The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-11-13
THE GUN FAILED TO BURST.
EXPERIMENTS THAT sURPRIsED AN
ARM OFFICER.
A Cannon Thirty Feet Tong How
the Non-Hursting Principle was
discovered by MIR. Edgar.

discovered by Mr. Edgar.
Lying snugly housed near point on
Sandy Hook is a great gun, nearly thirty
feet long. 1t has been there for some
time, and is an object of curiosity to all
who visit the neighborhood. This gun
was designed in part by Mr.. George Ed
gar, and is his property. Many thou
sands of dollars have been spent upon
its construction and exhibitions; but,
though a military committee reported
favorably upon it, no steps were taken
by the government toward purchasing
the patents taken out by its construc-
tors. The claims made for the gun re-
fers exclusively to the breach, which is
said to possess no little novelty and
merit
Not long ago Mr.. Edgar visited Wash
ington on business connected with his
gun. He was accompanied by an Ameri-
can mechanician and designer of guns,
now employed by the Russian govern
ment to conduct their great gun works
on the Neva. After a somewhat unsat-
isfactory visit to the war department
the two were sitting in the cafe of the
Ebbit house, discussing the chances of
the adoption of the principle of the gun
by the military authorities.
"They tell me" said Mr.. Edgar, 'that
what they want is gun that won't ex-
plode; when they get such a one, they
say they expect to have no trouble in
finding an easy working and efficient
breech mechanism"
Eyes" replied his companion, "that
is what they are looking for all over the
world"
The two men sat silent for some
time.
Finally, Mr.. Edgar, in crossing his
legs, kicked off the cover from an India
rubber cuspidor. Like most of these
contrivances, this cover was made of
hard rubber with beveled edges, the
sides, as they sloped toward the hole
in the center, having fall or decline of
about thirty degrees from a plane.
Mr.. Edgar observed this cover intent
ly as it rolled and grated about the
marble floor.
Before it came to dead stop he seized
itwith something like precipitation, and,
with sparkling eyes, exclaimed to his
companion, i've got it,"
"Got whatl' asked the latter, Ian
guidly.
owe got the principle on which the
non-bursting gun can be constructed.
Bah"
Not needing this expression of incred-
ulity on the part of his friend. a man. too,
of great skill in mental working, Mr..
Edgar gave such forcible reasons for be.
lieving non bursting gun could be con
structed of series of plates similar in
| form to the top of rubber cuspidor,
that he was compelled to admit that
there was something in the idea.
Returning to New York city, Mr.. Ed
gar at once set to work to make gun
| on the plan suggested by the incident in
the Ebbitt House cafe.
The experimental gun is four feet long
and composed throughout its whole ex,
! tent of corrugated plates of Russian
iron. At its completion, he took it ur
to West Point, which, he had been told in
Washington, was one of the government
testing points for guns.
On his arrival at the works. and men
tioning the fact that he had new CUR
with him, he was told that the number
of new guns constantly appearing wa!
legion. 1.-The trouble with all of them,
said the officer" sis, that they burst too
readily. What kind of test do vol
want to put your gun to-" he added.
"Why," replied Mr.. Edgar, Il would
like to have you burst it,"
"Certainly," said the officer, will
something like sarcasm in his voice
"We are always glad to accommodate
gentlemen with new guns"
The gun was now taken behind hill
double charge of powder introduced
and tired with a time fuse. 1t turned
two or three back somersaults, but re
manned intact. 1t was now loaded witt
quadruple charge, and fired, the onl,
effect being to multiply the number o
the back somersaults.
This is very good indeed" said tn
officer. II am sorry to keep you wait
ing so long, I'll now load it up to III,
muzzle and that will be the last of it.
Fired under these conditions, it rose il
the air, whirled around for few mo
ments, and then came down and buried
itself in the earth. After being dug "
it was charged nearly up to the muzzl
with powder and wad, and then spiked
The only result was that it rose highe
In the air than before, spun around NOR
rapidly and buried itself still deeper il
the ground when it came down. 1t hat
not even been Clipped
as there ANYTHING else you'd Xix
to put into itl" demanded Mr.. Ed
gar, it being now his turn to be ironical
"Now was the reply; cit beats me-
Having thus stumped the gun-tcstin
authorities, Mr. Edgar brought his littl
gun back to New York in triumph
Scientific american.
The Longest Word.
Far behind most foreign languages
/ opoiant ond mo1ern cOmaS the EnUli Is