The Arizona copper camp., 1915-10-22

The 14-inch shells of the American
navy similar to the British 15-inch
lyddite shell, cost this government
about $3.50 to make at its own plants.
That gives an idea of increased price
named by private makers here to the
British.
The United States government fig
ures cost of powder bought from
private manufacturers at about So
cents a pound. and the United States
can make powder at it's own mills
much lower. Certain private powder
companies claim they can make
smokeless at less than 80 cents a
pound. Price of smokeless to foreign
countries now buying it here is 81
a pound. and in some instances as
high as $1.20 pound
The powder charge needed for 15-
inch shell Of the British navy is
costing about $400. making total Of
$3.50 for shell and powder alone
The life of the gun is a big item.
Naval experts differ as to how long
gun can be used. It's usefulness
is placed at ITS shots by some; others
place it as low as so; rs appears to
be consensus Of opinion as the aver
age. When the gun has been used
long, it has to be refined.
Because of that contingency experts
of the navies Of the world figure
in replacement price of the gun in
each shot. AS one of the big guns
is worth roughly $4,000, then $1,000
additional must be added to cost of
each firing. or a total of approx
mately $4,000 a shot.
To fire 14-inch gun the United
States spends about $450-$25O for
the shell and 5000 for the powder
charge, figured at the cost Of manu-
facture in government plants. To
that has to be added the cost Of gun
depreciation, which theoretically would
be the same as in the English gun.
The 14inch gun Of the American
navy costs s65.000. The cost Of the
mount is $4,000. or a total Of $4,000.
The weight of that gun with its
yoke is close to 10000 pounds. The
shell weighs 140O pounds. against 1900
for the British 15-inch lyddite shell.
The powder charge needed for the IA
inch gun weighs 450 pounds.
The fiye-inch rifle of the United
States navy weighs 1850 pounds; its
shell, SO pounds and the powder
charge close to so pounds.
But the cost of ammunition and
guns is only a part Of the expense.
The big loss is the destruction or
sinking of a ship. One of the pres
ent day first line battleships is worth
$15.000,00O. The second line ships are
not much less expensive. Even
though ship is not sunk it usually
suffers heavy damage in serious
fight, damage that requires overhaul
ing at cost Of a large amount of
money.
Replacement Of armor plate, for in
stance. is expensive. Arnlor plate
costs $430 a ton, and there are 5000
tons Of it in modern warship, or
about $3,50O,OOO worth.
Specially treated steel. Of which
there are 200 tons used in the con-
struction of the modern fighting ship,
costs $3.50 a ton. That steel in a
battleship costs therefore s675.O00.
Each modern battleship carries a
main battery Of IL big guns, usually
ship Of the latest type carries 21 or
% smaller guns. usually five-inch,
rapid fire weapons as a secondary
battery, with auxiliary batteries Of
six-pounders and three-inch field
pieces. The modern ships are also
carrying two or three aeroplane guns.
The maximum effective range Of
the 14-inch rifle is II miles. The
initial velocity is $4,000 feet q Sec
ond. The shell will pierce 16 inches
Of Krupp arnor at distance Of 51z
miles.
| With a score or more of first line
| battleships blazing away with broad
sides in big fight. it is obvious that
the cost of the fireworks" is going
to mount rapidly into the millions.