New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-28

believed it. My scientific knowledge was at SO
low an ebb that could not demonstrate where
Braun's theory was at fault. My simple answer TO
every charge was Only give it trial =
"And at length you had the satisfaction of see
ing this done ~
1Stop, stop, not so fast. My greatest fear was
that some unforeseen accident might postpone the
long desired experiments to an indefinite period.
Gen Witzleben one morning addressing me, as
he often did, as the "reformer OF the gun, sad
''You will have, like Luther, to pass through a
Worms? The essay was to come oil in the
Hasenhaide Prince Augustus of Wurtemberg,
being at the head of the special commission ap-
pointed for the purpose and my celebrated op.
ponent, Braun, likewise included in it. ! had
brought with me 100 cartridges to be shot off from
the same gun. 1t was long time before the gen
tlemen Of the commission relaxed muscle of
their Countenances, but when the shot followed
the other in quick succession, the ammunition
gradually decreased, and the gun would not
oblige them by exploding, their faces by degrees
became longer and longer. | did not utter
word, but rejoced at the unmixed pleasure
evinced by Gen. Witzleben. Prince Augustus be-
came very red. He rode up and down gazing |
with establishment at the heap of cartridges,
which were diminishing one by one. For the
space of ten minutes the firing was kept up, till
at last the riaeman declared he could shoot no
more, for the barrel was too hot to hold. Fifty |
cartridges had been fired from it.
You may imagine the expression on these gen
temen's visages when, upon opening the barrel, |
they found the breech, instead Of being Stuffed
full, as they anticipated, as clean as that Of
common double-barreled gun. Prince Augustus
was vsibly moved. Shoot again he cried as
soon as the barrel had cooled a little, and in ten
minutes more not cartridge was left. In less
than half an hour 100 shots had been fired from
the same gun, and not one of all the mischances
prophesied by the gentlemen of the commission
had taken place."
"Your triumph was complete, - I cried: " after
enormous difficulties, it is true, but perfect and
entire
You are mistaken said the old gentleman,
with sigh. II had now another difficulty to
combat. 1t was asserted that common soldier
could not possibly learn to use the weapon pro:
perly and when years Of experience had senced
this objection, it was only to give place to auo-
Their and this again to third When at last
received orders to furnish m nconsiderable num-
Der of the weapons, they were all safely slowed
away in the arsenal. Thanks be to God for hav-
ing blessed our country with a long interval of
peace, Tor if war had broken out before the man.
ufacture of the needle-gun had been finished,
think should have gone out Of my mind"
land was not opposition silenced at iasty
"Oh, yes, let US say no more about it. The de-
sire of my life has been fulfilled, and to God be
the praise. All else is easily forgiven and forgot
ten if | can only bring myself to believe that my
invention has helped to secure our victories. But
the number of wounded drives me to despair, for
it is convincing proof that our weapons are not
yet what they ought to be, and must be made to
be-
But do you suppose that the greater perfec-
being wounded in the fght!'
"0f course, do not mean entirely, but the pro-
portion must not be so large. In many cases we
must by better weapons, be able to prevent the
enemy from occupying those impregnabIe posi-
tons which have oCcasloned our losses
81 have not an idea how you will bring this
about
in the world, that after this war almost all other
nations will introduce the needle-gun into their
armies. They do not know the secret Of our
Zundspiege, but they will make some sort Of
substitute more or less like it, and have this ad
vantage in constructing their new guns that they
avoid all the faults they observe in ours, while
we must put up with what We have, and thus
other nations will excel Prussia IN this particular
| | fear France especially having a very high
| opinion of the French manufactures of arms, and
am convinced that though they have not the
| Zundspiegel, the French will succeed in produc-
ing a very capital needle-gun, with all those i'm
provements which it may, perhaps, be too late to
make in ours In a word, they will try to surpass
US once more in weapons OF warfare; but this
| ought not to bet must not be-
'You, sir, will take good care, am sures that
such a thing does not come to pass said, full
OF admiration at the youthful zeal Of the old man.
g But what if it be too late to prevent the mis-
chief?' he replied; am now seventy eight years
Of age, and it was my duty to have provided
against such q chance. Here possess the answer
| as to whether foreigners can improve on the nee
dle-gQn ornot.N
AS he said this he rose, fetched a gun from the
conner close to his writing table, and showed il
me. | was quite struck with the singular appear
ance of the weapon. He began to explain its
construction to me.
4 "Stop" said l, interrupting him, 81 ought t.
apprse you that it is my intention when take
my leave to write down, as faithfully as my mem
DRY will allow, all that can recolect of this con
versation, which in few days will be perused BY
thousands of readers. Will you, then, be kline
enough to determine how far l may venture t.
describe this new weapon, the very existence O
| TFhi ia a Or0fOOn6 n the II
"Pray do not describe it at all, y was his reply
:" say merely that it is three pounds and a hal
lighter than our present guns, entirely made o
iron, having just as long range and sure an ain
as those now employed; much better adapted fol
the soldiers use, whetherfOr driil-pTactCe, march
ing shooting hat neither fire nor water has thu
least effect upon it; that it is superior to any smi
lar one of the kind for bayonet action-whichi il
battle is by no means to be despised; that eacl
gun costs three thalers, or nine shings, less thai
the price given for weapon now IN use. AM
now will explain its management; Tor an lnstru
ment which is to be handled by hundreds of thou
sands ought to be SO simple that every one can b
taught how to use it,"
II was the work of few minutes for Herr yo
, Dreyse to do this l went through the eyoutionS
! held the weapon in every possible direction, an
: loaded and tired-of course without cartridges-a
quickly as possible. have before alluded to m
being no novice in the art, for have shot wit
i guns from the best manufactures in the world,
all sorts and sizes, and must confess, without
! the least wishing to set up my judgment as
standard, that have never yetseen or handled a
:; implement which so completely and perfectly cam
i up to all its requirements. An officer in the go1
- eminent commission, permanently stationed at I'll
= foundry in Sommerda, who has repeatedly she
q with this gun, told me that it certainly shot ia
. if not farther, and with as true an aim did II
= present one.
u Several other firearms newly invented by hi
# were shown me by Herr Won Dreyse; also his ia
= comets and explosive balls, which can be projecte
y. from ordinary firearms.
= And what may this be?" asked I, taking I
u something that looked like bombshell.
I "That," he replied, sis surprise intended f
- the army-do not let us speak of it. l will on
~ promise that being fully persuaded that the ligl
~ artillery must be light in all my inventions hay
m made this the basis of my operations-yiz lig
- weights"
docs the government know anything of the
>; new ideas of yours ?"
~, His royal highness Prince Frederick Charl
~ visited me few months ago, inspected the who
Il; of my undertakings encouraged me to persever
er and presented me his portrait with his name WI
rs ten underneath
NJ, ~ "You compared yourself just now with 9th
- discoveries" said as rose to take leave, "b
III you cannot as they, reprOach your generati
n with ingratitude and unmindfulness of your exit
ha ordinary services
a l5 THAT, indeed, most willingly admit cannot
nv he replied, with all the fervor of youth. 81
in more honored than deserve. especially by I