Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-06-27
The GhTlING GUN.
a" Interview with the inventor ss
the O~stru~ttve Nrapes.

the Destructive N~Rpes.
Washington Tor. Cleveland I 90, ,ler
DIR. Richard Iordon Ga,ling 4 nov
GG years old. lie is tall. broad shoni.
dered. white whiskerol man with
friendly face, bright blue ewes aud .
pleasant tongue. talked with him Ia
the Ebbitt house last evening about
his gun, and he told me how he came 90
invent 1t. Sad he; 81 had made sev.
cral inventions before this. ono of wh,rh
Vas the wheat drill which IL now IN
use all over the country. and | think
1t was my study on Il that prepared
me for the Gatling gun. In isbi 1 was
living ht Indianapolis. Tho war had
broken ont an the country was all ex-
citement. My house was within a few
blocks Of tho depot and | was often
present here when volunteers were de.
parting for the field. aud also when
their dead bodies were at times shipped
back home in loxes for burial
"One surprise 30 me was that the mum.
ber of men killed by sickness and dis
case was more than those killed 10y hall
or actual battle. Ono day rcmomhcr
nineteen corpses were landed nj the
depot; three hal been killed In battle.
The thought then struck mo that n o
gun could be invented that would do
the work Of n hundred men. aud would
require but few men 10 operate u,
the horrors of war would he greatly di.
minished. and an end would come much
sooner to every struggle. More men
could stay at home, and lives would be
saved. The thought took such hold IL
Inc that ! commenced to work on u at
once. The result WAS the Gailing gun.
My first guns were made In Cincn.
natl, and they would fire from iaO TO
80 shots per minute. ] had siy Of them
manufactured in 1861. when the foun.
dry was burned 10y incendiariss I sup.
pose rebel symp,thizers-an tho guns
were destroyed. Next 1 had thirteen
guns made at what IL now the typo
foundry in Cincinnati, and these ! sent
on by my partner, a wealthy merchant
Of C.ncinnati, 10 Washington to per.
suade the government to introduce
them. He took them 10 baltimore,
where Ia left twelve. and went with the
other 10 Washington. The chicf Of tho
ordnance department at the time Was
an old fogv. He received him coldly,
told him le had no faith In his gun,
and that he believed flint lock muskets
were, on the whole the best weapons
for warfare. In short. he wouid have
nothing to do with him. Ny partner
then left Washington aud returned 10
Baltimore.
Pen Butler was there with his troops.
He had heard Of the guns, aud he asked
to see them work. A soon a. he had
done 40 he said he would buy them ON
his own account, aud did 90, aiyinr his
voucher for $4,000 for them. Ny
partner had this cashed, but at this
time there was great fall In pork. and
$4,000 hogs which he had packed In
Chicago with the expectation of rise
had to be sold. In word. the break In
the market ruined him. and my money
went with him. 20. for the first twenty
guns had made. at great cost 10 my.
self, l received nothing. Hen ButleS
took the guns he had brought with him
to the battle Of Petersburg and sred
them himself upon the rsbsls.
They created great c0ustcrnHfiun sud
slaughter, and tho news of them vent
all over the world. Nov they are ussd
by all the leading governments Of
Europe and also in Asia and Africa.
They enabled the Prusaians 10 con-
quer Austria in 1880, though the Aus .
trians had the larger forces, and they
shortened the war by Germany and
France 80 that IL practically lasted but
few days.
Tho Calling guns ere now made In
Hartford in this country and in Europe
at Newcastle-on.Tync. ! cell only
to governments, 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 dsns in
Egypt"
q ball?"
From two 10 three miles. The nev
which enable u to bs
fired into the cir are such that the ball
when it falls 10 the earth acquires such
force Of gravity. such velocity, that
when it reaches the ground IL will pass
through plank two inches thick.
This is distance Of 5000 yards from
the place Of firing"
Will it shoot accurately?"
"Yes We can aim the gun A 4
plank nailed TO support several thou.
sand yards away. and by moving The
gun rapidly along while firing NO can
cut line through the board ~ though
1t were sawed. Bulleta Of different
sizes are used in different guns. No
two bullets leave the gun at the same
time. but when you consider that i,2O0
shots can be fired q minute yon will SEE
hoy-sapidly and regularly Il works"