TRIAL OF A BIG GUN AT KIANGNAN ARSENAL, The visitor who had the privilege of an invitation t" the trial on Friday of the new Fifty-ton gun, which has recently been constructed at the Kiangnan Arsenal, had brought before hin in a practical way the great strides which China has made within recent years in the direction of the provision of her own means of defence.
time n visit to Kiangnan Arsenal fail to be an interesting event, Friday, official courtesy com bined to make it a most pleasurable experience which every one of the many foreign guests readily appreciated, Many of the conversations amongst the guests Ind reference to the significance of such neverthe achly China is adopting the event, as showing that, if slowly,
great inva of the West, in their Tatest and moat approved forms, Perchance there may seem tw be a touch of cynicism in the thought that Western civilisation in the guise of the art of destruction is being randily assimilated by China, but be that exit may, we have to deal more particularly with a recital of the events ce nected with the facts, and leave to the philosopher the consideration of the thought why "awakened" nations should generally be so eager own the most powerful machines for the destruction of fellow human The official invitation to Priday's core-many announced that it would take place at two o'clock, if the weather were fine, and happily on that score there was no one xiety, the day being brilliantly fine, and the sun not too powerful for an open ric func~ tion, Arrived at the gates of the Arsenal, the guests were received by Dr. Suvoong, M.D., Mr. Feng-ye, and " number of nther courteous officials, "Signs that something out of the ordinary was about to happen were noticeable around, and the constantly strenin of officials with their retinues imparted " picturesque touch to the otherwise sombre details of the Arsenal worke, General holiday was not being kept, and the rhythmical clang of hammers, and glimpses of glowing metal, told that in surrounding workshops, Longfellow's poem of the blacksmith was being worked out in China, with the moditications which the change of locale introduced. Frei close by the entrance runs the tramway, or narrow guage railway, which the transport of heavy ordnance require. It was obviously not designed for the carriage of passengers, but the ofticiils had nevertheless—thoughtfully arranged that the trolleys running on the line, "fter being made less unlovely by liberal coverings of red baize and cushions, should be utilised for the convenience of visitors, who after taking their seats on the improvised cars, were drawn by a number of coolies to the spot where the gun would be fired. The line is nearly a mille and a half long, and though its construction may not be up to the standard which a British Board of Trade Inspector demands, it serves its purpose very well, and in a small way is a promise of w awaits China when those in authority decid to develop her resources by the iron road," way, they found the military band belonging to the Arsenal Camp—provided with foreign musical instraments—drawn up, plying at intervals selections which seemingly othe Wague. rian och escorted from the "train," guests were introduced into a gaily decorated open apartment, where light refreshments were being dispensed. Samples of every description of powder used by the Arsenal productions were on view ata side table, as well xs a selection of charges. shells, etc., for the different guns, Much interest was manifested in this small exhibition, and time-fuses, ete., were chinely coonned and discussed by & very cusmupolitan gathering.
The scene during the pet od of assem-plage was curiously interesting one. The Shanghai Taotai, the Arsenal Taotai, with a host of other officials, and accom panied by their interpreters wer about and being introduced to all and sundry. Many languages were represented, and the great change which has come over El intercourse with the world was evidenced by the ense and fluency with which Chinese officials discoursed in various Earepean languages with the representa of great nations, Still, though red buttons were a: na strawberries in June, the oees: un eminently demmicratic one, Officials as they walked ubout outside the reception to look at the guns which were to be exhibited, rubbed shoulders with charming unconcern with miscellaneous coylies, and curious outsiders, who attracted by the hud gumed ad-8 how, and whose eager curiosity was kept in boards by an vecasiounl push or thump in the back from a "brave" whose business it was supposed to be to keep away unauthorised pers The invitations had been sent out to all whom such an occasion might naturally be 1g the foilow=
