The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-27

.-o:l "aa. Fruu , seioaei(lc s:andpoint
iuei'- 8. q setins objections "a this method,
u;e CHARGES for i'm crIcctions largely pre-
dominating -Ir. GnJlines ue~ Invention
Is @iNte1 - nc tho casing OF Tho heaviest
O"'iiianCo il SOLE. Steel around a cen6rnt core,
wllc1 = lsod i: .,.'vt'rai Nays tor obVlatng
see G.Nn.iVai5t,iGeS oI the cd style guns.
The re,a: ,it . rl.inlo,l Will result in the pro-
da"il2i, of ~ i;l2,iJeiy BITTER gun az re-
da"' i"ii Il ~ par cent. in cost. Operations
are now uud"r .vav t. have two slN-lnch
guns mr.le for mo pCrpo'e of demonstrate
i':2 shc ~ t,;iIcatili;y OF DR.. Cuttings new
sys""m. Tie Ga5l.Ig gun Itself. which has
wrought anlGsL a revolutlonlZlng elect
upon modern warfare, is now III uso by
nearly every government in the world.
My opinion, inter mature thought upon
the subject ana after visiting all the great
gun works OF Eorope," said DR.. Gatling to
reporter, lis that, inasmuch as steel can
now be made in large quantities, guns can
be cast OF steel of good quality, which will
be superior or at least equal in power and
superior in durability to any 'bullt-up' guns
l have been experimenting on the SUBJECT
for long time, and have at last perfected
my plans and obtained patents, both here
and across the Atlantic Twenty-Five years
ago steel could not be made in large guam
Titles, and it was a matter of necessity, in
making steel guns, to make them III parts.
The superiority of casting them III one pieco
is apparent to any one Versed IN tho gun
business. My patents consist of making
guns cast from the highest grade of steel to
shape around central core. This central
core is utilized for tho purpose of cooling
the casting from the interior while the ex-
terror is still hot The cooling process thus
begins from the interior and works out, di-
rectly the reverse of the ordinary way.
This is one of my central ideas, and the re-
suits are of the greatest importance. Inc
metal is forced, as it were, from the inte-
rior outwardly, thereby avoiding the crea-
ton of hard resisting arch on the exterior
of the casting, at which point the full inten-
sity of the high power force exercised by
the exploding ingredients within the gun
excIts itself. 1t makes the interior OF the
gun, where the greatest strain is felt, the
toughest and hardest part, and the sottest
and spongieSt part the exterior, winch mus
acts somewhat after the manner OF cush-
ion. This is directly the reverse of the old
style guns, in which the spongiest part Is on
the interior. This defect cannot be remedled
in a gun made by boring a solid steel lngot,
for there, although the very sOftiest portion
is bored out, still the hard resisting arch is
ON the outside, which becomes gradually
softer towards the interior.
Another important point Is the method
in which the metal is cast. A revolving
motion is given it which makes the grain
spiral. There can be no assures or
cracks on the exterior / have a combina
ton of other metals to add to the steel which
will give it more homogoneity end strength.
Certain devices will prevent any gases from
coming in contact with the molten metal.
AS to cost, a built-up gun will cost when
finished about rs or 50 cents pound The
cast gun will not cost half that, SO the new
gun will remedy all tho defects of the built
up gun, be much more durable and cost 90
per cent. less"
''Is there certain element of danger in
dIscharging a built-up gunp
There certainly is. The Duke of Cam
bridge, who investigated the subject, says
that out of eighty pieces of heavy ordnance
built from Krupp's best material and used
in the defense of Paris during the Franco
Prussiau war, thity-six were disabled or
burst from their own firing"
HAS any attempt ever been made to cast
solid steel guns except in the way of boring
huge ingotsp
"None that know of. All the plants of
the great gun manufacturers are construct
ed with view to making built-up guns.
By this method costly machinery is needed
such as trip-hamners, costing 100000
apiece For these works to attempt to cast
solid steel guns would be out of the ques-
ton. as it would involve an entire change of
plant"
''What will be the penetrating power of
the new gunsW
Twelve or fourteen inches of solid iron.
A few solid guns at Sandy Hook and at
Fort Lafayette could bid defiance to any
number of iron-clads, which canuot be built
SO strong that one well directed shot would
not sink them for the simple reason that
sufficient armor to render them impreg-
nable would make them so heavy that they
would sink of their own weight Such
guns as these, with a proper system of tor
pedo-boats. would properly defend any
saacoast. l do not much favor these small
inch tubs, as | call them, with speed of
only six or seven knots an hour. They are
not fast enough to capture any merchant
vessel, and so slow that they could not get
get out of the way of a warship CT greater
strength Many people scout the idea of
fortifying our seacoast because, they say,
we will never have another war. | regard
this line of argument as almost too absurd to
answer Trouble with some nation is liable
to occur at almost any time. We should be
in a measure prepared for 1t at all events. |
was in Paris two weeks before the Franco
Prussian war, and the Frenchmen laughed
at the possibility of fight. Few antici-
pated war in this country until the very
eve of the conflict, and even after Sumter
had been fired upon some of our shrewdest
statesmen declared that the war would not
last sixty days. The nation best prepared for
war is the least liable to be forced into it,.
would like to see some invention which
would kill-by electricity, for instance
every man in two conflicting armies as soon
as they were drawn up in battle array.
Why? Because it would put an end to wars
for all time to come There would be no
more fighting were some such scheme de-
vised.
"Whle have the greatest respect for tho
ordnance department of our government, |
would very much regret to see congress APP
propriate moneys for heavy ordnance in such
a way as to shut out outside inventors, as
proposed in Senator Hawley's amendment
to the approximation bill FOR the support of
the army. believe that the brains Of co.
900, 900 of people can devise better ordnance
than fifty or sixty mer, even if the latter
have had the beet of military education.
think the government should say to these
men: we have educated you at West
Point and given you all the advantages of a
military training now see if you can devise
better ordnance than our outside inventors,
whom we shall allow to compete with you
and spur you on to your BEST otforts.'n