THE 35-TON GUN.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 741, 24 November 1870, Page 2

THE 35-TON GUN.

The great outer or C coil and trunnion band of the 35-ton gun was forged on August 31st successfully at the Eoval Arsenal at "Woolwich. The mass "of glowing iron weighed over 2S tons as it came out of the furnace, and in a moment almost the ponderous tongs attached to amovablo crane had grasped the metal, and in a few moments more it was placed under the gigantic 13-ton Nasmyth hammer, which fell with such force that the very ground shook to a radius of over a hundred feet and more. The heat seemed intense, and the labor almost superhuman, but the mon did their brave work with a practical skill and smartness truly amazing. Col. Campbell, the superintendent of the gun factories, and Mr Fraser were present, and many officers of the service and visitors. The details of this noble gun will bo interesting at this time. It is on the Eraser principle of construction and of the same typo as the present pattern 11.10-inch gun. The ordinary shaped cascable is done away with and a button-shaped one adopted, in order to get as great a length of bore as possible within a restricted dimension, tlio Admiralty having limited the length to 1G feet 3 inches, and the external diameter" over the breech to 1 feet 8 inches on account of thej-sizo of tho turret for-which it is intended. The diameter of tho niuzzlo will be 1 foot 9 inches ; the calibre 11.G inches ; the length of boro 13 feet 6| inches • the'rifling nino grooves, and iu twist' uniformly, gaining from zero at the breech to one turn in 40 calibres. Tho gun charge will be 120 pounds largo grain riflo powder ; tho weight of the projectile 700 lb; the length of tho solid shot 30 inches; the length of the common shell 10 inches; the bursting

charge of the sholl 38 lb. The grooves of the rifling are of the ordinary Woolwich pattern, and 2'2oths of an, inch in depth, the diameter of the bore over the grooves being exactly 12 inches. The whole of the parts are now roughly manufactured. The A tube is rough bored, the breech piece, B coil, aud B tube are forged, and the oascable was also got out yesterday. The gun will probably be finished about the end of the year, aud, when completed, will be able to propel a shot through the thickest armor plate possible for any ship to carry.