N \W OK TI1K I MTKD STATES, 



551 



equal Mrcngth with thinner walls, u mean- of 

 producing them at a moderate cost ha* \-<-n 

 p.TM-l.-nlly -> ught. It is hoped that several 

 met hods recently invented will accomplish the 

 d-sircd end. and contracts have IM-CII entered into 



with I Wo coin erns the 1'niled Stales Projectile 



Company, nf Itrooklvn, and the American 1'ro- 

 jertile Company, of I!o>|on for a large niinilier 

 of i-incli, .Viucli, 4-inch, and 6-pOUnder calilx-r. 

 The proccs- , ,f the laller company employs 

 elect ro-weldinu. by which a drop-forced head 'is 



united to a steel lulie. 



linns. The manufacture of naval guns is 

 proceeding substantially n|>on the same lino as 

 descril.ed on page ?!>,") of the "Annual Cyclopje- 

 diii"for isss. The principal change in design 

 has I teen in the direction of length, which has 



twelve tons. None of this latter vi/c hare been 

 likely to lie constructed in the near futiin-, 

 as it is a generally accepted idea thai -m h -x- 

 tremely heavy onlnai.ee i* not needed for naval 

 purposes. In case the constantly changing con- 

 ditions of warfare should demand their produc- 

 tion, the Itureaii of Ordnance has prepared de- 

 signs in which it is hcli<-vcd that the diflieiilties 

 experienced with this calilx-r abroad hate beon 

 overcome. 



The largest, gnus deemed desiralile hy our 

 naval authorities are of i:{ inches, thin'y-fiv. 

 calibers in length of bore, and weighing 135,500 

 pounds. Four of these pieces are to Iw mounted 

 on each of the battle ships " Ma>sachu>ett-, " 

 " Indiana," and " < )regon." 



As maybe seen from the table, 155 heavy guns 



TABLE OF UNITED STATES NAVAL BREECH-LOADING GUN*. 



1 



lieen generally increased from five to ten calibers. 

 That is to say, a G-inch gun of recent construc- 

 tion is from thirty (five times six) to sixty (ten 

 times six) inches longer than one built three or 

 more years ago. The added weight thus en- 

 tailed is accepted, in view of the considerably in- 

 creased velocity imparted to the projectile by its 

 being exposed to the accelerating influence of 

 the powder gas through a greater distance, and 

 in view of the fact that the powder now used 

 burns more satisfactorily in the longer guns. 



Kxtensive additions have been made to the 

 plant of the Washington (Inn Factory, both as 

 regards itscapacity for turning out alarger num- 

 ber of guns O f the s</.es previously built and its 

 facilities for constructing the larger calil>ers, in- 

 cluding the lO-ineh gun of one hundred and 



had been completed up to the middle of Novem- 

 ber, 1891, aim not one of all this number hr.s 

 failed even in a slight degree in service or in 

 proof, or has shown weakness or defects requir- 

 ing either unusual care in its subsequent hand- 

 ling or its return to the factory .for rejwirs. This 

 remarkable showing is believed to be unique in 

 the history of gun-making. 



The improvement in the quality and quantity 

 of the machinery at the Washington Gun Factory 

 and the adoption of advantageous methods and 

 settled principles of construction have caused :i 

 marked reduction in the time required to manu- 

 facture the various pieces of ordnance, and in 

 their cost. The following table shows the gain 

 since high-power-gun construction was begun in 

 this country. At first, the gun factory huvi: .; 



