The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-11-27
BIG GUN TEST
(. SATISFACTORY SAY
ARMY OFFICIALS.
New Bulldog Of Waikiki Beach
Banks -Four Times In ZAP
= proved Manner
NElGHBoRHooD is SHAKEN
BUT NO DAMAGE DONE
First Shot Fired With Reduced
Charge and Next Three
Increased To Limit

Increased To Limit
(Froh Thursday Advertiser.)
Col. William G. Rafferty,, command
ing thecoast defcnses Of Oahu, was
well satisfied, Mai George BIakelcy,
the department armament officer, was
pleased, and Capt. Edward Norris Stay.
ton, commanding the Tenth Company
Of Coast Artillery and Battery Ran.
dolph, was perspifing and happy yes
terday morning when the big fourteen.
inch rifle had been fred with four test
charges without any IN effects, weak.
nesses or defects being observed.
HOuseholdsrS DISAPPOINTED
There were few disappointed peo-
pie, however. There were many house
holders living in the vicinity who had
obeyed the warning to look out for
windows and breakables, and who had
carefully packed up their fragile glass
and chinawafe, only to find that the
big gun was fired with dun pop like
some far-off blast, and with a negIi-
CHILE amount of conclusion In rear
The Others who were disappointed were
members Of the De Russy garrison, who
had laid bets on the destruction OF
Lieutenant Kimmel's quarters. The
quarters were not destroyed; they were
only shaken TO pieces aud left stand
ing.
House an Old Structure
This house was an old structure, In
front of the emplaeements and directly
beneath the big rifle. Lieutenant kim.
mel, who had been occupying the place
temporarily for convenience, was aware
Of the danger and moved out most OF
his belongings before the firing began.
This was well, as the first blast tore
on all the the doors, screen doors az
well, generally disloeated the roof and
smashed the windows. Each succeeding
blast added TO the work Of destruction,
and after the fourth and final shot, the.
building was barely holding togther
and that was all II was sad look
ing structure.
Firing was slow
The firing was conducted slowly.
The most careful and accurate record
was kept Of each stage OF the proceed.
ings, and the powder charges, which
were made up specially, required con.
siderable anIohnt Of time Considerable
valuable data were obtained BY the
officers conducting the test, which viii
be of great use in preparing for the
target practise next week.
The gun operated beautifully and
without q hitch. The big 1000 pound
cast iron shell, such as is used in prae-
tice firing, was wheeled up to the
breeeh on shell truck, and rammed in
to the chamber by q squad OF husky
atrillerymcn The 34O pound CHARGE
Of smokeless powder, made up in folp
sections in canvas bags. was carried
mp 10 the breeeh on a sort Of wooden
litter, by another squad. This war
arInmed into the chamber mp f,isir
against the base Of the proiectile
Then the big breeeh block was swnng
TO, and rotated intot place, locking IN
to the gun.
When everything was ready, Major
Blakely gave the word and the gun
jumped up into the firing position, tao
major gave the command aud tho
magnetic below sent the electric eur.
rent into the primer and the piece was
discharged, recoiling quickly into thu
loading position below the parapet.
While tn strong off-shore wind NAV
have rendered conditions favorable,
the shock Of tho discharge was noI
great even at little distance along
side the gun and the report was not
nearly as terrific as had bcen expected.
There were two kinds Of people watch,
ing the firing. Those who managed
TO catch the projcctile in fight were
busy trying to point 1t ont to those
who did not catch Il, but II was less
than twenty seconds in each ease when
great geyser spouted up away ont
ON the horizon, several miles Off shore.
announcing that the hsot bad failed.
shots Are Graduated
The first shot was fired with a re-.
duced charge Of powder. The next
two shots were fred with the normal
service charge, and the last shot with
an increased powder charge. The
wind and moisture conditions and ev.
erything affecting the fight of the
projectiles, was accurately noted and
recorded. The fall of the shots was
carefully plotted, and the resulting data
viii no doubt enable the battery com
mander lay the gun In the actual ser
vice practice next week with good
idea of where the shots viii fall.
Aside from the damage to the house
already, noted, and one or two broken
windows IN Fort DeRussy, II il not be-,
lieved that there was any damage 50
I A