Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-19
TIE zALlNSKI TORPEDO Gun.
Interviews With British Naval and
Military Offlcors.
VARIOUS OPINIONS EXPRESSED.
Some Think IL Would BE Effective
in Bombarument But Not
Capabls OF Destroying
Large Ships.
English views or Our New Gun.
lCopyripht 1889 bu James Gordon Bennett.l

English Views or Our New Gun.
tCoppright 1889 bu James Gordon Bennett
LONDON, Oct. IS New York Herald
Cable-Spccial TO The BEE. "A lumber
of naval and military officers have been seen
by the Herald correspondent and asked to
express an opinion of the Zalinski pneumatic
gun IN view of the recent experiments.
Sir Frederick Richards, X. G, b., said:
81 have been travelling great deal and have
not had time to thoroughly master the recent
experiments. IT. seems TO me, however, to
be nothing more or less than an aerial tor
pedo. think it would be Il powerful instru-
ment employed against town, but think
IL will require great deal of Improvement
before it is used successfully against ships"
Sir Frederick Richards is the ad-
mral who was lately commander. in
chief OF the East India station.
He is one of the three admirals who pro-
duced n report upon the naval mannuvres of
1888, which largely contributed to pass the
naval defense bill.
Admiral Morgan Singer, adviser to the
firm of Maxim s. Nordenfeldt, gun makers,
Victoria Mansions, S. W., was reluctant to
speak, but on being pressed said: 'If my
opinion is worth anything | may say that it
all depends upon the value of the projectile.
The advocates of the gun state that if the
projecte falls within thirty to forty feet Of
vessel it is exploded with great effect.
That is not my experience at all. l believe
myself that unless the prolectile falls within
an even space of twenty feet, sup
posing it to be charged with
1OuO pounds of dynamite, it would have very
ll,tle effect indeed. 1 have never seen the
Zalinski gun approach with reasonable accu-
racy / have seen it used in its earliest days,
and its accuracy was very bad indeed. Then
you might fire a good many ROUNDS before
you struck ship or anything else. These
defects have never been satisfactorily
cleared up to my mind, but if all these things
that are said about it now be true, it must
be a very formidable weapon, but they do
not come within my own experience
"You have seen, Admiral Singer,
the cable accounts in the London
edition of the Herald of the
successful experiments the other day near
Philadephia!'
"Oh, yes, but as the experiments are pre-
sented to US they are very misleading. AS
an example of what 1 say, only the other day
the papers said that the experiments in Vic.
toria were very satisfactory whereas l
know for fact that they were just the re-
verse, so that l am rather 10th toOise all ]
read for granted. If one is to give an opinion
that is worth anything he should either sec
the experiment himself or have witness of
somebody who has. l have neither of recent
date. If the value OF the Zalinsk gun de.
pended upon the projectlle striking 4
vessel, it would not amount to
much. l repeat that il the projectile
discharged from this gun falls within twenty,
hat F,. "a;
can blow up the vessel, it must be most
formidable weapon, but do not believe a bi,
of it,"
Admiral Morgan Singer was at the head
of the naval artillery department. He is an
expert on ordnance matters.
Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Clark, c.
c. NJ, G.. q. b., q. /. E., SAID: Il attact
very great Importance to the Zalinski gun
1t is not a completely perfected weapon and
inventions are continually taking place. L
regard it as most formidable weapon as
employed against towns. Yes, and wher
used against ships"
''Do you think its projectlle dropped
within thirty feet or forty feet of vesse
and then exploding would be effective fo
destructive purposesW
81 most certainly think so."
curacyl Does it deliver with tolerablc ac
curacyl"
''Both from my own experience ana from
what reliable witnesses have told me, cal
certainly say do think the Zalinski gun
most formidable weapon and one of the mos
important inventions of the kind we have
had"
'In such craft as the Vesuvius torped
gun vessel could it be especially servicea
bieln
mo, would not say that. think it coul
be used with greater advantage iu such Graf
as the Polyphemus, but the gun is only n
yet in an experimental stage"
"Have you read the cable reports Of tn
recent successful experiments near Phila
delphialn
''Yes, and all that I have read only con
firms and strengthens the impressions ha
previously formed. Experiments are con
tinually going on and l hardly know of an,
one IN England who would be a decide
authority. The range of observG
ton and Information is yer
long, but from what we do know that is re
liable IL is one of the most effective weapon
We have seem"
Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Clarke
a most distinguished military officer. He
sixty-fye years old and entered the arm
forty-fve years ago, In 1853 he was SUI
veyor general of Victoria and was elected I
the Victoria assembly for Melbourne an
became minister for public lands in 1855
He went on special service TO tn
west coast of Africa respecting the Ashante
difficulties. He was appointed director
the naval works and held the office for nearl
nine years, He then became governor of
Straits settlement and was next appointe
minister 10 India He was commandaut
the school of military engineering at Cha
ham from 1881 to 1882, when he was apponte
inspector general of fortifcations. He h;
been on important special missions TO Egyp
and has written several valuable works {
engineering.
Not Rnrn Rn Rchn lnd.