The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-03-21
Shells From Great Rifles
Screamed Across
the Channel.
General MaComb Test.
fled to Excellence Of
Engineering.
tFrom Sundays Advertiser,

the world was fred across the entrance |
to Pearl Harbor channel yesterday fore
noon from one of the largest guns of
the American army, a shot which Uncle
Sam metaphorically fred across the
bows of the fleets of all nations to
notify them that he is ready to de-
fend the Hawaiian Islands and has the
implements of war with which to pre-
vent any hostile invasion. After thir-
teen years under the American flag,
Honolulu was yesterday declared by the
war department to be able to defend
herself against the attacks of hostile
fleets for with the cross FIRE of the two
great l2.inch rifles of Fort Kameha-
meha with the great mortars of Dia-
mond Head, few ships may now venture
within their range.
There was n dramatic element in the
discharge of this first Pinch gun OF
the great battery named in honor of
Kamehameha the Great, the Napoleon
of the Pacific, for the first projectile
was fired directly across the entrance
TO Pearl Harbor and far out to sea,
where a column of water nearly hum
bred feet in height was thrown up
where it plunged beneath the waves.
Over the dredgers, which are burrow-
ing out a channel, deep enough to float
in the superdreadnoughts of the Amer
lean navy, the projectile screamed its
way from the muzzle of the monster
rifle. and as the water few out the roar
of the back-rush of air returned to the
watchers on the platforms of the great
battery, while the great gun settled
down in its steel cradle, ready for
whatever further demands might be
made upon it.
Ready to Defend Harbor.
This was the army's demonstration
that it is ready to defend the great
naval station of Pearl Harbor, now
under development to be the greatest
naval station under the American flag,
where almost the entire fleet of war
ships NAV lie at anchor, and, where in
the great drydock now building,
crippled ships may be repaired and pre-
pared to rejoin the battle line.
Success marked the testing of the
great l2-inch guns and not defect was
uncovered in the vast mechanism OF
guns or carriages.
Instead of the terrific report which
many expected would come from the
57-ton monsters, they gave only deep
roar, basso prufundo, not half so ear
splitting as the six-inch guns upon war
ships or the small caliber saluting guns
of the Honolulu naval station. While
ears we're protected by cotton wads,
there was really little necessity for
their use.
Prepared for Actual Use.
The United States is now prepared
to make use of the big guns for actual
use, should any such contingency arise.
The guns themselves are in readiness
The tests demanded by the war depart
me1t before they can be turned over
to the coast artillery corps which is
to man them, have been made and the
reports will be favorable. The great
emplacements are still in course of con
struction but on the highroad to com
pletion. These represent the highest
type of modern fertilization, the works
being constructed almost exclusively OF
cement and ,cOncrete reinforced by
steel rods. With sand embarked on the
seaside face the great guns are amply
protected, and it would be rare shot
from the sea which could ever STRIKE
them.
Capt. w. P. Platt, ordnance depart
ment, u. s. A., who was sent here to
make the tests and to Fproof" them
superintendent the work of firing. In
this he was assisted by Captain vii
bur, Coast Artillery Corps, of Fort
Ruger, ordnance officer for the district
of Hawaii, assisted by two sergeants
and q file of privates. General Ma
comb, u. s. A., commander of the dis
trict of Hawaii, his aid, Lieutenant An
Il nj
Colonel Biddle, Maj. Il. Il. Winslow, En-
gineer Corps; Major Timberlake, Artil
lery Corps; Maj. Erneste Smith, Pay
Corps; Captain Chapman, Twentieth
Infantry; Governor Frear, Secretary OF
the Territory MottSmit and a number
of officers of the coast artillery and
infantry, were present to witness the
tests.
A Living Gun Swab
The first gun tested was the one near
est the Pearl Harbor channel. 1t was
operated in various ways to test tbs
carriage mechanism, and was thorough
ly swabbed. And then the reason why
the coast artillery has an occasional
small man was made plain. When the
gun was swabbed the smallest artillery
man was lifted by his comrades and
thrust headforemost into the breeel
and showed far up the rife barrel. He
was gradually pulled out by the feet
and when he emerged he had in his
hands a swabbing cloth. The duty OF
these small artillerymen is to pOlisl
the interior of the gun.
The breech was closed aud the prim
er tested. At this juneture a few in
fantry priyates from Fort shafter hap
pened TO be lounging on the casemats
directly in front of the muzzle. One
was reading thrilling story in The
Argosy. The lanyard was pulled bs
Captain Wilbur aud q pingpoug report
sounded. The infantryman lcaped as II
be bad been blown from the mouth OF
the canuon-s epoy fashion but be vii
now have the honor 20 record in hii
career that he was the fret man shui
o. By ihe big Pearl flarbor gun.
No Romance There.
Captain f'lati adjusted the mcchan