Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-04-24
lancaster fntfIligrnrer.



This interview with the inventor Of the
great modern death dealer is taken from
the Cleveland Herald
an 1901 I was living at indianapolis.
The war had broken out, and the country
Was all excitement My house was within
few blocks Of the depot, aud was often
present there when volunteers were de.
parting for the field, and also when their
dead bodies were mt times shipped back
home In boxes for burial. One surprise
10 mo that the number Of men killed by
sickness aud disease was moro than those
killed by ball or actual battle.
"One day i remember nineteen oorpses
were landed at the depot three had been
killed In batte. The thought then struck
me IL a gun could DO invented that would
do the work Of hundred men, and would
require but few men to operate 1t, that
the horrors of war would DO greatly di-
minished, aud au end would come much
sooner OF every struggle. More men
GOULD stay at home, and lives would be
saved. Tho thought took such hold Of
me that commenced to work on 1t at
once. The result was the Gatling gun.
"My first guns we're made in Cincinnati,
and they would fire from $50 to $50 shots
per minute. had six of them manufac
tured in 1869, when the foundry was
burned by incoDdiaries-I suppose rebel
--mpathizers - and the guns were de.
.. Next | had thirteen guns made
sIoy@., =. now the type foundry in Gin
oinnati, and ,he.O | sen. on r oy my part
ner, a wealthy merchau. " "'uo,nna., omn 70
Washington TO persuade the .o'ofnnen' paI
to introduce them, He took them w D'i
timore, where he left twelve, aud went
with the others to Washington:
al, ,af ~ ba nrlnanpa nanartmplt
at the time was an old fogy He received
him ooldly, told him he had no faith in his
gun. and that he believed tiint-lock mus
kets were, on the whole, the best weapons
for warfare. In short, no would have
nothing more TO do with him. My part
ner then left Washington and returned to
Baltimore, Ben Butler was there with
his troops. lie had heard OF the guns,
and he asked TO see them work. AS soon
as he had done 50 he said he would buy
them on his own responsibility, aud did 50,
giving his voucher Tor sl2,OO Tor them.
NV partner had this cashed, but at this
time there was great fall IN pork, and
$4,000 hogs which he had packed IN Chi
cago, with the expectation OF a rise, had
to be sold.
an word the break in the market
ruined him, aud my money went with him
SO, for the first twenty guns | had made
ut a great cost TO myself, | received moth.
ing, Ben Butler took the guns no had
bought with him to the battle of Peters
burg aud fred Il EN- himself upon the
rebels. Tboy created great CONSERVATION
aud slaughter aud the news Of them went
all over the world. Now they are used by
all tho leading governments of Europe al d
also in Asia aud Africa They enabled
tho PTussiaRs u conquer Austria III lSiO,
though the Austrians had the large
forces, aud they shortened the war by Ger
many and France 50 that 1t pracucall,
lasted but few days.
''rhe Gatling guns are now ma 10 il
Hartford, in this country, aud in Eurcp
ut Newcastle on tho Tyne. | sell only Il
governments aud the United States use
many of my guns. They now tako par
in all wars and you have seen the repOr
of the work they have done it Egypt"
slow far will the GatlIng gun send
ball?"
From two 10 three mtleI. Tho no
improvements, which will enable 1t u
fired intO the air, are such that the bal
whom 1t fails to tho earth, acquires fro
the force of gravity such velocity TIL
when it reaches the ground il will pa
through plank two inches thick. TIL
at a distance of three thousand yards frOi
the place of firing p
Will it shoot accurately ?"
Yes. We can aim the gun at plan
nailed to support several thousand yard
away, aud By moving the guu rapidly
along while firing w. can cut a lin
through tho board as though II wee
sawed Bullets OF different sizes are use
iu different guns. No two bullets leay
the gun at the same time, but when ~
consider that twelve hundred shots can /
fired in minute you will see how rapid
and regularly il works"