Litchfield enquirer., 1846-06-18
NEW AND EXTRAORDINARY WAR EN-.
CINE,

We witnessed yesterday, at the arsenal in
this city, an experiment, before large body of
scientific and intelligent gentlemen, on a new
and extraordinary engine ofwar, which has pro-
we'd entirely successful, and cannot fail to ar
rest the attention Of the government at this cri-
sis, when such an invention must be deemed
highly advantageous, and eminently worthy Of
immediate adoption in the naval and military
service Of this country. This invention has
been before the country for the last seven or
| eight years but our pacific relations with for
eign powers. and cupable carelessness on the
part of the government, have allowed it-lke
many other useful and valuable improvements
in modern science-to pass unnoticed, and
without encouragement TO the inventor. This
destructive weapon is called by the inventors,
Messrs. Benjamin Reynolds & Brothers, Of Kim
derhook, a"Projecting Engine" The princi-
pie upon which it is constructed, is perfectly
simple-and it is capable Of propelling twenty,
thirty. or any number Of balls, by a.centrifugal
power, to the ordinary distance as that by eth
er cannon or musket, and with equal force and
velocity. This engine ~ worked by manual
labor-and with the power Of steam, could be
made far more effective, in storming fortress,
than regular battery. There is neither steam
nor powder. nor gas, nor any of the ordinary
aids which are required to work engines Of
war. Na@ NI
The m:del, which we have seen, resembles
windass placed horizontally at the upper
verge of which is placed small barrel, about
The size Of bundcrbuss Fourteen leaden
balls, weighing each one and half ounce.
were placed at certain part Of the en- gine, and
fnnr men were set to work, il. the same man.
ner as il they were turning winnowing ma.
chine. Having worked the engine, which was
placed a distance Of seventy or eighty yards
g., tha al tha
balls were propelled with velocity equal to
that of musket, and shattered to pieces and
perforated the plank. The inventor states that
it 10 capable Of projecting one thousand balls
a minute. and could do execution equal to that
of one hundred muskets But this model is
capable Of being applied to large cannon. At
cost of few thousand dollars, within two
months, the inventor could construct one or
more projecting engines. capable Of propelling
la cannon ball, with equal power and velocity
| as ifshot from the ordinary cannon by the aid
of powder also of dischsrging one thousand
per minute, by the aid Of steam power The
present model was carried out to Havana in the
ship Norman. by the gentlemanly Captain Of
that vessel, Richard H. Ellis, and was exhibit
ted before the Governor Of Cuba, who express
ed h mself highly pleased, and gave his decided
appreciation ofthe invention. Generals Storms
and Arcularius, Robert McClelland, II. Vail.
and several distinguished men Of science and
military tactics, have also expressed themselves
highly satisfied with the success which has at
| tended the experiment. Some Of the bullets
projected from this extraordinary engine, re-
main at our office, and are as fiat as a Mexican
dollar. We trust that Mr. Reynolds will make
another experiment, on more extended scale,
as such an engine at present would be pow
erful auxiliary to our naval and military SER
| x;ra-.N " HerOA anti. ........ .......