The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-12-11
THE GATLING GUN.
Interesting Experiments Accurate Fir
Ing Mt Long Branch.

THE GATLING GUN.
Interesting Experiments Accurate Fir
Ing Mt Long Branch.
The Franco -Prussian war made us
somewhat familiar with a murderous
machine called the mitrailleuse. The
honor of originating all weapons of that
kind is claimed by DR.. Gatling, former
ly of Indianapolis, Ind, and now residing
in Hartford, Conn, where the Colts
Arms company are manufacturing the
Gatling gun. The government already
owns about one hundred of these "pep-
per-boXes" of calibre varying from
one-tiftieth of an inch to an inch and
the last congress made an appropriation
for the purchase of fifty more of the
45 calibre,, which is adopted as the
standard size of bore for all United
States arms. One of the latest models
was recently tested. This gun, Won
derful i'll its simplicity and terrible in
its execution, may be described as a
cluster of musket barrels, eighteen
inches long, ten in number, separated
about two inches, and held in their
places by heavy brass plate, through
which they pass near the muzzles, and
at their butts by strong brass bed
piece, to which they are secured, and
which contain the simple contrivance
for loading, firing and clearing out the
old shells. re each of these ten bar
rels is adjusted movable breech block,
perforated in the center by firing pin.
Az q short crank at the side of the
piece is turned, these breech blocks are,
one by one, drawn back to the full length
of a cartridge from the butt of the bar
rels, and the cartridges, fed in from
above, are crowded iuto the bore by the
returning hreooh lock, and on reaching
a certain point the block is locked, the
firing pin driven forward and the bar
rel discharged. As soon as it has re-
volved to the opposite side the with
drawing breech lock throws out the
empty shell and passes on to crowd
home another cartridge. Only one bar
rel is fired at a time, and that IS the
one which is at the time on the right of
the cluster. Three are discharged at
each revolution of the crank. The
"drum feed" is collection of eighteen
vertical magazines, each containing
twenty cartridges. This can be fired in
less than minute and another dtum
full be placed ready for the next volley.
Even four or five hundred shots can be
fired in sixty seconds. SO much for
rapidity.
It also bears the test'of accuracy won
derfully well. At 900 yards eighteen
out of a volley of twenty shots struck
the twelve-foot target. The other day,
for the first time, it was tried at range
of l, 100 yards. Single shots were first
fired to get the range, and one was sent
plump into the bulls eye. Then mag
azine was put on, volley OF twenty
shots fired, and fourteen new holes ap-
peared in the target. Thus ended the
forenoon's tests.
The sound of volley is like the rip
ping of seam in an old dress by wo-
man with the toothache, except thou
sand times louder, and possibly a trihe
more spiteful. An eccentric oscillator
may be used, causing the muzzle to play
from side to side, scattering shower of
balls about eighteen feet in $50 yards,
thus moving terrible swath in hostile
ranks.
The gun, Independent of the carriage,
weighs 153 rounds. 1t can be mounted
on tripod, and be placed, with all it's
accoutrements, on the backs of camels,
mules or horses, as were the old hOwit-
zers. 1t has been, and will be used
hereafter, in army operations on the
frontiers. If placed on the turret of
monitor, or on the top of ship, it
would soon sweep an enemy's decks.
On boat expeditions it would drive off
those who strove to prevent landing.
One man can work Gatling" sue
cessfully, but four make up its full
complement. 1t is recommended that
not less than $4,000 cartridges be car
ried Oh the train with each gun. The
ordinary musket cartridge is used, the
charge being seventy grains of powder
and four hundred grains OF lead.
When all tho nations are supplied with
these guns, it is to be hoped the millen-
ium will hurry along and save onr poor
world from dcpopulation.
HERE'S little bit of monopoly for
the grangers to think over: j. Fl. Glenn
of Colusa county, California, owns
forty five thousand acres Of land, most
of which he cultivates. On his farm he
has two hundred miles of fencing, and
last year he employed in the plowing
season six hundred mules His ranch
fronts on the Sacramento river for thirty
miles.