The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-04-25
THE GATLING GUN.
An Interview with It's Famous Inventor.
Wash. Corr. Clereldnd Leader.

Wash. Corr. Clereland Leader.
Wonderful improvements have recently
been made in the Calling gun, and DR.. Cat
ling, the inventor, has been for some days
illustrating them to the leading men Of the
War Department. He has shown that the
gun can now fire on an average 1900 shots
per minute continuously, and the latest in
vsutions enable it to be fred at any angle.
Before this the force of gravity prevented tn ,
firing upward or downward beyond q certain
degree, but this has been entirely overcome,
and shot can now be sent perpendicularly
into the air, and the guns can be so aimed as
to throw bullets inside of fort or any be-
sieged fortifcation.
DR.. Richard Jordan Calling is now &C
years old. He is q tall, broad. .shouldered,
white whiskersd man, with friendly face,
bright-blue eyes, and a pleasant tongue.
talked with him in the Ebbitt House last
evening about his gun, and he told me how
he came to invent 1t. Said he: 81 had made
several inventions before this, one of which
was the wheat drill which is now in use all
over the country, and think it was my study
on it that prepared me for the Calling gun.
In 1861 was living at Indianapolis. The
war had broken out and the country was all
excitement. My house was within few
blocks of the depot and l was often present
there when volunteers were departing for the
field, and also when their dead bodies were
at times shippel back home in boxes for
burial. One surprise to me was that the
number of men killed by sickness and dis
ease was more than those killed by ball or
in actual battle. One day remember nine
teen corpses we're landed at the depot: three
had been killed in battle. The thought then
struck me II Q gun could be invented that
would do the work of q hundred men, and
would require but few men to operate it,
that the horrors of war would be generally
diminished, and and end would come much
sooner of every struggle. More men could
stay at home and lives would be saved. The
thought took such hold on me that COM
menced work on 1t at once. The result was
the Calling gun.
"My first guns were made in Cincinnati,
and they would fire from $50 to $50 shots
per minute. had six of them manufactured
in 1862, when the foundry was burned by in
cendariss-I suppose rebel sympa.hizers-
and the guns were destroyed. Next had
thirteen guns made at what is now the type
foundry In Cincinnati, and these sent on by
my partner, q wealthy merchant Of Cincin-
natl, to Washington, to persuade the Govern
ment TO introduce them. He took them to
Baltimore, where he left twelve, and went
with the other to Washington. The Chief
Of the Ordnance Department at the time was
an old fogy. He received him coldly, told
him he had no faith in his gun, and that he
believed flint lock muskets we're, on the
whole, the best weapons for warfare. In
short he would have nothing to do with him.
My partner then left Washington and re-
turned TO Baltimore. Ben. Butler was there
with his troops. He had heard Of the guns
and be asked TO see them work. As soon as
he had done so he said he would buy them
on his own responsibility, and did so, giving
bis voucher for Sl2, 1000 for them. My part
ner had this cashed, but at this time there
was great fall in pork, and $4,000 hogs
which he bad packed in Chicago with the
expectation Of Q rise had to be sold. In
word, the break In the market ruined him,
and my money went with him. So, for the
first twenty guns had made, at a great cost
to myself, / received nothing. Ben Butler
took the guns he had bought with him to the
battle of Petersburg and fred them himself
upon the rebels. They created great con-
and slaughter and the news of
them went all over the world. Now they
are used by all the leading GO ernments of
Europe and also in Asia and Africa. They
enabled the Prussians to conquer Austria in
1856, though the Austrians had the larger
forces, and they shortened the war by Ger
many and France SO that 1t practically lasted
but few days.
"Ths Calling guns are now made In Hart
ford In this country and in Europe az New
castle n-the-Tyne. sell only to govern
ments, and the United States uses many of
my guns. They now take part in all wars,
and you have seen the reports Of the work
they have done in Egypt"
allow far will the Calling gun send .
ball P"
"From two to three miles. The new i'm
provements which enable it to be fred into
The air are such that the ball when 1t falls to
The earth acquires such force ofgravi:y, such
velocity, that when 1t reaches the ground 1t
will pass through q plank two inches thick.
This is at distance Of 5000 yards from the
place of firing" ....
"Will 1t shoot accuratelys" ..-g.. ...
"Yes. We can aim the gun at . plank
nailed to support several thousand yards
away, and by moving the gun rapidly along
while firing we can cut . line through the
board as though it we're sawed. Bullets of
different sizes are used In different guns. No
Two bullets leave the gun at the same time,
but when you consider that 1900 shots can
be fred in minute you will see how rapidly
aud regularly 1t works." -t