Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-10-23

tlced in this century. AT about this time was
also introduced the musket proper whose bar
rel was considerably longer than that of the
arquebuS, and threw ball of four ounces
This weapon was fired from a rest, and was
first used, with deadly effect, in the armies of
Charles the Fifth of Spain.
AT the commencement of the seventeenth
century, the arquebus had entirely disappeared
and the troops of the various European COM
panles were diyied into musketeers and pike
men. Carblnes also, three and half feet
long, were introduced among the cavalry, anG
each rider provided with two pistols The car
bineer loaded his piece with prepared wooden
cartridges
In the early part of the seventeenth centu-
ry, it was found that the calibre of the pieces
might be reduced without diminishing their
utility, and the French accordingly set the
fashion of carrying muskets carrying as many
as fourteen bullets to the pound This centu
ry was noted for many great improvements in
firearms and other weapons of war. The most
important of these changes was the substitu-
tlon of the flint lock for the wheel and match
locks. BY the year 1910 the match locks were
entirely out of use. About this time, too, the
bayonet was introduced, consisting of a two
edged blade twelve inches long by one in width
fitted like plug into the barrel of the musk
ct, by means of a wooden handle This meth
od of fastening the bayonet to the gun was
very inconvenient, inasmuch as it was necesSa-
ry, to remove the blade at each discharge of
the piece. The invention of the screw to the
bayonet, however, in 1918, by which its ad-
vantages could be retained even while firing,
decided all minds in its favor, but it was not
generally adopted until much later period of
the century. 1t is said that the Swedes were
the first who fired with bayonets fixed
In the commencement of the eighteenth
century, Gottfried Hansch, of Nuremburg, in
trOduced the method of making the touch-holes
funnel shaped, SO that the powder upon being
rammed into the barrel would itself prime the
piece, and thus increase the speed of loading.
At this period also, the groyed or rifle barrel
began to come generally into use.
In 1907 two explosive mediums were dis
covered, the one being chlorate of potash, and
the other decorating quicksilver Forsyth
took advantage of these discoveries, and OBJ
tanned in England patent for percussion fire.
locks, by which he produced the ignition of
little detOuating balls composed of potash,
birthstone and lycopodium, by means of
smart stroke from hammer The percussion
I'Nhs HO"S'CiJ Wv W ITO SOLlchu COHlIl-
Gated structure and to the too great affinity of
the chlorate to damp, proved incapable of ap-
pliance to the arms of war until the invention
of the percussion cap, in 1918 by Debboubert
The cap, at first used, was somewhat clumsy
and awkward instrument Many years clap
Sed before it acquired its present neat and con-
vcnient shape, and it was not until after 1870
that they were introduced generally among Eu-
rOpean troops.
Of late years much more attention has been
devoted to the subject of firearms than ever
before. The result is visible in the compact
aud elegant fowling pieces, rifles and revolving
pieces which are displayed in our shop windows,
as well as in the many marvellous engines of
destruction which have been brought into use
since the commencement of the present Euro
pean war. 1t is to be hoped that as mans
knowledge and skill in the manufacture Of
deadly weapons becomes more perfect, our ne
ceSsity for their use as an offensive weapon will
grow less and less-BoSton Journal