The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-22
GEN. FARLEY ON
MAN BEHIND Gun
Noted Ordnance Officer Paying
Visit to Salt Lake
City.
TELLS OF BIG RIFLE
NOW AT SANDY HOOK
Will Throw 240O Pound ProjeC-
tile TWenty-0ne
Miles.

bTlB,-SSn- Joseph arley, u -. A.,
retired. is a guest at the Kenyon and
more than any living man may be cit
ed as The officer Behind the Gun"
In the important matter OF building the
great guns that have made the Amer
lean army and navy famous the world
over Gen. Farley said.
LAS you doubtless know, | am on
the retired list. and out OF active ser-
vice. With my people | have been
touring the Northwest from NanCou-
YER B. c., TO Salt Lake. and we have
enjoyed every mile of the distance and
hour OF the time.
Ordnance department? Yes, l was
for many years prior TO my being re-
tired. In command of the WaterYliet
arsenal. and IT is true that the last
official work OF my life was given to
build and equip the great l6-inch
breech-loading rifle at Sandy Hook for
trial. This great gun VIII, by order OF
Secretary Taft, be placel in a fitting
battery, on carriage. now under con-
struction, OF the Crozier- Burlington
type, and when charged with 600
pounds of smokeless or 1000 pounds OF
black powder. Will throw proJectlle
weighing 24O0 pounds a distance of
twenty-one miles, If elevated at 40 de-
grees.
Measure Of Safety.
by direction OF Secretary Taft this
gun Will be mounted on the eastern
end Of Long Island, near New York,
at Montauk Point. especially to meet
anything of the Drcadnaught class OF
ships now being built by England
These great ships have ten Pinch
rifles, and may have the 1i-inCh rife.
but the sweep OF the 16-inch rifle would
reach them before they could use their
guns with any effect
In q wellwrltten paper published In
the Army and Navy Journal, and other
papers, Gen. Farley sums the power
OF such gun by saying that the IT,
inch gun would have power, at four
miles range. three times greater than
the 12-nch or 14-lnch gun. Putting
aside the careful statements of an eN-
pert artillerIst, and speaking in gen
eral way, IL can be said that with
l6-lnch rifle mounted at Montauk
Point, tho capes of the Delaware. and
the Chesapeake. at Pensacola, Mobile
and South Well Pass. the approach OF
such ships as the Dreadnaught toward
vital points on our Atlantic seaboard
would be extra hazardous. and not
likely TO be made This gun, properly
served, with the added help OF the
range finder would sink anything that
could be built. Then It's moral effect
would be incalculable in keeping for
eign powers from IdSIly committing
an overt act OF war
There VIII Be Others.
In time, such guns Will be mounted
ut Cape Flattery, San Francisco and
San Diego. insurlng our Pacific coast
from attack by sea. Fourteen-lnch
guns Also viii be used for coast de-
fense in these same locations.
In a general way the article shows
that the naval fight between Togo and
RojestVensky developed the fact that
"racking," not penetrating powers dis
abled the Russian ships. l. e.. the great
guns cracked and otherwise disabled
the ships, so that they leaked and
could not use their guns The impact
of q 16-inch projectile against any hull,
even II not forceful enough to pene-
trate, would go dcmoralize all things
near II as TO render her unserviceable
and an easy prey. Ordnance experts
agree now that the day of the big gun
is here. and that many Of them Will
soon be in position on our sea coast de-
fenses.
A 16-inch gun costs $4,000 for the
steel In It and S2S 900 to make It Tho
cost Of its plant was S25O000. To take
the gun from the arsenal to Sandy
Hook cost $1,000.
Entrance to Harbor
The Hook proving grounds are on
the sandspIt that forms the south point
OF the channel entrance to New York
harbor, and the range includes the
whole of the Western ocean.
Gen. Farley has been identified with
ordnance building since 1861. when he
was pupil OF Capt. Rodman, inventor
of the Rodman gun, great cast-iron
thing, not unlike wine bottle In
shape but which was designed on
principles which now are admitted to
be right, though long disputed. The
Rodman gun was cooled from the In
side, after casting and gained great
strength thereby. 1t was muzzle load
ing and smooth bore. Tho great strides
I'm gun making since that day tell the
remarkable story OF Gen, Farley's re-
markable services to his country. In
speaking of the man behind the gun.
we must not forget the officer behind
the gun