Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1888 — A NEW CRUISER. [ARTICLE]

A NEW CRUISER.

The Moot Dentine ive Engine of War Tet Invented to Be Launched Next Week. William Cramp & Sans, the ship and engine bn lung eompany, of Philadelphia, Pentaybania, have nearly completed a dynamite cruiser gunboat ca 1ed the Yorktown, designed far the United States navy. It will be launched on Saturday, April 26, in the presence of Secretary Whitney. It carries four pneumatic guna for the hurling of dyna mite project lee, each with a range of at least a mile. The training of the guns is accomplished by steam, and the steerfog of the vets si and the loading is all done by steam. The guue are of fifteen-inch caliber, an t the shells, which (an be fired with great accuracy, t« ice a minute, Kill eon ain 600 pounds of exp'osive gelatine, exqui valent to 852 pounds of dynamite,er 943 pounds of gun cotton. It is claimed that this gun, properly handled, w:lt be the most d<s rue live engine of war yet invented, for the heaviest armored ships in the world will go all to pieces -flPMik- the expiotion ofa shell mu oh ■malicnhan those thrown by the guru on the Yo k e wn. These guns are d - signed primar.ly to work on the underwater poit c nos the hulls of vrssels but if any ii accu»acy in aim should be developed on acccnnt of the piti hing of the ship, great damage e in be inflicted up >n the portion of the hall above the u ater. A dynamite gun made by theum« e->n-eeiu has just b-sen made for the Italians, and will baiesed at Fort Lifsyette in a few days by Lieutenant Baiinaki.