Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-03-27
MACHINES SPOUT
SHELLS And GUNS
Monster Creations of Steel and
Concrete to Help Crush
Kaiser.
SOLVES The SPEED PROBLEM
Lathe Turns and Eores Shells With
Extreme Rapidity-Giant Pianer
First Metal Working Machine
Built of Concrete and Iron.

Chicago.--Whlle the entire country
has been clamoring for quicker actien
VA furnishing munitions for war par
poses, Chicagoans have been quietly
solving the problem of how 10 produce
the maximum number of big guns and
shells In the shortest possible time.
AS result, Chicago has become an
active center for the manueacture of
machinery for smashing Won Hinden-
burg's defenses.
The first of the newly Invented
machines being made here is "a lathe
which turns and bores shells with ex-
IRENE speed. The second is machine
for boring big guns of any size or
length, and the third is a gplaner of
record breaking size. The .planer is
built of concrete and iron and is the
first Woodworking machine that has
ever been built of that combination.
1t is the biggest machine of its kind In
tteeworld.
These machines are so unusual In
construction, and can be built with
such speed that the methods of manu-
fscture have attracted wide attention
among experts.
Saves Two Years Delay.
Machinery used for war purposes
formerly WIS made so slowly that 1t
would be impossible to supply with 1t
the present demand fer quick con-
structon- An attempt to build the
big pianer of iron, according to regu-
lation methods, would have meant a
delay of at least two years.
The machine for boring guns Is so
feet long and weighs GO tons. But 1t
can be placed in the mammoth pianer,
which has bed 1874 feet long and
pounds
The inventor of the machines Is
Lucien L Yeomans, a nephew of Grover
Cleveland. He Is the only machinist
the family has produced since the
days when one of his ancestors made
muskets for the Revolutionary army.
Four of the big planes are being
built and one Is almost finished, al
though the drawings for 1t were not
ready until Christmas day. Instead
Of requiring two years for the work,
the first machine viii be working with
in two months from the time its foun-
dations were dug.
Can Handle Big Cannon.
Each of the planners costs $50, 900.
AS all the material upon which they
nrlr x.fIn hA
travelling cranes are being put up
nearby.
The boring machines which are to
be made on the planners can handle
cannon IS feet long and having cali
Der of IA or 16 inches, close to the
limit of heavy ordinance.
In addition these machines are to be
used for boring the shafting needed by
destroyers.
Several thousand of the shell max
ing machines have been produced.
Each of these machines can turn and
bore a shell in from Is to 20 minutes
and is usually run "a hours a day.
One company has just placed an or
der for more than 100 of these ma
chimes, a second ordered 70, and a
third So
They make the American and s.
inch shells and the British 9.2-lnch
shells.
The French are the same size as the
American.
These machines turn out shells that
are meant only for high explosives.
The shop in which these machines
are being made was built in IS days
and great speed has marked every step
In the work. The machines weigh ten
tons each and are sold at $1,000. They
are to be turned out in immense num-
hers during the next few months.