The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-30

needle-guns had been purloined, together with q
quantity of cartridges, by secret agents Of the
French Ambassador at the Court of Berlin, dur
ing the outbreak Of the revolution In that city.
These were Immediately forwarded TO Paris, and
a military commission soon after convened TO
examine the composition of the cartridges and
to try the range and general eff
cheney of the Prussian weapon. At
this trial, which took place in presence
of several superior officers of the army and of
the most eminent armorers In the service of the
Government, even French vanity was reluctantly
compelled TO acknowledge the vast superiority
of tie newly-inveDted gun, which was then the
only breech-loader in existence. The question
why il was not adopted for Introduction into the
French army has never been satisfactorily
answered.: some allege that the composition of
. the illuminate, which Is instrumental in causing
the ignition of The powder charge, and which was
a secret of the inventor, Dreyse, aud the Prus-
sian Government, could not be clearly esta-
blished; while Others say that the French Gov
eminent feared to hurt the pride of the nation;
which would not admit of the adoption of any
thing already in practical use in a foreign army
which might sooner or later become their anita
gonist on the field OF battle.
French Inventiys Gs1 ~. =. Worh-The chas-
Something, however, had to be done, for 1t
was evident that even the very best muzzle-
loading gun, no matter how great its range and
accuracy, must always remain decidedly inferior
to a breech-loader as regards the rapidity of its
fire and the ease and simple mode of loading.
Great efforts were therefore made in all the
armories of France toward the construction OF a
breech-loading gun which might be considered
equal, ii not superior, to the needle-gun. But,
although they had the latter for a model to work
upon, nothing worth mentioning was
f fSsnscfo,. es 1ntl,, in Of 1853 A tine French N
Chassepot, produced the model of q
breech-loading percussion gun, which was,
however, rejected by the Government on
account of the frequent missing fire and the
comparatively slow process of loading. In the
spring of 1866 the French Government con-
cluded to arrange for q minute examination of
two newly-presented models, the improved
Chassepot without percussion) and q gun in
vented by a captain of artillery named Plume
rel. After a fair and prolonged trial, the mill
tary commission decided In favor of the Chas-
sepot gun, which was introduced for use In the
French army by imperial decree of August 80,
1866, under the official denomination of "fusil
modele 1866" o.
The Merits OF the Two Weapons.
After q careful examination and long expert
ments with the two weapons, NJ. Ignatius Neu-
mann, of Liege, Belgium, an experienced manu-
~facturer of firearms, has given the following
verdict in favor of the superiority of the Prus-
sian needle-gun:-
''The Prussian needle-gun does not shoot
better nor further than any other breech-loader,
but its material advantages over all those in
vented in France, Belgium, England, and else
where cannot be denied. 1t is entirely erro-
W bhdt ~ w O " lutO
the armies of other European powers on account
of it's real or alleged shortcomings or defects.
France especially was actuated in its decision
In tie premises by petty jealousy only. They
didn't want 1t because they did not want 1t;
they were unwilling to admit its superiority be-
cause somebody else had possessed it before
them whom they couldn't think of ever imi-
tatiDg. Such is human nature"
An improvement on the ChassepOt.
A very essential improvement on the Chasse-
pot method was invented last year bya Mr.. Mey.
hoefer, the owner of q large estate in one of the
eastern provinces of Prussia. The first mention
of this new gun was made in the latter part of
May, 1869, but it has since attracted q good deal
of attention throughout Germany and abroad,
although it has not been introduced into any
army so far. The gun, as well as the car
fridge, are still the property of the inven-
tor. The latter claims that he can fire thirty
shots in a minute with accuracy, only one
single movement being required for the
loading and for the discharge of the gun, which
remains in position, with the butt end pressed
against the right arm-pit, as long as the soldier
can maintain 1t so. Thus more than one hun
bred shots might be fred before the position of
the gun need in any way be changed. The
elongated projectile only weighs 1-24 of a
pound, so that a soldier can carry 100 cartridges
or more into every engagement, without being
in the least Inconvenience. In the month of
June of the present year a further improvement
is said to have been realized by Mr.. Meyhoefer,
who pretends that he can dispense with the
india-rubber knob hitherto used by Chassepot,
in consequence of the invention of an entirely
new cartridge, by the use of which all danger of
the interior of the gun getting soiled and unfit
for use is obviated.