Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-01-16
A NON BURSTING GUN.
A MECHANIC MAKES A CANNON
WHICH CAN NOT BE EXPLODED.
The Idea Caught from Gyrnting Cuspi-
dor Testing an Experimental Gun
Mt West Point--Not To
Be Bursted.
. IscIentiflc American. ]

LIVING so,,oI,, b,,,sad ,,a.r +ha ,,o,ot -
SANDY Hook l. n great gun NEARLY thirty
feet long IL has been tbera FOR soma time
ana q o., oh5oot - a,,.;o.t.,, ~ ~, 49, -
visit the neio5borhooi This enn WINS da-
signed in part bv Mr. Georoe Edoar and h
his propertv. MANY thousands Of dollars
have bean snent un1n its constr,ction ana
exhibition. Inf tboncb n ,n,litarv cor,n,ittsa
reported favorable unon n no stsns yyara
taken by the government toward nprcbass
ing the patents talxan ont nv its constync-
tors The claims made for the gun refer
exclusively TO the breech, which Is said to
possess no little novelty and merit
Not long ago Mr.. Edgar visited Washing
ton on business connected with this gun. He
was accompanied by an American mechani-
clan and designer OF guns, now employed by
the Russian government to conduct their
great gun works on the Neva After a
somewhat unsatisfactory visit to the war
department, the two were sitting in the cafe
Of the Ebbitt house, discussing the chances
Of the adoption Of the principle Of the big
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 mechan-
ism"
YES" replied his companion, "that's
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 edge, the sides as they sloped
toward tha hola Il, tho oantar ha x,;pr "a
or decline of about 80 degrees from a plane.
CAUGHT THE IDEA.
Mr.. Edgar observed. this cover intsntly
an il rolled and pvrated about tho merbIs
floor. Before it came to n dead ston he
seizsd il with something like precipitation.
and with snarl,lino aves axc,si,nad to bis
companion. awe cot itp =
aGot what2n asked the laster lanouidlv
owe got the principle on which the non
4 bursting gun can be constructed
aBahin
Not needing this expression OF incred ulity
on the part Of his friend, man. too. OF
great skill in metal working, Mr. Edgar
gave such forcible reasons for believing q
non-bursting gun could be constructed OF O
series of plates similar in form to the top OF
a rubber cuspidor, that he was compelled to
admit that there was something in the idea.
Returning to New York city, Mr.. Edgar
at oncs set to work to make gun on the
plan suggested by the incident in the Ebbitt
house cafe Tbs experimental gun is four
feet long, and composed throughout its
whole extent of corrugated plates of Rus
sian iron. At its completion, he took it up
to West Point, which, he had been told in
Washington, was one of the government
3 testing points for guns.
On his arrival at the works, and mention.
ing the fact that he had new gun with
him, he was told that the number Of new
guns constantly appearing was legion. "The
trouble with all of them," said the officer,
lis that they burst too readily. What kind
OF test do you want us t. put your gun
tol" he addeS.
Why" replied Mr. Edgar, IL would
like to have you burst it"
Certainly" said the officer, with some
thing like sarcasm in his voice. "We're
always glad to accommodate gentlemen