Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-01-14
A GUN THAT WON'T BURST.

Lying enugiy housed near point on
Sandy Hook is . great gun. nearly
thirty feet long. It 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 Edgar. and Is his property.
Many thousands Of dollars have been
spent upon Its construction and exhi-
bition. but though a military commit
tee reported favorably upon 1t. no steps
were taken BY the government 70.
wards purchasing the patents taken,
out by Its constructors.
Not long ago Mr.. Edgar visited
Washington on business connected
with this gun. He was accompanied
by an American mechanician and de-
signer of guns. now employed by the
Russian government TO conduct their
great gun works on the Neva After
somewhat unsatisfactory visit to the
war department. the two were sitting
In the cafe of the Ebbit house discuss
ing the chances of tho adoption Of the
principle of tho gun by the military
authorities.
"They tell me-" said Mr.. Edgar,
.'that what they want is gun that
won't explode; when they get such
one, they say they expect 10 have no
trouble in finding an easy working and
efficient breech mechanism"
YES" 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 tho 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 slopcd toward the hole
in the center having fall or de-
cline Of about thirty degrees from a
plane.
Mr.. Edgar observed this cover in
tenlly as it rolled and grated about
the marble floor.
Before it came to dead stop he seized
it with something like precipitation.
and with sparkling eyes exclaimed to
his companion, "fve got it!'
Got whatp' asked the latter lam
guidiy.
"I've got the principle on which the
non-bursting gun can be constructed" "
| "Bahr'
Not needing this expression of in
credulity on the part of his friend. a
man, too. of great skill in metal work.
ing, Mr.. Edgar gave such forcible rea-
sons for believing non-bursting gun
could be constructed of q series of
| plates similar in form to the top of a
| rubber cuspidor, that he was COM
PEELED to admit that there was some-
thing in the idea.
Returning to New York city, Mr..
Edgar at once set to work to make a
gun on the plan suggested by the Incl
dent in the Eboitt house cafe.
This experimental gun is four feet
long. and composed throughout its
whole extent of corrugated plates of
Russian iron. At its completion, he
took it up 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
mentioning the fact that he lad new
gun with him, he was told that the
number of new guns constantly ap-
pearing was legion. ''The trouble
with aIl of then" !" said the officer, sis
that they burst too readily. What kind
of test do you want us to put your
gun TOP" he added.
| why" replied Mr.. Edgar, II
would like to have you burst it."
Certainly" said the officer, with
something like sarcasm in his voice.
Were always glad to accommodate
gentlemen with new guns. l."
The gun was now taken behind a
} hill, double charge of powder intro
duced, and fired with a time fuse. 1t
turned two or three somersaults, but
remained intact. 1t was now loaded
with quadruple charge, and fired.
the only effect being to multiply the
: number of back somersaults.
, ''This is very good indeed" said the
/. officer. 'Tm sorry to keep you wait
ing so long. I'll now load it up to the
muzzle, and that will be the last Of
it."
Fired under these conditions, it rose
in the air whirled around for few
moments, and then came down and
buried itself in the earth. After being
dug up it was charged nearly up to
the muzzle with powder and wad, and
then spiked. The only result was that
it rose higher in the air than before,
spun around more rapidly, and buried
itself still deeper in the ground wher
it came down. 1t had not even beer
clipped!
us there anything else you'd like t.
put into it?" demanded Mr.. Edgar, i
being now his turn to be ironical.
mol" was the reply; sit beats me. ;
Having thus stumped the gun testing
authorities. Mr.. Edgar brought hi
\ iile gun back to New York in tri
amph. Scientific american.
Throat-all seldom gets well of itsel
but deepens until 1t undermines tt
constitution, wastes away healtl
strength and flesh, and finally faster
itcn1f IN tho Iuuuc nnnn p1nti nr tho xUroo