413 
ACCIDENT TO 12-INCH B.L. GUN ON BOARD 
THE 
RUSSIAN BATTLE-SHIP 
BY] 
“SISOI VELIKI . 55 
CAPTAIN H. FORBES MACKAY, R.M.A. ‘ 
A gun accident, which was attended with more disastrous results as 
regards both loss of life and damage to materiel than any which have 
occurred since the bursting of the Thunderer’s 38-ton gun in 1879, 
took place on board the Russian battle-ship Sisoi Veliki during target 
practice on the 15th March last. 
The Sisoi Veliki is a second-class battle-ship of 8,880 tons; she is 
quite a new ship ; built at St. Petersburg and launched in June 1894; 
she has only been attached to the Russian Mediterranean squadron 
since the end of last year; she has unarmoured ends, but is protected 
by 16 inches of nickel steel side armour 7 feet deep for a distance of 
247 feet at the water line, above which is an armoured (5-inch) casemate 
195 feet long, closed at the ends by traverse bulkheads. 
Her armament consists of four 12-inch L/40 Obukhof B.L. guns 
mounted in pairs in turrets, one forward and one aft, in the middle line, 
protected by 12 inches of nickel steel armour. In the central battery 
are six 6-inch quick-firing guns, and thirty-six 3-pr. and 1-pr. quick- 
firing guns are distributed between the decks and the tops of the two 
fighting masts. 
The engines are of 8,600 horse-power and she is said to have a 
speed of 16 knots. 
On the 15th March last this ship proceeded outside Suda Bay, Crete, 
to carry out target practice. 
It appears that three rounds had been fired with full charges from 
each gun in the after turret, the guns in each case being fired simul¬ 
taneously by electricity by an officer from the sighting position in the 
turret. For the fourth round the guns were loaded with a 729-lb. pro¬ 
jectile and a half charge (about 200 lbs.) of prismatic powder and trained 
on the port beam; upon their being fired a terrific explosion occurred. 
The whole of the top of the turret was blown off, it divided into two, 
and while the after half went overboard clear of the ship, the other 
half flew upwards, struck a small gaff, carrying it away and, falling over 
the mainmast head abaft the fore bridge, broke away one side of the 
bridge and finally landed on the deck causing considerable loss of life. 
The woodwork in the turret caught alight and threatened to com- 
7 . YOL. XXIY. 
