The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-12-31
A Terrible InvenSiou.

A Terrible InvenSfoa.
REGIMENT OF soLDIERs. A MILE AND
A-HALR DISTANT, TO BE KILLED IN
FOUR MINUTES. ~
The. invention consists ofTa range
of guns Of 0.76 bore and about forty
inches long, mounted on q carriage
of very simple structure, to be hanled
by one horse. The width OF the car
riage between the wheels is ak feet.
The gun barrels, twelve in number,
are ranged apparently parallel to
each other upon, this carriage. We
say apparently, for their line Of fire
is not strictly parallel, but divergent,
30 that at 300 yards distant the twelve
bullets sweep line OF about thirty
feet. They are ranged at equal dis
tances from each other, except in the
middle, where there is a space of ten
inches, into which is placed tele-
scope of considerable power, and q
nice arrangement for adjusting the
guns in taking aim. This contriy-
ance enables the operator to send q
bullet through the bulls eye at ], 600
yards, nine times out of ten. The
tubes themselves are rihed, are dou-
BILE the strength of ordinary rifles,
and are made strong at the breech by
a band six inches broad and one
sixth thick. They are all loaded at
the breeoh. The breech pieces are
all connected by rod. which is ct
tached to q crank, one turn of which
opens and shuts all the breech pieces
and loads the pieces for the breech
pieces, by this motion, are brought
in contact with twelve tubes, placed
Immediately over the breeches, and
containing the cartridges, the same
turn extracting the cartridges from
its tube and inserting it with preci-
sion in its place in the gun. The
guns are made ready for firing by as
simple and rapid. motion as the
turning of a crank. They are fired
by another slight motion, which
drives twelve needles, inserted in the
breech for the purpose, into the fall
nitrate with which the cartridges are
covered.
So simple, sure and rapid are these
movements, that ttwenty-soven rounds
were fired in sixty-three seconds,
yesterday, at the place of trial, out
on the Hyde's Ferry pike. The
cartridges are four inches in length,
and do not entirely explode, until
the ball is about half way out of the
barrel, IN effect which is produced
by nice arrangement of the mate
rial of which they are composed.
Except the bullet, the whole cartridge
is combustible. and leaves nothing
behind when fired off. The gun will
send ball three miles. The aim is
always good at 1000 yards. At a
trial, yesterday, line of plank, six
inches broad, was raised four feet
from the ground, and fired at
1,5OO yards distant, and out of sixty
shots fired, forty-seven went through
and six others left marks upon the
edges of the plank. The inventor is
confident that a regiment of soldiers,
mile and-a-half distant, could be
all killed by one of these Pollyferi,
(the name he has given them in
four minutes. In the hands of an
intelligent, steady operator, at least
ninety per cent. of the balls fired will
take effect. The whole affair, when
in fighting trim, weighs but 800
pounds, and is intended to be hauled
by one horse and worked by two
men, one to drive and the other to
operate. The loading and firing ap-
paratns is SO arranged that it can be
detached in moment, when the
other part of the deadly engine be-
comes perfectly useless. One of them
can bo finished off, complete, with
horse, etc, for $1,000.
NdSh0iHe Times.