Disappearing And Rapid-fire Guns

Charles Rawson Thurston thus describes one phase of Modern Harbor Defeuses, in the March St. Nicholas : Various plaius have been devised for the building of eoast defenses of this kind. Even flghting turrets, like those on monitors, have been suggested and built. Some of tliem rise into sight only preparatory to the firing of the guns which they contain. Others are somewhat raised above the surface, and the guns disappear for loading. In either case, though, very ponderous and expensive machinery isrequired for them_ A disappearing gun set tip in a pit similar to tl te mortar-pit is more in favor. There are several styles of these with vanous powers to ele vate them but all are lowered by the recoil of discharge. The Gordon counterpoise carriage is perhaps the most novel. It is fitted for a ten-inch breech-loading rifle, the weight of which is about (57,200 pounds, It bas anadvantage overother patterns in that while being loaded it affords greater protection to itself and to the gunners than the other styles; and this is an important feature. It is operated by eithei' hand-power or electricity. With the former it has fired thirtytwo shots in an hour; which is considered remarkably' rapid firing. But this is not all that is needed to makeabay or harbor defensible. These large guns would not be very dangerous t.i an enemy's fleet of torpedo-boats. These move and turn very quickly, and, once past the great guns, the torpedomines might be disposed of without much difficulty. Tho i)revent surb action by the enemy, batteries mounting rapid-fire guns employed. The torpedoboata can change their course with such rapidity that big guns cannotbe trained on them quickly enougb to be effective, and alongshore - opposite portions of the channel vvhere torpedo-mines are planted - are needed batteries of these small spitfires. With such a quadruple defense as tropedo-mines, mortar batteries, disapearins guus of long range, and batteries of rapid-fire guns, a fleet of hostile ships would find it a very difficult task to enter any baj' or harbor along the coast.