Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-09-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
An Extraordinary Old Texas Veteran
The Story he Teils-His
Achievements in
Washington-He Revolutonizes Gunnery
He Would Open 0ommunioa-
hon With Dwellers in
The Moon -McLean's Vermifuge and
Buhalos and Red Men Cleve-
lands Election Certain.
special Correspondence Of The Gazette.

Special Correspondence OF the Gazette.
WAsHIEGToN, ID. c., Sept. l5.-I
was telling, some months ago, Of an
old soldier from Es,npasas, Tex, Lu-
Glen Hopson by name, who sought To
patent peculiarly constructed and
shaped cannon BALL Supposed TO be a
''crank,p he was only received decor
ously because OF his gray hairs. Then,
too, he wore the badge Of q Texas
veteran, having fought not only at
San Jacinto but, In 1915, at New Or
leans. His shoulders are slightly bent
by the weight OF years, his hair IL
white and his body emaciated, but his
lustrous hazel eyes retain the keenness
OF youth. He dresses after
the fashion of Texan farmer
and of course people In and out Of Of
flee suppose him TO be one Of the Ten
thousand franks who are always hav-
ing grand mission TO execute in
Washington. After infinite difii-
Guilty and violent rending Of red tape
the old gentleman secured access 10
the chief OF the proper bureau. He
said to the presiding dignitary that he
had peculiar cannOn-shot and rifle
bullet which he wished to submit 10
his inspection.
every well, I'll look at IL, where Is
IL, let me see It," said the impatient
official.
"But II isn't patented and want
your pledge Of honor that my ideas
and devices shall not be pirated."
II give It," said the official.
The door was closed, the
model exhibited and then
the whole aspect of affairs was changed
The old man convinced the learned
engineer that he was master OF the
philosophy and Of the art OF gunnery.
The model of the shot was examined,
the new principle involved In Its con-
struction and In the application OF
force and avoidance Of atmospheric
resistance was confirmed, and then
did the chief Of the bureau tell the vet
eran: I'VE are accustomed TO make ln-
ventors pay the cost Of testing the val
ne of their devices, but yours shall be
tried at our cost. | en- see, well
enough, how you have wrought great
reform and extraordinary improve
ments."
EXTRAORDINARILY RESULTS
OF course am telling, aud as he told
IL, the veterans story have
not witnessed the experiments.
The elongated cannon shot, at least
the forward end, is made of the tough
est steel. IL IL ground smooth and
then polished by an emery wheel till
Ii is smoother than ivory or the finest
glass. This long bullet In the gun
rests in "sRbot," expanding behind
the bullet and filling the grooves of
the gun. There Is no windage-the
whole force of the powder exhausts
itself on the base OF the ball. This Is
shaped like an elongated egg, the
longer and more pointed end resting
in the "saboth Ia French word, mean
ing shoe) for the bullet This sabot Ia
followed out In the under side next
the powder, the explosion of the pow
der, as every soldier has seen, causing
the edges OF the sabot TO fill the grooves
of the gun. This bullet, or cannon
hall, does not whistle. 1t goes
noiselessly through the air because
there is no serial whirlpool behind its
elongated pointed base. II is the air
behind bullet that whistles and not
that in front OF II, and resistance to
progress Ii thus from the rear This
twisted wind must be pulled apart by
the flying missile. The smoothness of
the cOnical front end OF the steel can
non shot discovers no aerial resistance
and since there Ia none as shown, be
hind II, its velocity is estimated TO be
ten times greater than that of an ordi-
nary cannon shot.
EXTRAORDINARY FORCE.
Tho inventor tells me thai this cam
non shot when fired event through a
steel plate, q mile distant, that was
six inches thick and through four
feet of oaken tinlbers and thence the
shot went two miles, struck the
water and ricOeheted mile and
buried itself three feet In limestone
rock. When dug out Il was IA perfect
and as smooth as when inserted In
the cannon" In other words IL moves
with such terrific velocity that II is
hammered by nothing that II
counters. II Is like
sALApIN's CIAiITAR.
Mr.. Ropson says that such a bullet
weighing $50 pounds will sink (perfo.
rating II from stem to stern, or from
side to side) the strongest ironclad
ever made, and this at distance OF
ten miles. Mclean, the patent medi-
cine man, devoted his wealth 10 the
discovery and perfection OF engines OF
war. He would make wars too terri
wv w w NAN9NNhhNa anu
the weakest the equals,
in destructive force, of the
most powerful nations. His patent
medicines, as sources of revenue, are
thus properly used, while his great
guns, and mot his medicines, kill at
Wholesale. Last week DIR. McLean's
agent was negotiating with Mr. Hop
son for the purchase Of his patents,
and thus Il may result that Texas,
however belligerent, ut last, through
the very terrors of englnery employed
ia battle, may give final peace to the
nations, and then this old Texan,
Lucien Hopson. will be crowned the
ehiefest benefactor of his race.
NOON STRUCK
The full moon, slowly climbing up
the side of the Bonded heavens, was
seeking to rise above the towering
dome Of the capitol Point
ing toward II n said TO
Mr.. Hopson: "Your bullet encounters
no atmospheric resistancei why can't
you eend one. frelghted within It's hol-
low sides with n copy of the Fort
Worth GAZETTE, even into the hat of
tha tfa,an In tba unnnnol -