Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1873-04-10
The Taylor MitraieIur.

Some interesting experiments have been
made with the Taylor nitraiileur a new
gun inv .ntsd BY j. PuttenT Taylor, Of Ten
~ueSsec. at the Snbds' Poiut Hotel. i. L.,
in the presence Of number OF gentlemen
especially invited to view the trial,
The gun is constructed after the idea 9th +,
French Imperial Mitrailleur and the Gatlin
gun, its American improvement.
The Taylor gun has a number Of novel
features not possessed by the others, which
it is thought by critics in cunning will rem
der it more effective destructive. The
most note crthy among these features is
that the gun.barrels arc 10 a water-cusisg,
50 that their dangerous heating from rapid
and continuous firing is impossible. Ans
other is, that the twenty-fOur barrels are
grouped elliptically and q lateral or bor'
~izontai range is thus sccured,an advantage
not possessed by similar guns, which throw
their projectiles up and down at right an
giles with the ground. Another novelty
is the manner Of loading. The gun is self
discharging, and the loading, firing and
cleaning by single shot or en- Iusllktde is
accomplished by means ola steel lever and
a small steel crank or if sing G discharge
OF the tw enty>four chambers is desired, the
lever alone is sufficient to perform the thrc
distinct operations. The feeder or magazin
as it is termed, for filling the chamt ers of
the gun as they are discharged, is :yliu>
drical in form and tubular, having twenty
four tubes in all, and holds2 ZIG Of the pat
ent Berdan centre.fre cartridges, which
we're used in the experiments. The mag
aziues are SO arranged as to be quickly at
tached and detached to the gun without
apPreciable interruption to its wo~rking,and
are intended to be supplied as wanted from
caissons. To say that the gun is designed
to be as nearly automatic in its working as
is possible, conveys the principle idea
which the inventor says he aims at. When
the magazine is adjusted, the gunner should
ho desire to open a fusilading fire upon
an advancing foe, supply turns the crank
and jerks the lever upward and down
ward at the close Of every twenty-four
shots and the touch Of screw end u single
jerk Of the lever Will pour forth a broad
side of tweuty-four shots sweeping a space
right and left Of twenty-four feet at two
hundred yards distance. The gun was
well tested in itsreoont trial, aud the ra-
pidity with which it was loaded, fired,
cleaned, reloaded, and fred again appear
ed mayellous tr the lookers-on. A targtt
at two hundred yards distance completely
riddled ut low range, and when the piece
was elevated, the balls we're seen to strike
the water nearly a mile away from the por-
tico of the hotel, where the gun was planted.
The inventor, nov 9 expresses himself
we'll satisfied with what he has produced,
Intends to improve upon his idea, and q
gun of the new pattern is now being man.
ufacturcd.
The experimental gun weighs seven
hundred pounds, and together with the
simple gun carriage upon which it is Fixed,
one thousand poun DIS.
rbe weight Of the new piece, with car
rage, will not be more than six hundred
pounds. Much Of the present machinery
will be s%impliied, and it will be made pos
sible to manufacture guns larger in cali.
bre than this one which is A. 1t is be-
hevcd that TO make one with a calibre Of
100 is very feasible. When firing e.. (u>
sillade seven hundred rounds per minute
can be discharged from the experimental
gun, and by volley, one thousand shots
New York Post.