Battery Dynamite (San Francisco, California)

USA / California / San Francisco / San Francisco, California
 Second World War 1939-1945, military, fortification
"This battery, unlike most of the batteries in the bay area, was not named for a person, but for the type of gun mounted in it.

"This battery was armed with three dynamite guns, Model 1890; there were no serial numbers for these guns. They were made on the original contract from the Pneumatic Dynamite Gun Co. which failed March 6 1889 and the contract was taken over by the Pneumatic Torpedo and Construction Company. The distance between the guns was 85 feet, and each being on a level two feet lower than the one on its left. The difference in the level is for the purpose of allowing the air reservoirs of each gun to be conveniently disposed in the under ground vaults that lie between the gun's, and outside the outer gun.

"Each gun and carriage cost $60,000.00 as a unit. They were installed by the Pneumatic Dynamite Gun Company, and were emplaced by December 1895.

"These guns were mounted on a center-pintle carriages on a concrete ring that was fifty feet in diameter for the carriage wheels to transverse on, and to the outside of the concrete ring, was a small rail track for the shell carts to bring out shells to be loaded.

"The gun was trained by electricity and the firing and manipulation of the weapon was under the control of just one man, the gunner, the #1 gun could be traversed right 350° in 54.5 sec #2 in 41 sec and #3 1 min. 23 sec, to the Left #1 traversed Left 1 min.9 sec #2 1 min.4 sec #3 1 min 38 sec Elevation 35° to 0° #1 13 sec #2 11 sec #3 11 1/2 sec, Elevation 0° to 35° #1 9 sec #2 11 Sec #3 11 1/2 sec. These guns had a range of 2,000 yards with 500 lbs dynamite, 3500 yards with 200 lb dynamite, and 5,000 yards with 50 lb dynamite. They were dismounted in December 1904 and sold for scrap."

Read more here: www.militarymuseum.org/BtyDynamite.html
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Coordinates:   37°48'4"N   122°28'34"W

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