Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-11
Gls!!AY GUNS.
Ordnance Mt the London international
- LShiNiiinn of ilYrutinuS.

The department of military ordnance
forms one OF the most important, if not
the most interesting, features of this
exposition,
1t may seem deploraLle to the non-
combatant, says Il London correspond
eut OF 4 German paper. that the invent
i've genius OF the last twenty-five years
has applied itself so extensively AID
successfully to the Improvement of en-
gines of destruction, and ii also NAV
furnish a singular comment upon the
English claim of leading the world in
peaceful pursuits that she has given TO
the enemies of peaceful industries so
marked a prominence il this exhibition.
This is probably largely due to The late
Russo-Afghan difficulties, the object,
doubtless, being to astonish The for
eigner, as we'll as CRAFTY the pride Of
the native.
just back of the main entrance, and
next to the hall decorated with twenty
four f~.cscocs representing the historical
development OF industry, and where
such q surprise would be least expect
ed. the ponderous form of a breech-
loading steel cannon meets the eve of
the visitor.
The muzzle is over Z inches in diam
eter, and its projectiles weigh $50
pounds apiece. The velocity of the
projectile at the muzzle is nearly 1000
feet per second, aud at a distance of
5000 feet has still a velocity of 1900
feet. According to the report of the
special catalogue of the English war
department, this riled piece of ord
nance will pierce a steel plate Is inches
in thickness at the muzzle and one 10
inches at a distance OF 3,O00feet. From
this exhibition and report, doubts are
expressed in military circles on the con-
tinent as to whether the mapufacture of
English ordnance is quite up to the
times. OF course this suspicion is
secuted at by the English, who point
with pride to the above-described piece,
weighing about ten tons, and declare it
is but a baby compared with the mon
sters that are manufactured at the Arm
strong ordnance works; that two of
these enormous cannons, constructed
for the new English man-of-war Ben
bow, are each ten times the weight of
this, with over a three-fool bore, throw
ing a projectile OF 1000 pounds, and
capable OF piercing steel plate more
than % feet thick at a distance Of 5000
feet.
A large number of gun of smaller
caliber, With all their equipments, are
also here on exhibition. But specimens
OF the most modern inventions of re-
pealing artillery-regular shooting en-
gines-attracted the greatest interest.
The French '.mitrailleusc,n made
fo ,,,o,,r ,J,,.i,,r 49, lN,,,a. C...
war, seems TO have been but the en-
bryo of the automatic gun now on ex-
hibition.
The Calling gun, an American inven-
ton, is also here. 1t is constructed of
ten rilled barrels, revolving upon an
axle. The cartridges are placed in a
reservoir above the barrels and fall
into place at the revolution of a crank.
This engine of destruction is capable of
firing from 500 to 1000 shots per min
ute.
Another gun of similar construction
is the invention OF Mr.. Hitchcock, an
American, also. Some of the Gardner
and Nordenfelt guns are to be seen.
But Maxim. another American, is the
inventor OF the newest and most per-
feet OF this variety Of artillery. The
firing rapidity OF al these guns is in
deed astounding. With one of the ten
barrel Nordenfclt. 100 consecutive sal
Nos OF IL shots each, or LOCO shots in
all, We're fired i'll 80 seconds. All Of
this class OF guns, with the exception
OF the Maxim, are constructed with
TWO or more parallel barrels, and re-
quire for their manipulation the ser
vices OF several The loading,
firing. and Withdrawing OF the hulls is
accomplished, OF course. through the
turning OF a crank. OF as With the Nor
der!elu through the movement of a
lever. But The Maxim guns have the
they are entirely automatic. Maxim
makes use Of the power developed by
the recoil and OF the pressure of ths
escaping gases to force out the hull as
we'll as to load and fire. 1t requires
but nee the services of a gunner, the
operation OF loading and firing pro.
crossing unaided at the rate of six hun.
dred shots per minute until the supply
Of ammunition is exhausted.
The cartridges are simply placed il
a light BAG which hangs under the gur
and is automatically raised to the re.
CURED height, the cartridges falling in.
to the reservoir and from there into The
barrel. There is the further ADVANTAGE
in this gun that the two gunners re.
quired with the other pieces are con.
stantly exposed to the fire of the enemy,
while the Maxim only needs attention
when the gun requires q fresh bag c
ammunition.
These guns are principally used upon
mcn-ot-War as Il means OF defense
against torpedo boats, and, with the
exception OF the Maxim pattern, which
is entirely new, are already in use not
only in the English fleet, but also in
the French, Russian, and Italian navies.