The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-03-09
TESTING UNCLE'S BIG GUNS
THE WORK ENTAILS a GREAT
MANY RISKS AND DANGERS.
How Uncle Sam Tries Out Rifles for
Warships and How Carefully He
Guards the Secret.

Guards the Secret.
Few people realize just how great
a test the big guns which go to make
m the equipment of our battleships
must undergo before they earn the
right to Uncle Sans firing line.
These tests are made at the naval
proying grounds at Indian Head,
MARYLAND, a secluded spot on the
banks of the Potomac, about 20
miles from Washington, Here the
United States government owns l.
eco acres of land, and almost every
day a bloodless battle between guns
and armor is waged on the river
front.
This conflict is jealousy guarded
from the public eye. The place is
absolutely closed to visitors and only
those who are fortunate enough to
obtain a pass are permitted to look
upon the technical tests to which
the guns and armor are subjected.
The government tug is the only boat
allowed to make a landing at the
wharf
There is a corps of naval othcers
at Indian Head and these men and
their families live at the far end or
the reservation away from the valley
where the firing is done. About 500
civilians, $50 of whom are negroes
are employed to carry on the dan
gerous, not to say difficult, work of
safeguarding the lives of our sail
ors as well as proving the awful pow
er of our modern guns.
Dangerous Experiments.
Only those who have seen a gun
90 through it's many tests can fully
realize the havoc which is wrought
by the huge steel instruments. The
guns are brought by tug to Indian
Head from the gun factory at the
Washington navy yard. At the prov
ing ground wharf giant crane lifts
them to a truck, which runs on rails
to a point near the spot where the
tryout is to be made. At this point
another crane lifts them into their
position, where a thorough examiLa-
ton of the structural parts is made
by the naval officers on duty. The
heavy work is done by the negro en-
ployes, and as soon as the gun has
been pronounced structurally perfect
the men begin to make ready for the
firing.
The first trial is a dangerous ex-
pertinent and accidents sometimes
happen. Several years ago negro's
head was blown off by the explosion
of a six-pounder Projectiles, too,
sometimes perform strange antics.
Special precaution is taken to min
imize the number and extent of the
disasters which might result through
the freaks of the projectiles by the
use of siren whistle. This is blown
five minutes before the test begins,
thus affording the workmen who are
at the works near by or walking
about the grounds an opportunity to
seek shelter in some of the shacks
erected for that purpose. The whis
tie can be heard for at least mile,
and even the inhabitants of the viii
lage are prepared for the conclusion,
The after effects of great gun fire
are sometimes serious, for the con-
cussion frequently loosens plastering
from the ceilings of the houses in
the vicinity, and in one instance sey-
eral windows in the hotel of the viii
lage were shattered Nearly all the
officers homes have pressed metal
ceilings and many of the buildings
have windows made of material
known as fibreloid instead of glass.
Everybody about the place has be-
come accustomed to the noise, and
the tremendous conclusions occasion
little excitement among the workers.
The men in the administration build
ing hardly look up from their books
when the building seems to rock on
its foundations.
Fired by Electricity.
The guns are fired by electricity
from a building in the rear of the
battery which is known as the
'bomb-proof. This building looks
something like mausoleum. 1t is
built of concrete and it's walls are
five feet thick 1t is the main place
of refuge during the firing and is
also a store house for the powder to
be used during the day. Giant scales
are used to weigh out the powder
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