The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-05-30
A REAL WAR TEST
The Florida s TGrres the large,
For the Arkansas
SIG GUNS AS ~ sAT1Ls

~NFtN-A ~ " ~N-N'~ III |H-hf NJ Hta ~
Put Guns In Turrst CT wcr'sr CO.
Ct commissien - Fsuec {, Des.-s,
Fighting Mast.
Ola Poiat Comfort Va Na, -s-
The biggest naval gun tbe h,a Ssh
FrC.cctie ana the -iehcs- ell
t1lwu. combined wita Clos. r.f-
aeal.y aim. we're allowed O. w.f. l....
iul havoc cu the tu-ret rc-. c O..
ucc'cr Florida Ele rcsc't .s ... e.
.t to be \ victor, 'oI c.rr.- ..r---r.
t.rn -ais. uc,en- tastsu.Ir- tae r-.r
hardened stec plate WAS .s,t.-r.
.rthgu thC seams ct the tcrt.t
SPA Gre uvets and screws 'gcs .Lc
aul twisted.
% Was rot Eve minute emo, 81,
terrible PACT tle- Che trN t
s1cct mechanism 90 -h- turio' $50
.o.ns worked with rer.c,, cae. er
,ac ,-.rca San cl tlO ..f. S.. .-
trained at VIII
Inside tlc turrct. whcv. etrrf Co.,
-aLIers ana the gun crev Rho l...
WAS much less arparcu' ;tan
|.NN AaNaAHNH
81 tae many cciCateig aC.r-.l g.
strlments iCr TIE centred s.-ttf- ..i
operating Of the tGrret. few g. -Dy
we're oGt a. working order.
"lf This had halrcrCc .u b.-fi. fh
Florida would have been hgftll- t.t
said one OF The rear admiral uit- .u
tlusiaelc.
Then followed frtiic att. urt -r
destroy tle newly Ct. lEret re uc
mast erected ca tho stern az tie .'..r
IDA. Alter lyc shots from trc trErn
sas Sad scue rpI.us I'rruei g. O..
mast stil stood lrm ID was predict. a
chat an new ships viii oe equipped
oi-h battle mcs.s 90 this design
The story o. the shooting up Of
fhc Florida bv the Arkansas. however
Ia not contained in This technical
statement of results. Every naval bg
roau was represented iisauise tae
ordnance ana artillery OF The crmv.
The scene OF the real war demons
stration was Hampton roads. ai-.lly
ulic famous by naval events.
AFTER ar hours gun tranirc The
Dis noise" came. tive crashes SD close
lo-etlcr that 10 sounded ltc oae Tho
l-.rch rrojectie art l.t JOS tai .et
it was q crash. hash. and cloud e
yellow smoke quietly drifting away
over thc top of tte Florida. What
Was left wa, big. black wound TIE
officers went 90 the Florida at once.
but before they got there tha crew
% twenty or thirty j1rbics" fat1i-cd
rom tnc receiving ship Fran l ANA
Iecrcl hy Commander John g. or'm-
g. Lieutenant Joseph *. Tarssi- ana
D gunner had come un from the hlli
sud were looking over the da go.
The plate had been broken thr,1gr
rom tec gun port to the edge 1851,
shove ana just below where fla hen
struck Thc broken piere bad 90
driven into the tlrret several inches.
1rt not tho thickness of the plate so
hat no hole was actually made The
fctonation was somewhat imperfect
as was evidenced by the quantity obi
suirhurlise powder which covered the
deck and mast This failure 90 realize
the frii strength OF The powder IS re-
sardei y injecting the only uncertain
element into the test.
Officers entered the turrct al once.
and los mechanism was operated. the
urTet hein- swung completely ar un 3
each way. and the left hand guns train.
ca. The right gun. being she scrip
pIcl' gun. in place OF the regular orc
which lad been removed for The tos-.
.of course could not Doe trained besides
the broken plate had wedged aealnst
TO- This. the officers said. would not
nave prevented the gun being fired.
although &; would have intericrci with
the sighting
But the turret bore the evidences
.oi a fight The paint along tile seams
had ll appeared. many O. the seams
We're sprung bolts were looscned. and
sllvcrs 90 the plate lay around \
board dummy inside was intact and
the opinion OF the officers was that.
even with The terrific impact The gun.
ncrs a. the turrot would not have been
injured. The mechanism IN the turre;
bore no outward evidence OF damage.
and The belief was expressed that q
test would find il ia working order.
Then followed an attempt TO 2 estroy
the lighting mast. FIVE shots were
fired. four Oh which took eject. Many
az the suppcrtus Tubes were broken
but the mast stMl stood firm. ana uova'
men say 1t Is practically indesjruct
lie