496 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



although the caliber, which is eighteen inches, will doubtless prove 

 sufficient to enable the gun to give a good account of itself. 



In the trials of this gun, made by the builders with a charge of 

 Maxim-Schiipphaus smokeless powder, a projectile weighing a ton was 

 hurled at a velocity of 1,900 feet per second with a pressure of only 

 19,000 pounds to the square inch. As the gun will safely stand a pressure 

 of 25,000 pounds -to the square inch, a velocity of more than 2,000 

 feet per second can obviously be readily obtained, as against the 

 velocity of from 2,000 to 2,250 feet per second for the 1,000 pound shell 

 from the 12-inch gun, with a pressure of 35,000 pounds to the square 

 inch. We must note here that the weight of the Gathmann gun is only 

 59 tons, against 52 tons for the 12-inch seacoast rifle. 



A bill now before Congress calls for an appropriation for the ef- 

 ficient testing of this weapon. The service projectile, which will be 

 thrown from this gun in the coming test, will carry about 475 pounds 

 of wet, compressed guncotton, or 700 pounds of Maximite. Maximite 

 being 50 per cent, heavier than guncotton, the shell will hold 225 

 pounds more of that material. There are to be 24 shots at full 

 velocity, some for range and accuracy, and others to show the effect 

 on powerful structures erected on the land. The last and final test 

 will be against a steel barge anchored off shore, presenting a side fully 

 armored and supported, so as to offer even greater resistance than 

 would be afforded by the side of the strongest battleship now afloat. 



Although Mr. Gathmann is my competitor, I feel much gratified at 

 his success in procuring from the Government the necessary appropria- 

 tions for building and testing this gun, and I am of the opinion that 

 the results of these tests will prove a source of gratification to all the 

 taxpayers of the country, who, unless the gun proves successful, will 

 be called upon to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars for build- 

 ing and arming a fleet of monster battleships, which will not be re- 

 quired after one shot has been fired against the steel barge which will 

 be provided for the purpose. 



The war vessel that must follow as a natural result of the success of 

 the aerial torpedo will be an unarmored, or only partially armored, 

 gunboat or cruiser of small dimensions, capable of traveling at very 

 high speed. It will be a sort of floating gun-platform, and will cost 

 only a fraction of what the battleship costs, while a single one of 

 these gunboats will afford far more protection than the most powerful 

 battleship. 



MAXIMITE. 



The United States Government has, during the last two years, been 

 putting forth especial efforts to thoroughly investigate the qualities 

 and merits of high explosives, with a view to finding the best bursting 