Consul; Mr. Juhn Macgregor, Chairman of the Municipal Coun 2 Dubail, French Covs Ritter vou Haas, Auatro-Hlungarian Consul-Genecal Measts, Max. Goebel, Belgian Conaul-General; Carl Bock, Swedish and Ne wegian Consul-General; J. Valdez, Cousul-General for Portugal; H. de Uriarte, Consul. General for Spain; Geo, Jamieno H.B.M.'s Consul; W. 8. Emeu Consul-General for the U.S.; G. Hayashi, Acting Conaul-General for Japat Consul for the Netherlands Acting Consul for Italy; Com Rogers, H.M.S, Avcher; Commander Bunk, U.S.S.' Alert; Lieut. Wainwright, U.S.S. Alert; Lieut. Alien. Captain Graf Bandissin, German gunboat Wolf; Captain Kreutschmann, German gunboat Iltis; 8. Uchida, Japanese Vice-Consul Eiswaldt, German Vice-Consul S. Teiljar; A. P, Hotta; Jas. Scott; H.B.M.'s Vice-Consul; A. Lopez de Logo, Vice-Consul W. Jamiesu powder, pebble 12 pounds,, or smokeless
feet per second and the striking power 1,350 foot tons; and at 1,000 yards the Projectile will penetrate 7' inches. The rapidity with which the piece can be fired is (maximum) 12 shots per minute, a rapidity 10 shots per minute having been recently attained by native artillerists at Tientsin with a gun of similar size and pattern, The piece is miiiily constructed on the Armstrong principle, the chief feature of interest being the unusual rapidity of fire. This is obtained by making up the powder and projectile in n sulid-drawn brass case, like an ordinary rifle cartridge, by electric! firing gear and by other improvements in the breach mecinism, designed by Mr. Cornish, rhe big gun has a bore diameter of 12 inches, the length is $5 feer, and it throws projectile weighing 800 pounds with a charge of 300 pounds of powder. The muzzle velocity is 2,000 feet a second, striking a blow of 22,600 foot tons, the shot being capable of penetrating an unbacked plate 19 inches thick at 1,000 yards, 'The gun is rifled with spiral grooves incvensing, from 0 at the breach to one turn in 35 calibres ut the muzzle, 'These guns, of which four have been built, are intended for coast defence and are' mounted on a centre pi ing, whereby an all-round fire may be obtained. The opening and closing ut the breach (three operations) are eflected by simply turning a hand-wheel in one direction, an improvement in breach-mechanism designed by Mr, Cornish himself, whilst the revolving of the gun and carriage, weighing together over 75 tons, can be' performed by one man The general public have but little conception of the vast amount of labour, trouble and expense, involved in the production of these heavy guns. When it was decided some four ur five years ngo to proceed with their manufacture at the Arsenal, the plant there was found quite capable of making anything larger than about" 20-ton gun; andlessthanseven years ago, when Mr. Cornish arrived, the largest gun that had then been finished was a muzzle-leader weighing bout seven tons, New workshops Ind tu be erected and old extende'l, new furnaces, shu pots, huge boring and turning lathe fling machines, ete., many vf these Intter being over 100 feet Tong; all these had to be procured, and powerful cranes were required to lift. and tr port such heavy weights, Special mac wwery had to be put down for ufncturing the 800-pound and us these and other heavy quire n special slow burning powder, nills had to be erected at Laongwha king this explosive, Last, but of pair of powerful sheers, for shipping these guns, is now being erected on the wharf, built in the Arsenal from the designs and under the snpervision of Mr Thomas Bunt, M.LAM.E., the i it Mechanical Engineer at Russell, Assist. Commissioner, H. Kopsch, P.G. von Mollendurff, J. J. Buchhei M. Schultz, J. Schmidt, G. Galles, J. Prentice, C. W. Hay and H. Browett.
Soon after half-past two the m the visitors had gathered in the the guns, for advantage was being recasion to show one of the new quick-guns made in the Arsenal. Naval officers and other experts closely inspected both this and the great piece of work, which Mr. Cornish, the courteous Constructor to the Arsenal, seemed never tired of explaining. The following description of the 12-cent metre quick-firing gun may be interesti Ita weight is 2 tons 14 owts,; the diameter of the bore is 4.724 inches; length 16 feet Qin,; weight of shot 45 pounds; weight of Great bruise is due to all the parties concerned in the production of these modern tion or defence. To Taotai Nieh for the inception of the project, to the Chief Director Taotai Liu, and his colleagues fur the successful fulfilment of the plan; to the Engineers and heads of departments for their untiring super and to the patience and skill of the native workmen, without which it would not have possible to achieve such excellent clock tha trials commenced. The quick-firing gun was first of all tried. A x distance of sume 300 yards along the bank of the river, where there is a huge mound, " target had been erected. When everything was in readiness there was a sharp bugle call, and the gun was fired with a report which certainly affected the tympanum of more than one
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.