AMERICAN COAST DEFENCE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11487, 21 January 1903, Page 7

AMERICAN COAST DEFENCE.

NEW AND POWERFUL GUNS.

United Press Association—By Eleotrio Telegraph—Copyright. {Received January 20th, 8.4? a.m.) NEW YORK, January 19. The 16-in American coast defence guns were successfully tested at Sandy Hook. America is building forty-four new coast defence guns. The projectile of these guns weighs 2400 pounds, and the smokeless powder charge weighs 640 pounds, giving a velocity of 2300 ft a second, and a pressure of 38,000 pounds. They have a range of twenty miles, and are effective at five miles. (Received January 20th, 10.41 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 20. Master Mechanic Christiansen, the builder of the sixteen-inch gun, died from overwork ihe day before the weapon was tested. tinder the heading "The World's Largest (•run," a New York correspondent, writing on November 28th, thus referred to the above gun: —The largest gun ever made *n America is being mounted at Sandy Hook for the defence of New York Harbour. The gun, which will cost over £30,000, lias a .range of twenty-one miles with. -. 16in projectile. The'gun will be tested imdfer the direction of leading artillery experts, and the test will be witnessed by the military and naval attaches of all the principal Embassies.