Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-27
What will Burst a Gun.

eTudpS Tue illustrations given as
answers to this question in the SCIEN-
TIFIC AMERICAN Of March %, 1884.
are not comprehensive enough. For
the safety OF amateur sportsmen other
instances of gun barrel bursting should
be cited.
La bravado young man placed the
muzzle of his fowling piece under the
water, and fired the charge. The re-
suit was the bursting Of the barrel
near the breech and the mutilation of
his hand. Another placed and held
the muzzle of his piece square against
piece of plate window glass, and fired
the charge powder and bullet.
The glass was shattered, so was the
gun barrel. Another instance was
that of an experimenter who had
heard that candle could be fired
from the barrel of a gun through an
inch board. He drove candle into
the muzzle of the gun, fired, and the
explosion split the barrel almost its
entire length, and did not even drive
the candle from the muzzle Still
another burst of a gun barrel was
caused by the use of wet grass for a
wad, we'll rammed down over a CHARGE
OF shot. But perhaps one of the most
singular exhibitions in this line was a
Colts navy revolver, which some
years ago was sent to the factory in
Hartford, Conn. This was before the
adaptation of these pistols to the
metallic cartridges, and it is probable
that IN loading with open powder and
ball only small amount of powder cot
into the chamber, and the bullet was
not propelled with sufficient force to
drive 1t from the muzzle; at least the
bullet did not 90 out, but lodged. AS
the shooter did not know whether the
bullet escaped or not, he kept on firing
until the barrel burst or bulged, and
when it was sawed in two longitudinal
ly there were found fourteen bullets
wedged one into the other, and so
much upset by the hammering of
the successive explosions of the powder
charges that some of them were not
less than one inch in diameter, being
fattened disks instead of conical
bullets
JEFFERSON, Aug. 25.-A petition
for an election to determine the
amount Of saloon licenses has been
presented to the city clerk. 1t was
signed by fourteen of the foremost
business men. The general opinion
here is that the license will 90 up to
$3.50 and possibly to $500.
LA Crosse, Aug. 25-Last night two
safes were cracked-one in the grocery
store of III. Runge and one in the sa-
loon of j. Schoal. In the former the
plumber was small and in the latter it
amounted to between $500 and S400.
Some parties cracked two safes in coun-
try stores at Pickwick, Winona County,
last Saturday night. A good descrip-
tlon of them has been obtained, but it
is believed they have left the town.
The Lacrosse Chronicle says: "On
dissecting horse that had died under
peculiar circumstances, Mr.. Robbins
found in the passage from the stomach
two stones about the size of croquet
balls, one little larger, if anything.
The larger one is pear-shaped, though
only slightly pointed, and looks like
fne-grained sandstone; the other is
more nearl y round and appears to
have been growing Mr.. Robbins has
examined all the authorities and finds
no mention Of any such thing ever
having been found in an animals
stomach "
ELRoY, Aug. 25.-Two men stran-
gers, were arrested here this afternoon
on telegram to the chief of police for
burglary. When the off GERS attempt
ed to arrest them, one of them made
desperate resistance. He drew
revolver and attempted to shoot Officer
Moore, who caught the revolver by
the barrel, and as it went off turned
the muzzle towards Che fellow, and the
bullet went through the feshy part
Of his thigh, near the bone, This,
with few ll-directed blows from
Moore,s revolver, reduced him to
submission, and he was taken to the
lookup, where his confederate had
already been placed by Officer Riley.
They give no names, but are evidently
desperate characters, having with them
most complete outfit of burglars tools
and were both well-armed