The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-10-16
THE HorCHKIss CANNON.
An American Weapon Which Kills the
Manufactures of EorpeaO Boats.

Edward Kings Paris Letter Boston Journal.
The sensation of the moment is the great
trial of the Hotchkiss revolving cannon,
made day before yesterday just off the coast
of Holland, under the auspices OF the Dutch
government, which recently ordered one OF
the guns to try. As is pretty well known to
Americans who have been here much, Mr..
Hotchkiss, who is originally a Connecticut
man, has an enormous mandatory OF cam
non at st. Denis, where he is equipping the
French navy and coast defences with some of
his most valuable inventions. He is also
manufacturing to the order of the Russian.
English and various other governments, all
of which are anxious not to be left behind in
the great race for superior ornaments. Mr..
Hotchkiss is one of the highest types OF
the American inventor; his mind is clear,
precise, and now and then he has a luminous
revelation which entities him to be genius.
/ will give you q good illustration of this
fact later on in the story. The revolving
cannon, which has created SO much excite
ment here, and which, L believe, the United
States government has two specimens Of is
Of two kinds. One is a field piece; the
other is small, mounted on a pivot,
easily handled, and managed from the
shoulder as readily as q carbine. This terri
BILE engine of destruction is fired by turning
a crank, and sends forth 80 shots per minute
without the slightest difficulty. 1t has been
known to fire nearly twice that number in.
60 or so seconds but absolute accuracy is
claimed for it only at the rate OF four score
per minute. The trials here and in adjacent
countries have created perfect revolution
in public sentiment on the subject of aquatic
warfare. Of course every nation that ex-
poets sooner or later to be forced into war
has looked askarce at this uncouth spsctsrof
the torpedo boat, which has been thrusting it's
ugly nose into the light occasionally. What.
was there to be some delicate, diabolical
- NIn Aaxrf coR oil ~ m
disembowel the noblesi and strongest ships,
and to send many valiant souls OF heroes
down to hades even while they slept? The
thought was disquieting. The Russian CAM
paign came and brought in its opening days
two signal triumphs for the torpedo boat.
1t was all true, then? Bismarck's few re-
naming hairs stood stralghter on end than
ever; the French minister Of marine was
exceedingly nervous, and the representative
men of Europe rushed TO Hotchkss and be-
sought him to protect them. Save, oh save
us,''they cried, from this terrible demon of
the deepl"
After the experiments with the HotchkIss
gun, all these great men felt more com!orta.
BILE. Still, until last week there had never
been what might be called n decisive test,
something from which there should be no
appeal and il was reserved for the Dutch
government to make 10. The willy mariners
who are constantly coming and g0iCg be-
tween the colonial possessions of the Neither
lands and the Dutch ports on the North sea
have no intention OF being caught mapping,
and. so they have been anxious to test the
new Yankee invention. AIR. Hotchkiss
was invited 10 be present at the ex-
periments. He sent over one of
his chief engineers to explain the mechan-
ism of the gun to the .Dutcbmen,
but they understood it already, and so Mr..
Hotchkiss followed at once. He found, on
of ha laro ehfnc
ng cted with the governmental marine service
IN important posts. As soon as they had
taken him on board they steamed away to
sea to a point opposite the Helder. There
before them, just showing the top of her
back above the water, was a torpedo boat-a
dummy" OF course, as a real one would
have been rather too expensive to practice
on.
do you think that you could defend this
vessel against that torpedo boat with your
gun?' said the sdmirals, the represe ntatives
OF the ministry of the marine and the other
big wigs to Hotchkiss.
Il think could" he answered.
"Well, them" said the practical Dutch
man, 'let us see what she amounts to-" They
had brought their own gunner, and he evi-
IDENTIFY understood the use of the aim very
well. He took his position at the side OF the
ship, aud, the gun being loaded with great
rapldity, he fred about 30 shots, putting Is
or 20 of them right through the torpedo
boat. InRsmucn as one of them would have
settled her, this experience was Supplying.
They tried it again, with rather better re-
suit. Then they went off at some distance,
aud, putting on all steam, went directly at
the torpedo boat, trying to get the same
effect that would be produced If the boat
were approaching them and they were de-
Tending themselves against her approach.
The speed which they could get up to was
| between Ia and Is knots an hour. When
they were within GOO yards of the torpedo
boat the gunner was ordered TO open fire on
her, which he did, and despite the constantly
varying position of the ship, and the conse-
quent difficulty of taking aim, he riddled the
boat egain, and with such lightning like
Tspidity aud signal effect that the splinters
ana pieces were not to be counted.
Out of III shots fired at the torpedo boat,
| 20 had lodged in her and had exploded, tear
| ing the i'll fsted craft into fragments.
The Dutch official charged with the torpe-
| do service of Holland came up to Mr.. Hotch-
/ kiss and said:
"Sir, feel inclined to prosecute you Ny
/ occu patton is gone. Torpedo boats are good
| for nothing hereafter"
Some time later, as they were all seated at
| dinner, one of the officials remarked that
! the only hope of successful torpedo boat
| now was to make il so that it could be navi-
/ gated entirely under water.
| a thought flashed through Mr.. Hotcbkiss'
mind THAT ought not to be very difficult,
he said. "Iil make one il you will give me
| time"
The Dutchmen laughed, and said that that
was impossible. Wnereupon Mr.. Hotchkiss
took out pencil and paper, and drew plan.
The Dutchmen all looked hard at it, wits
tied, and said Dots sol" The inventor
put the mysterious paper in his pocket, and
| yesterday he ordered a tin model of tor
pedo boat, TO be propelled two feet under
water, to be prepared. We shall see what
we shall see. He believes In fair play, and
desires to give the torpedo men q chance
although be has invented gun which has
thus far caused the utmost CONSERVATION
among them.