The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-10-02
KEELY'S LATEST.


MANS Naporio Gun,
Tie Keely Motor Companys yaporic
Gun" was what the invitation, called il, and
the government range at Sandy Hook, n, ",
was namedas tho place for the first public
test OF the iamous Mr. Keelys invention, The
steamer John II. Starlm was loaded with
capitalists, brokers, two lunches and brass
band, and Mt o'clock on recent afternoon
landed 200 Interested gentlemen at the Sandy
Hook pier Headed by tho Fort Hamilton
military hand, the company marched solemnly
up TO the range, where, in his shirt-slceyes, Mr.,
keely was found bending over his latest inven-
ton. A little group ofarmy officers appointed
by tho secretary Of war to report ON the gun,
stood alta respectful distance IRON tho can
non.
As the visitors drew up, Mr., Kee'y stnight-,
ened ont to greet than, and they saw man
above the medium height, well built, with
bold black eyes set wide apart in a head COW
cred with black, curly hair. His dark side
whskers and mustache were streaked with
gray, and the deep lines about his iace bore
witness to the 5S years he coniesses. His
heavy hands were knotted, and, with the
CRIME upon them, resemblod those of II prac-
teal machnist. With only friendly nod to
his friends, he turned at once to his gun.
1t was little thing upon wheels, like a
cannon, very heavy in the bleech, and with a
thin barrel about foot long. BY its side hay
two heavy iron cylinders, one oil one gallon
and theother of five gallons capacity. Firm
these cylinders to tho rear of the gun ran
strong hollow wire as thick rs lead pencil
The bore in the wire was not large enough to
admit knitting needle. 1t was through this
small wire pipe that the energy or force, or
mysterious something, was admitted to the
gun, The cylinders had been stored with
lAt,. I'D NJ .lrplxg IN,
PHILADELPHIA and he had brought them with
him to the range. The thin wire pipe ran
from the cylinders to the breech Of the gun,
and b. turning a trigger or valve the force
passed like lightning through the four foot OF
hollow wire into the gun, disch rging the bull
let. The gun was little over an inch bore, and
threw ball oil lead weighing halt n pound, or
n steel conical bullet much heavier. 1t was
loaded by putting in first rubber wad and
then the bullet.
Everything was ready, tho man at tho target
500 yards away WAS signalied to hide, and Mr..
Keeiy touched the vave... There was slight
report as the bullet left the gun and sped en- its
way over the mark. Nothing had exploded,
and the visitors crowded around the invention,
wondering at tho force that could pass so rap
idly through so small an aperture. So tor 10
times the experiment was repeated, the last
hall passing through one three-inch plank and
nail way down INTO second lhefe was no
dminution OF force. and it was claimed that
over ono hundred shots could be fired with the
five gallons of mysterious energy. stored up, and
the last shot would have just'as much free as
the first. As for manufacturing the force, it
was made in what MIR. Keely called his "vibra-
tory" out Of half a wine glass of water and a
little air. -e
After the firing was. over, the wire or tube
was detached from the gun and the trigger
turned just a little, so that the 'lorce' could
escape slowly, giving everybody an opportu-
nifty to touch, taste and test 1t. Its appear
ance WAS very much like common everyday
air.
Once back on the boat Mr. Keely made a
few remarks, in which he said he had yielded
to the pressure Of Keey motor stockholders to
test this gun publicly In six weeks he would
give everything to the world, would get his pa
tents, and then the public would see this won
derful energy applied as a motive power. He
explained tho long ten years wait as the ma
tural consequence of working in a new field.
Col. Hamilton, the military expert said he was
pleased with the experiments. He was a sci
enlist, and declared positively that the power
used could not possibly be compressed air, car
bonic acid gas, or any force known to the sci
entiic world. Other scientists present admit
ted that as a matter of course. The colonel
suggested tn It lite was short, the mot secret
was precious, and begged Keely TO c n6de in
some one. The force costs nothing to make,
and can be used in a thousand ways.