much harder blow
than can be struck by the 12inch
gun. It will not diner much in accu
racy from the l2iuch rifle, but it will
De of shorter range
Preliminary ARRANGEMENTS already
have been begun for the construction
Of the new pattern guns and Is likely
that necessary congressional action
vii be taken at the presen, session
1t will require time t0 make the new
guns and TO install them in thoh
mounts; but, meantime, the 12inch
guns viii be In service and Will consu
tute ample protection to the country
Sells More Of chamberlaln's couaf
Remedy than Of All Others Put