Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-02-21
OUR NEW RAPID. FIRE GUN.

"A Six-pOunder that allows Twenty
four Aimed Rounds a Minute.
New York Sun: A branch O! ordnance
in progress has been mos. astonishing of
late years is that Of the rapid fre-gun.
1t followed mp O remarkable invention,
the machine gun, using the latter term
now in its original and restricted sense
OF group OF barrels Of small caliber
These wsre found of use first on land, as
in the mitrailleuse; then the GatlinR,
Maxim, Gardner, Montigpy and Nor
denfeldt inventions shared their effee-
tiveness also ahoat for clearing open
decks and firing into portfolios, for the
armament OF cutters, and for defending
vessel from boat attacks. A great step
in advance came with the Hotchkiss
revolving cannon. which used the ma
chine principle with projeotiles Weighing
pound eacn. and then increased this
weight to 212 and 313 pound, and also
intro 1uced explosive proIectiles. Then,
as natural development, came the
quick fire gun proper, consisting of q
single barrel, much longer than the
tubes OF the machine gun, and using a
heavy charge OF powder. Ii delivers
explosive shelle at the rate of 10 to 25 a
minute, according to the system and the
csliber, Including the aiming. These
shells have range OF two to four miles,
according to sizs and charge, and can
easily pierce the sides OF an unarmored
ship, whether OF steel or wood, CARRYING
destruction within. OF course their
| value is especially great against the
modern swift torpedo launches, which
| with their twenty-five Enots speed or
more, might dart upon line-of- battle
snip before ner hesvy guns could De
properly trained upon them.
The Hotohkiss rapid-fire gun wes
soon developed to 3-ponnders, pound
ers, 8 Founders, and 33 3.pounders. The
Armstrong next went up to 36 Founders
and 70-pouuders. The Krupp, the Cru
eop, the Maxim, the Nordenfeldt, and
the briggs Schroeder aye other rapid
fire systems. We now fiud fve-inch and
| even sixiach rapid fire calibers, and the
effect of all this on the warfare of the
future, with unarmored cruisers concern.
ed, may be imagined. Our govern N en-
might have had the complete control of
the Rotchkiss gun, which, with the
GatlInR. ia used on many OF the vessels,
but failed TO take steps to secure il, and
it went to the French.
Two officers of our navy, L;eutenant
W. 81 Griggs and Lieutenan. Ssaton
Schroeder, brought out another system
of rapid fire guns, of which the pouuder
and 6 FOUNDER have been successfully
tested OF Annapolis. The recent trial of
the 6-ponnder showed that it attained q
fire OF "a aimed rounds @ minute, and
required only three men to work il, or
one less than the number usually detail
ed for such calibers. This gain, which
| will allow one.third more guns TO be
carried and worked with the same COM
plement OF men, appears TO be largely
due to a great decrease in the weight OF
the breech block, 80 giving greater ease
OF manipulation. The range, the pene-
trative power, the velocity, the tlatness
| OF trajectory were all noticeable, and
there were two independent extractcrs.
Another feature was that OF ability to
half cock without moving the block, and
| to cock the piece without unlocking the
breech block or moving the handle, so
as to avoid danger in case OF hang FIRE
or miss fire. The inventors and manufac.
turers say that the System is applicable
to any calibef of breech loader, and in
letter to Secretary Whitney urge these
further Advantages:
All parts of the mechanism Except
pistol grip and handlel are under cover
OF the breech, while the gun can be ef.
fectively fred even were the pistol
handle shot away. The rectilinear
motion OF the firing pin admits OF a
much smaller point being used, as there
is in this motion no tors:oual strain.
The position of aiming Is as near as
possible to the customary one of shoot
ing fo~ling piece or sitie. Less men
are needed to handle the gun, and there
IS lees fatigue in rapid firing. The
motion OF the breech block is sach that
if the charge is az much as an inch out
OF place the block will push the charge
home perfectly.
1t may be assumed, therefore, that
| another efficient rapid system Is to be
| reckoned in our resources, in addition
to the well-known Hoschkiss, which,
| with it's single shot piece or its revoIv-
ing cannon. or both. can be found IN the
secondary battery OF nearly or quite all
onr new vessels. When the csilbers be
come the same as in the ordinary service
gnne, the value OF rspid-fre guns can be
accurately estimated. The Armstrong;
of "a snd 6 inch cslibers, for example
can be fred six times as fast as ordinary
guns OF the same calibers. The second.
ary batteries are thus gaining in effect.
iveness upon the primary batteries; and
Wa shnll probably soon see the time
when some OF our cruisers Of the highest
speed will rely almost wholly fol
armement on rapid fire guns.
Value Of Advertisements.
"Do believe in advertising," said 6