UNITED STATES NAVY. 



the breech for- 

 ward as far as 

 the trunnions; 

 the breech-clos- 

 ure used was of 

 the present type. 

 These converted 

 guns were but 

 make- shifts. It 

 was impossible 

 at that time to 

 obtain forgings 

 in this country 

 for built-up steel breech- 

 loading guns of high power 

 and approved type heavier 

 than 6-inch caliber. The 

 Mid vale Steel Works, at 

 Nicetown, Pa., had under- 

 taken the manufacture of 

 forgings for guns of 3-inch, 

 5-inch, and 6-inch caliber, 

 and had turned out excel- 

 lent material for these 

 smaller guns. The Cambria 

 Iron-Works, at Johnstown, 

 Pa., also had made the 

 smaller forgings. But the 

 resources of the country 

 for the production of gun- 

 material in 1885 did not ex- 

 tend farther, and no manu- 

 facturers found it expe- 

 dient to erect a suitable 

 plant for the production of 

 heavier forgings without 

 the promise of such an or- 

 der as would warrant the 

 great outlay. The 8-inch 

 guns for the " Chicago," 

 " Boston," and " Atlanta," 

 and the 10-inch guns for 

 the "Miantonomoli," were 

 built of forgings purchased 

 in England. These guns 

 were assembled (machined 

 and put together) at the 

 Washington Navy-Yard, at 

 the South Boston Iron- 

 Works, and at the West 

 Point Foundry. 



In 1883 the Gun-Foun- 

 dry Board Rear- Admiral 

 Simpson, president under 

 the authority of Congress, 

 visited the principal steel 

 and gun establishments at 

 home and abroad, for the 

 purpose of determining the 

 best methods for the manu- 

 facture of heavy ordnance 

 adapted to modern warfare, 

 and in 1884 recommended 

 that steel forgings and ma- 

 terial for guns be supplied 

 by private industry, while 



the Government should maintain gun-factories 

 in which the material delivered by steel-works 

 should be machined and assembled. The sites 

 chosen for these Government factories were 

 the Washington Navy- Yard for the naval gun- 

 factory, and the Watervliet Arsenal (Troy, 

 N. Y.) for the army. The report also urged an 

 appropriation of $15,000,000 for forgings, and 

 $2,000,000 for the plant of the two factories. 



Up to this time the question of producing 

 armor of domestic manufacture had received 

 little consideration. In May, 1885, the Board 

 on Fortifications, composed of civilians and 

 officers of the army and navy, was convened, 

 and in January, 1886, renewed the recom- 

 mendations of the Gun-Foundry Board, and 

 suggested steel as the preferable material for 

 armor-plates. These suggestions and recom- 

 mendations were also supported by Senator 

 I lavvley's select committee in February, 1886. 

 Steel armor and gun-forgings are most econo- 

 mically produced if manufactured in a single 

 establishment, much of the plant for the pro- 

 duction of each being common to both, but 

 the creation of such a plant involves an ex- 

 penditure of about $3,000,000. In order to 

 make the creation of such an establishment 

 practicable, Secretary Whitney secured, in Au- 

 gust, 1886, an appropriation of $4,000,000 for 

 armor, and $2,128,000 for guns for the vessels 

 authorized, and immediately invited proposals 

 for the supply of 6,700 tons of steel armor, 

 and 1,220 tons of gun-forgings. In May, 1887, 

 the contract for this was awarded to the 

 Bethlehem Iron Company. The terms of the 

 contract required the company to establish its 

 plant within two and a half years, and begin 

 the delivery of gun-forgings and armor-plates 

 by February, 1890. The contract price of 1,221 

 tons of gun-forgings was $851,513, and of 6,700 

 tons of steel armor-plates, $3,610,707. The 

 gun-plant is now in working order and pro- 

 ducing forgings, and the armor-plates will be 

 forthcoming within the year. When com- 

 pleted, the Bethlehem will be the finest estab- 

 lishment of its kind in the world; its plant 

 includes Whitworth's liquid compression for 

 making ingots; two hydraulic forging-presses, 

 capable of forging the parts of guns up to 1 6- 

 inch caliber; the heaviest steam-hammer in 

 the world ; and tools of the most approved 

 type for machining armor-plates and rough- 

 boring and turning gun-forgings. 



The naval gun-factory has been in process 

 of reconstruction since 1887 ; buildings have 

 been erected, and contracts have been made 

 for the supply of the necessary tools, cranes, 

 etc. Since 1884 the old establishment has 

 turned out two 5-inch, twenty-two 6-inch, four 

 8-inch, and three 10-inch guns. The yearly 

 capacity of the enlarged factory will in an- 

 other year be twenty-five 6-inch, four 8-inch, 

 six 10-inch, and four 12-inch guns. 



The high-power guns of all nations at the 

 present day are of steel. In all the principle 

 of initial tension is employed, which consists 



