The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-05-29

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The one best bet Of the United
States in case of war with first
class power is the big guns OF Its
4 navy. They are the most formidable
! objects that would stand In the way
Eof an enemy who might attempt TO
1 invade American soil The premier
among them is the great fourteen
| inch gun that has been mounted on
| the New York and the Texas for the
FIRST time on any ship-the gun that
has become the standard for the navy
land will be the chief armament
4 aboard the Pennsylvania and the
Arizona-those greatest of dread
noughts in all the world when they
tare completed
American authorities state that this
IS the best gun In any navy They
hold that this claim is no. based upon
Jp11OS OIL l0ck1 OWuI SS1S4SO Nv -
irriotism but upon known facts. There
is but one bigger kinds of gun in the
Inavies Of the world-Ihat mounted
upon the Queen Elizabeth and her
three sister British ships, and which
has been taking leading part in the
reduction of the forts of the Dardan-
.elles- This English gun has fifteen
| inch bore as against II for the Amer
lean gun American naval men state
that they have the exact facts may be
LAGOON plished by this British gun
treen-fnch gun has superior range
land penetration. They state that q
broadside from the Pennsylvania with
/ her twelve fourteen-inch guns Is
much more TO be dreaded than
/ broadssde OF the eight ffteen-inch
guns Of the queen Elizabeth
| There is definite way of figuring
! the relative power. OF such broadsides.
A shell from the big guns OF the
Queen Elizabeth. would weigh 1,92o
| pounds and broadsfde from her
| eight guns would therefore weigh
$3.50 pounds. A shell from the
Pennsylvania fourteen-inch guns
weigs HOO and broadside from
twelve guns would weigh $500
pounds. or about 10 per cent more
than the broadside from the Queen
Elizabeth Even waving the advan-
tage in range of the Aemrican ship.
it Is figured that the weight OF its fire
would give it the advantage
| The great size of this 14-inch gun
| is hard TO appreciate The mere bar
| rel of it weighs sixty-four tons and
would be an overload for freight
car If it were possible TO get a wag-
on strong enough to hold it it would
4 reoi,ire sixty horses to haul 1t. 1t is
forrv-eight inches across the big END
| of this gun barrel and the walls OF II
are seventeen inches thick 1t IS
fftyetwos and one-half feet long ana
1 twenty-four inches across the muzzle
at the little end.
i American made guns have proved
the best in the world II is acknowl-
4 edged abroad that the American has
/ a genius for making guns better than
/! anybody else. This ability IS attr1ou-
ted to his originality and daring. sup
plenented by the fact that the great
/ est steel works in the world are IN
this country In the H-incn gun. the
masterpiece OF the American. no care
u Or expense is spared. The highest
class of wroughtstee1 is used. An IN
itercsting fact has been developed IN
rte use of this steel in such a way
as to make it capable of resisting The
greatest possible pressure at the time
I5of firing. 1t IS found that if the steel
lis put on in layers. it will make
/ much stronger seventeen-lnch wall
than IL it is in a solid piece so these
gun barrels are built up. One Is
made that is an inch thick and allowed
| TO cool. Then another is made Just a
little bigger and intended to fit over
THE first. The bigger barrel is heated
4 to a very high temperature, and, while