Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-26
DYNAMITE GUNS.
Where win the Manufacturers
Be Allowed to Test Them9
That Is the Question Up Around
West Point.

warned Dy the Etsn WAfuon Against Ex-
plodIng the ProjeCtiles ON the Hudson
as 1t Might be Detrimental to the Pts
catorial Inhabitants Thereof--what'I
BE the OutcOme9
New YORK, June 28.-There is q heap
of trouble up the North river owing to
a conflict of high authorities. AS it is
going forward almost within the shad-
ows of West Point, where conflicts Of
authority are not entirely novel, the
matter would be of comparatively little
moment but for the magnitude of the
the principles involved. 1t is a battle
royal between sentiment and science,
between gingerliness and gunnery; be-
tween tender feelings and tremendous
firings.
Viewed from q Distance.
Standing on the long wharf at Cold
Spring, a mile or two above West Point,
and ON the opposite side of the river, Is
the superlatively -murderous instrument
in modern warfare. At distance it
has the appearance of recently felled
tree resting across the axle of an OK
cant. You have to know it to appre-
ciate it. DR.. Gatling's gun is toy pis-
tol by comparison. Its barrel is only
fifty feet in length and is fifteen inches
in diameter. Into the mouth of this
gun the intention is to feed dynamite
cartridges weighing 500 pounds, and it
is guaranteed that the gun will throw
these concentrated earthquakes dis
tance of / 300 yards.
Whatever has existed at that distance
in front of the weapon before it is dis
charged viii not continue to exist there
afterwards. These details, although
they may appear aggressive, neverthe-
less are essential, owing to the fact that
the conflict Of authority mentioned is in
regard to the experimental discharge OF
this day y-of- Judgment, let-the-rocks-hide-
me piece of ordnance. OF course the
gun was run out there on the wharf at
Cold Springs for the purpose OF being
shot off.
A Good Place to Try 1t.
There was no very great surprise when
q few days ago splendidly attired
officer came gayly over from West Point
in barge and measured off course of
300 yards, looking up the river over
which the gun could be fired. 1t was
estimated that the cartridge with which
the weapon was to be loaded would
strike the waters of the Hudson about
midway between storm King and Little
Stony Point, the steep, mountainous
sides Of which were regarded as shelter
ing the best possible hole in which to
drop 500 pounds of dynamite.
Not Uncle SANS Gun.
II should be explained that although
this particular gun was not built for
Uncle Sam, but was in fact designed for
the navy of Great Britain, the United
States government nevertheless has a
very special interest in its success, mas
much as the next similar guns which
are to be turned out at the foundry are
to become the property of Uncle Sam.
The West Point foundry is purely
private corporation and builds guns for
whoever chooses to pay for them. En-
gland got in its order first for the new
dynamite gun and this is the one which
has been built.
Just at dusk on Monday evening there
arrived at the West Point foundry O
formidable document bearing ponder
GUS seal. 1t was addressed to Colin
Tolmie, a young gentleman who, in the
absence Of higher officials, manages the
gunmaking shop. In language substan-
TALLY as follows it forbade the expert
mental shooting of this murderous
weapon:
SIR-I understand that it is the inten-
ton of your company to discharge gun
loaded with dynamite on the wharf at
Cold Spring You are hereby informed
that the laws of the state of New York
regulating the preservation and catching
of fish in the rivers and streams of the
state forbid the throwing of dynamite
into any stream or river, and attach Sc
we're penalty for that offense Yours re-
spectfully,
WILLETT KIDD, Fish Warden.
Mr.. Tolmie was overcome by this un-
expected message, but it suddenly oc-
Cured to him that, having formally
turned the gun over to the Pneumatic
Gun company, for which it had been
built, the West Point Foundry company
was no longer responsible for it or for
any Of its discharges, whether premature
or otherwise The responsibility now
seems to be fastened upon the Pneumatic
Dynamite Gun company.