Please help my friends ID this Washington Navy Yard Whatzit item!

[cannonmn]

Yes it is dated 1905 and may have slim if any connection with black powder cannons, but perhaps y'all can help anyway since it is "antique ordnance" connected at least.
Here's their description and brief slideshow:
It is 10 1/4" tall, each of the 3 upright rods measure 3/16" in diameter. The smaller floating disk measures 2 3/4" outside diameter, the raised inner circle measures 1 1/2" in diameter. The base measures 5 3/4" in diameter and is 1 3/4" high. The opening at the top measures1 3/8" at bottom, 1 3/16 at top outside measure and inside measure at top opening measures 1". The entire piece weighs 3 lbs. 1.7 oz.
http://s17.photobucket.com/user/cannonmn/slideshow/miscforumsetc/forums64/WNY%20Whatzit
For my part, about all I know is that WNY is Wash. Navy Yard, E.C.P. is Capt. Edward C. Pendleton, who was Supt. of the Naval Gun Factory in 1905, with collateral duty as Chief Inspector.  W.S.T. is LT. Walter S. Turpin, then serving as a sub-inspector at the NGF.  Remember that many things besides guns were produced by the NGF, especially optical devices, of which this could be one.
And yes, Allen, I remember how much you love Photobucket!
 
 

[KABAR2]

Well this form of photobucket I can live with photo's are a good size and easy to view.....
as to what the item is I do not have a clue.....

[Zulu]

My first thought was that it somehow held an hourglass that has long since disappeared.  But I can't find anything in a search to substantiate that.
Zulu

[Cannoneer]

Wouldn't an hourglass be a slightly antiquated form of time keeping for 1905?

[SHOOTALL]

how about a stand for a Navy diving helmet

[skratch]

As it is Naval, perhaps a stand to hold a barometer tube, ?

John.....

[subdjoe]

Do those rods slide down though the base?

I'm thinking, if they do, that is a candle holder.  That ring at the top rests on top of the candle and insures an even burn and little or no dripping.  Also there would also be a glass chimney or such around it.

[cannonmn]

 
No, they are soldered on inside the well that's cast into the base, so all that can slide is that disc with the raised ring on top. 

[Victor3]

 Tool to insert a primer into the rear of a bag charge? All that's missing is the dowel to push it in. 

[cannonmn]

Tool to insert a primer into the rear of a bag charge?

V3, thanks for the thought.  In the naval bag guns I'm familiar with, the gunner closes the breech, then inserts a primer into a "lock" which is like a miniature cannon breech attached to the rear of the breech plug.  There's a hole thru the breech plug from the lock's chamber to the front face of the breech plug.  The flame and sparks spraying out of the front of the breech plug (or center of "mushroom head" obturator) are what gets the bagged charge going.  Some bagged charges like 16" have a blackpowder-filled pad attached to the rear of the bag to build pressure and temperature and get the slower burning bagged powder going.

[Dresden]

Having spent many years at Honeywell's Ordnance Division I can assure you many strange gages were made, also many
ordnance related objects were also made, for example Ammo and Fuze desk ornaments.  This probably a vase, add a test
 tube and flower. Trench Art wasn't limited to the trenches.

[bluelake]

I have an original US Navy Ship and Gun Drills manual from 1905.  It wouldn't surprise me if the answer is in it somewhere (not many illustrations, however).

[cannonmn]

ammo and fuze desk ornaments

Maybe like this?  http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=348210371

[Frank46]

Maybe it held some sort of magnifying lens for detailed inspection?. Frank