Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-01-20
A Terrible Invention.

-OO, the IOllONlIR
account of an invention of a weapon:
Some months ago a mechanical genius
whose name we are not at liberty to
disclose, told us that he had an idea.
which he was endeavoring, to ''wOrk
Out' by which very little army
could be made irresistible against any
number of enemies. He promised to
let us have the benefit of the idea if
he found that it could be made practi-
cable. Since then he has diligently
worked at it every evening, Sundays
not excepted bringing it ''Out," as ne
calls it. During those months his alb
/ stracted air, his isolation, the constant
succession of hopes and fears about
the success of his project, which
would be visible OH his face for days
| together, led many of his neighbOrs
tOsuppOse that he was or more less era
zy. He brought his long and absorbing
labors to a successful termination
about four days ago, and had the graf
! ification of testing the utility of his
perfected idea, with the most COM
plete evidence of its praetieability. !
The invention consists of a range of !
guns of 0.76 bore and about forty inch
es long, mounted on n carriage of very |
simple structure, to be hauled by one |
horse. The width of the carriage be- /
tween the wheels is six feet. The /
gun barrels, twelve in number, are 1
ranged apparently parallel to each 1
other upon this carriage. We say ap-
parently, for their line of fire is not /
strictly parallel, but divergent, so that
at three hundred yards distant the
twelve bullets sweep line of about
thirty feet. They are ranged at equal
distances from each other, except in
the middle, where there is a space of
ten inches, into which is placed tel
escope of considerable power, and a
nice arrangement for adjusting the
guns in taking aim. This eOntrivance
enables the operator to send a bullet
through the bulls eye at sixteen hum
dred yards nine times out of ten.
The tubes themselves are rifled, are
double the strength of ordinary rifles,
and are made strong at the breeeh by
a band six inches broad and one sixth.
They are all loaded at the breech.
The breech pieces are all connected by
a rod, which is attached 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 !
breaches, and containing the car
tridges, the same turn extracting the :
cartridges from its tube, and insert :
ing it with percision in its place in :
the gun. The guns are made ready /
for firing by as simple and rapid mo- !;
ton as the turning of a crank. They 4
are fired by another slight motion, :
which drives twelve needles, inserted {
in the breeeh for the purpose, into :
he falmirate with which the car :
ridges are covered. So simple, sure :
md rapid are these movements that !,
rounds were fired in ?
seconds, yesterday, at the =
place of trial, out on the Hyde's Fer
Y pike. The cartridges are four inches
II length, and do not entirely explode
Until the ball is about half way out
# the barrel, an effect which is pro- /,
lueed by q nice arrangement of the o,
material of which they are composed. n
Except the bullet the whole car r,
ridge is combustible, and leaves moth r,
ng behind when fired Off The gun 4,
will send ball three miles. The aim a
S always good at two thousand yards. hi
1t trial yesterday line of plank, If
tx inches broad, was raised four feet is
rom the ground and fired at fifteen
hundred yards distant, aud out of tr
iXty shots fOrty-seven went through N,
nd six others left marks upon the n
dges of the plank. The inventor is n
onfident that a regiment of soldiers 10
mile and half distant could be all a.
.illed by one of these POllyferi (the N
anne he has given them), in four hi
minutes. In the hands of a steady n,
peratOr, at least ninety per cent. Of
he balls fired will take effect. The 4,
rhole affair. when in fighting trim, n,
Yeighs but five hundred pounds, and n
, intended to be hauled by one horse az
nd worked by two men, one to drive o.
nd one 20 operate. The loading and
ring apparatus is so arranged that it Is
an be detached in a moment, when i'm
ne other part of the deadly engine I'm
ecomes perfectly useless. One of m
hem can be finished Off complete, nr
18th horse, ETC., for 81, 900. The in ar
entor, a young working mechanic, Iif
,els jubilant at the great success ~
-hich attended the first of his impOr- MI
mt production, which cost him so 90
lany months of toll and all the of
leans which he had at his command. nj
lie goes to Washington in about a nc
eek to push his fortune and TO revO- s.
ItiOnize the art of war. in