The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-01-13
Tha Newest Thing in Guns.

Mounted on long, wooden, trough
shaped gun carriage, singular looking
Weapon was lying in the mud in the back
ward of MIR. j. K. Haskell, OF Passaic,
Yesterday. SIT might be an Internal
machine," said the many who had Curl
ously eyed it from ti3ne to time, "and it
might be one Of the most wonderful
pieces of ordinance ever invented" The
owner and inventor, who has spent if
teen years and $100, 900 in perfecting the
gun, takes the latter view, and asserts
that his invention will revolutionize the
system of offensive armament.
He calls it an "accelerating gun," and
| It is planned ON the novel principle OF
I'boosting the projectile along by second
ary, tertiary and quaternary explosions
after it has received its first impetus by
the explosion at the breech. The barrel
| is about twelve feet long, and is made OF
steel, tapering from the muzzle, that is
| two or three inches thick to the breech,
which is round piece OF steel three or
| four inches through. On the under side
o5 the barrel at equal intervals are small
brazen globes opening through narrow
lnecks into the bore of the barrel.
These are designed to mold loose pow
der, and they are charged through small
lholes in the bottom, into which brass
screws are tightly fitted. The bore is
Inn ade to accommodate halfinch, fne-
IIy.tempered steel projectile. In firing
1.-The gun, the chamber in the barrel is
filled with powder, and then the steel
missile, which is about nine inches long,
lis pressed firmly against the charge.
The pockets are next charged, and the
screws are replaced in their bases. The
nipple ia at the base of the breach, and
the first charge is fired by means OF q
can nlaced on the nipple,
AS the projectile is shot forward, fol
lowed by a stream of fire, 1t ignites the
powder in each of the pockets at the in
lstant it passes over the neck. 1t re
ceiyes new impulse by the explosion o
, each packet Of powder. and it Is a
length shot from the muzzle with an ex
ltraordipary velocity and power. Tn
iamount of powder that is expended at |
single discharge, Mr.. Haskell says, il
tube. to fill the gun to the muzzle and t.
, blow the barrel to atoms. To utilize al
, the force of the different explosions tn
rockets are placed at such an angle witt
+ the barrel that little OF the explosiv
/ impulses are wasted against the Rppe
surface of the barrel.
MIR. Haskell has worked hard and en-
Enthusiastically with his invention, and b
asserts for 1t unlimited possibilities. H
thinks that with the little imperfec
!. trial-gun, which has only q smooth bor
, that he can throw the steel projectil
, lover twelve miles, and that at mOderat
distance he can pierce the steel armor {
!, anv ann a.. ,..r 49,. with a weapon {
greater weight, rifled bore, ana NOR
. powerful ball, the imagination OF the III
ventor shrinks from the conjecture
what he can achieve.
q Mr.. Haskell gathered o few Of hi
:: |neighbors together on last Saturday
= and, shoulderipg his gun, the ps. .
!, REPAIRED to the stone uuarry OF M
Paulison, In the subu.os. The weapo
was charged and everything was gotte
5 lsauy. rsaryyc mi. haskell advanced to di
the cap, and then the valor
.ostnf the spectators yielded to discr
~, and they ran and hid among T
stores. Mr. Haskell, with perfect co
% 6danca. discharged the piece sever
times. and with Wonderful effect.
Y The first target, which had been plac..
Q but q few feet from the gun, was sol
q, niece Of monitor iron, four Inches thic
IL The steel missile passed through 1t
he through piece OF pine board and pinn,
AZ Il to q hard wood block, which was al
ny nierced for several inches. The ne
he Target was made OF nine thicknesseR
on llocomotiye boiler iron, securely bolt
Of together, and the ball cut through u
nic as though 1t were pastepoara. Ine
cir pIosion was but little louder tnan tnat
at | a heavy rife, and the recon- was 30 nl
81 81 nrnduoe A severe shock II the gun W,
eir held at the shoulder.
~ MT, Haskell has taken Qnt psysase
N