The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-23
THE pRUssrAN NBEDLgeUN TELLS.

his troops into doubeqmck time, and was soon
up to reinforce the rihemen. It was now nearly
dark, and the flashes OF the rifles, the reports OF
the shots, and the shouts of the combatants we're
almost the oily indications of the positions of
the troops yet IL could be seen that the rapid
dre OF the needle-gun was telling on the Austrian
line in the road, and the advancing cheers of
the Prussians showed that they were gaining
ground.
Then while the exchange of shots was still
proceeding rapidly between the window-Cratings
of the farmhouse and the Prussian firing parties
who had extended into cornfeld on the right
of the highway, there was q sudden pause in the
firing on The road, for the Jagers, supported by
the 3lst, had made a dash ana were bearing the
Austrans back beyond the farmhouse to where
the cottages of the village closed on each side
OF the road and where the defenders had hastily
thrown some hewn down willow trees as a bar
ricade across the way
DASH AT BARRICADE.
Then the tumult of the fight increased. Dark.
ness had completely closed in, and the moon
had not yet risen; the Prussans pressed up TO
the barricade the Austrans stoutly stood ther
around behind 1t, and th"o PAGES distant,
ASSISTANTS and delenda" poured their TIRE into
each others breasts. Little could be seen,
though tue flashes OF the discharges cast btful
light over the 'rgng masses, but IN tue pauses
OF the firing the voices OF the officers were heard
encouraging their men and halt stiied shrieks
or guTglng cries told that the bullets were truly
AIMED. This was too severe TO endure. The
Prussans firing much more quickly, and in the
narrow street where neither side could show
their whole strength not feeling the interiorlty
| OF numbers, succeeded in tearing away the bar
| ricade, ana slowly pressed their adversaries
| back .iong the village street.
Net the Ausuians fought bravelv and their
| plans for the defense Of the houses had been
| skilnlly though hastily made; IRON every wln-
| dow mGsBets flashed out fire, and sent bullets
INTO the thick ranks of the advancing Prussians,
! while on each balcony, behind wooden barri.
| cade, Jaeers crouChed to take their deadly aim:
| but in the street the soldiers, huddled together
and nNfra Wit ri rode NvnT
| unable to load with ease, and could return no
| adequate fire to that OF the Prussians, while
these, from the advantage OF better arm poured
their quick yolleys into an almost deLenseless
| crowd.
The NeedIe-Gun I'm the French Army.
| From La PreSSe ofJUiy7
| 1t is wrong TO believe that the French Govern
| mcnt had not Tor a long time had It's attention
| directed to the needlegun. The substitution of
| this gun for the common ordnance musket was
| actually decided upon Immediately after the war
| in Denmark. But as this WOuld entail an expense
| OF fifty millions, it was resolved, as commend
| able measure OF economy, to proceed with the
| change only gradually. The experiments at the
| camp OF Chalons have shown, IN fact, that three
or four days are enOuoh TO tamllarlze our
| soldiers completely with the handling of this
| new gun.
The War Department has already manufactured
| 80, coo needle.guns on an improved model, and
it has found that, with very little expense and in
very short time the rifled guns in our arsenals
Il
The Prussian NesdIe.Gun.
| When the war now raging in Europe was only
| "A possibility of the future, it was said that
| Bismark was determined to precipnate hostiitles.
because he believed that in her own exclusive
possession of the needle-gun Prussia had the
| power to remodel the map of Europe at her will,
| even with great odds against her. The tenor OF
| the late news seems to indicate that the conf.
dence felt at Berlin ill this new weapon was we'll
| founded; and CORRESPONDENTS and editors every.
| " nNt no nj no
| needle.gun to all other small arms now in use.
| The needle-gun was originally invented in
| 1885, although OF course many improvements
| have since been made on the hrst lea. The
credit OF the invention belongs to Mr.. Dreyse,
the manufacturer of arms at Sommerda; but in
| some respects the weapon is similar to and an
| improvement upon the breeCh-lOading musket
| of Norway. 1t is simply breechloadIng rifle,
| the cartridge of which is exploded by the intru-
| sion OF needle into the illuminate attached to
it, the needle being propelled by a soiral spring.
/ the only thing about it which there would be
the least difficulty in copying, is the composition
used as illuminate. Tnis says foreign cor
respondent
us compound of ingredients known only to
one man-the inventor; and so determined is
the Government that the secret shall not escape
that that man is guarded night and day by q
squad of twelve soldiers; every letter which he
writes is inspected, and he is not allow to com
municate orally with any person except In the
presence of his guard"
long, and has a caliDre OF siX-tenths of an INCH
with four grooves having a twist of five
elevenths in the length of the barrel. Tit
breadth of these is about a quarter OF an inch
. and the depth three-hundredths of an inch
There is an unriied chamber for d bed of thu
cartridge, of diameter slightly larger than thu
calibre OF the barrel and enlarglng very Ettl
at the rear to admit the cartridge alter repeated
discharges. Where the chamber unites with thu
grooves there is a gradual slope to facilitate tn
passage OF the ball, and prevent too sudden
, compression.
The barrel is screwed into a cylinder. which
holds together Hhe mechanism of the piece. Tbt
contrivance by which the trigger pushes iorwarC
the needle is too complicated TO be described
here without diagrams, nor IS it essential. Th
cartridge is of course peculiar. The tulminat
> is between the powder and the ball, so that tn
needle has to 60 through the powder. Tue bal
is spheroconical weighing 450 grains. Tn
charge of powder is 56 grams. The weight OF
! gun complete is between ten and eleven pounds
l The advantages of the arm, besides the grea
one OF celebrity of fire. are the simplicity OF the
: mechanism, whiah can be taken apart withou
| a scIew-driver or other implement; the saet
1 and ease with which il may be ceansed; III
. | convenience OF loading in a limited space or Of
! horseback; the certain and uniform filing o
> the grooves; the reduced charge consequen
, | upon The entire Consump ptOn of the powder
i and the disuse of the ramrod. The chic
: | obi ecuon brought against II has been tha
firing so rapidly the soldier would be apt to forge
to aim, and so waste more ammunition than i
! the old weapons.-BoStOn Advertiser.
I writer in the Albany Argus says:-"Abou
: | fourteen years ago the writer Of this was intro
| duced 10 the inventor OF the needle-gun. He
: | q German gunsmlth and a native Of Berlin, II
: | examined his rifle in all its details, and too
= | DRAWINGS of its several parts. 1t was patente
j. in the United States, and the inventor vsite