The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-08-25
The NItraIIlear.

The faVOfite subject OF cable tsle-
grams, just at present, Is the BlitrdH-
tear, and the last piece Of intellgsucs
as tO this wonderful French ''maehine
gun" is to the effect that Frankfort
offers 500 thalers, OF about $500, to the
first eaptOr of one OF them. SO far as
this new engines Of destruction Is
concerned, We nave the best reason
for assuming that Prussia is quite as
we'll supplied with il as France. There
are two types of the invention in Eu-
rope-the French 0ne, about which 50
much fuss is made, and a Belgian af-
fair claimed 10 be its super
ior, designed by H. MOnlignity
In suggestion both inventions are due
to the original idea OF Dr. Calling,
and there is indeed very little ques-
ton as to the French Blitr0iiteWr be-
ing Il direct theft from the Americas.
. In forthcoming number, We pro-
pose TO give a faithful illustration and
careful description OF the American
invention, which l. far superior to
either OF its European imitatOrs, be
tween which, by the way, there seeas
very little difference. The recent
stories, suggested by the terrible exc
eutiOn OF the JaitTOiIleUr upon q crow
ded abbat0ir of broken down horses,
and the announcement that each bat
talloOn Is to have Blitrdiielrs on its
flanks, bears internal evidence Of be-
ing intended for moral effect on the
enemy. The comparative accuracy
of American and European machine
guns is best Illustrated by the trial re-
suits. ..|
In experiments, for instance, with
the MOntigny gun, upon target 81
feet long and % feet high midway, at
a distance OF 430 yards, out OF SO ear
tridges placed I'm the gun, 40 were
mis-fires, 27S struck, aud - Js1altOgether
missed the target. At go yards the
hits were in proportion Of about 50
per cent and at !, 100 yards, for some
reason, the trial was given up. Com
pared with such execution the
operation of the Calling gun is.
really marvellous. At a target lO
feet square, 500 yards distance, there
was not one lost out OfllO shots. At
the same target, 1000 yards, 76 per
cent of the shots struck. Other ex-.
proper direction, the scattering pow
ers Of the gun upon a more extended
object.
In the autumn Of 1853 the attention
of the Imperial government was
drawn To the Calling gun, aud the
Emperor expressed, through the usual
medium, ''a profound Interest," i'm the
invention. The time, however, was
not OppOrtune for further study Of the
affair, or the EmperOr's thoughts, on
peace intent, We're not in frame for
the adoption OF q new destructive en-
gine; at any rate, the invention was,
for the time being, declined. Shortly
afterward mysterious whispers began
to circulate Of wonderful gun, with
which experiments had been made
under the eve Of Napoleon. en-
As time passed on, it began to be
known that the French army was to
have the use of ''a machine gum" a
DlftrdilIe1F. The fact OF the Gatling
gun having been presented tO, and,
so far rs any opinion at all was al.
vaneei, approved by the Imperial IN
spectiOn, is persuasive evidence of
the theft of the mitrdiUeHr- but there
are even CONGRATULATIONS Of the
theft in the mechanism OF the
itself, which has indespen-
sable features exactly identified I
with the Gatling.
We shall not be disappointed, how
ever, If the French do not obtain any
such results from BifTdiHeEr rs the |
newspaper reports would have us be-
lieve. They are far too much inclined /
to advertise its virtues to convince US !
that they have much faith in Il them
selves. It will undoubtedly do SUM-
cient service in certain situatiOns to
Justify us, but that it will have any
decisive Influence on the conduct of
war we do not antieipate.-ArD9g and
NrUy Journal. I'D.