Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-12-23
RAPID FIRING GUNS.
HOW THE INVENTOR OF THE CAT
LING STRUGGLED AT FIRST.

WHARF He Got His Idea and How He
Elaborated 1.-THE fundamental irin-
ciple Of the Maxim Gun in "n'ea u"
Recoi, Is Made to DO the Work
white haired. white bearded Old man
of striking presence and nervous man
vers is-a familiar and frequent inquire u
me ofthe up town hotels. His name !"
Richard J. Calling. and he is the invent
,r of the Gatling gun, which has piaSe''
in modern warfare larger and more ei-
fective part than any other lnstroheh'
If destruction. DR.. Calling has been Il
great traveller as well as a close ami care
ful observer. and is a delightful and III
.tructiye companion. While chatting
with him the other evening he told me
the curious and interesting story OF ne
origin of the eating gun, DR.. Gatilns
was born in South Carolina and received
his medical training here III New YORK
In 1861" said he, Il was living N
INDIANAPOLIS. My residence was near
the depot. and often saw troops o. VOL
unteers leaving for the front or when
,be dead bodies were brought hGmt Tor
bnrial was surprised to note that the
number of men killed by slckness was
far -reater than those killed by ball or
actual battle. One Gay observed that
IF nineteen corpses which arrived at the
depot only three had been killed IN bat
tie. Then the thought struck me thatlf
A gun could be constructed capable OF
loing the work of II hundred men and
requiring but two or three TO operate II
the horrors and the duration OF war
would be wonderfully lessened.
II set to work at once, and in few
months completed the first Gatiing gun
NV first guns We're built in Cincinnati
and were able to fire from 100 to 23o
,hots per minute. Six had been con'
oleted when the factory burned down
md the guns were destroyed. Follow
ing this accident | had thirteen guns
made at what is now the type foundry
IN Cincinnati, and those | sent on by ny
partner, a wealthy merchant of Clncin
natl, to Washington to persuade the
government to introduce them. lie took
them to Baltimore. where he left twelve.
and went with the other to Washington
The chief Of the ordnance department at
the time was an old fogy. He received
him coidly. told him he had no faith III
MS gun and that he believed that flint
lock muskets were, on the whole, the
best weapons for warfare. In short. he
would have nothing to do with him.
NV partner then lett Washington
and returned to Baltimore. Ben Butler
was there with his troops. He had
heard of the guns, and he asked to see
| them work. AS soon as he had done so
he said he would buy them on his own
| responsibility, and did so, giving his
voucher for Sl2 900 for them. Ny part
ner had this cashed. but at this time
there was great fall in pork, and 5O,000
| hogs which he had packed in Chicago
with the expectation of rise had to lie
sold. In word, the break in the mar
ket ruined him, and my money Went
with him.
! so for the first twenty guns | had
made at great cost to Myself received
nothing. Ben Butler polk the guns he
had bought with him'to the battle Of
| Petersburg and fired them himself. They
| treated great CONSERVATION and slaugn
| ter, aud the news of them went all over
! the world. Now they are used by all
the leading governments of Europe. and
| also in ASIA and Africa
Equally curious and equally interest
| ing WIS the origin of The Maxim gun. III
| rapidity OF fire and destructive qualities
! the most formidable rival Of the Gailiug
| gun Hiram $. MaSim. from whose br.ili
II sprang. is Cue Of tie greatest Of living
inventors IA man of splendid inteIlecl
| md superintendent energy. Long he.
| lore he became famous as IA gun invent.
II he had achieved distinction as III
| electrician, and it is well known nat he
was narrowly anticipated by Edison II
I the reriectiug of the incandescent light
When went south Us "a soldier in thu
| -anks many Years ago, said Mr.. MAXIM
| rot long since. land fired my first mus.
| iet the recoil knocked me down. Even
| inrc was IA boy | had experiment.
| with tools ard wood in making littl.
| anuon. and when | fell down new
| tlea came to me. wondered If co,IlG
| not put that vigorous recoil to sour
| good use When went TO London | OK
| oermented u long while, and my gun il
he result. The principle is simple. The
cartridges are fixed on Il long strip Of
.anvas. which passes at right angles
trough the gun. press button, tine
,rigger is released. and the first shot II
| fred
The recoil Of the gun is all spent il,
pushing the lock piece back against 8
spring and pulling the canvas strip Sc
that another cartridge falls into lt>
place. As soon as the lock piece touches
the spring it is released again. Another
shot is fired, and the recoil pushes it bac !.
again, and SO it keeps up as long as
hold my finger on the button, or as long
as there Is single cartridge in the strip
! Of course there are many details oi
mechanism. but that is the principle o.
| The thing. There are 333 rounds on each
ranvas strip, and the gun fires at tbs
rate of ten a second, or about 600 a min.
ute. The Russian army has 900 round.
IN strip. New York Herald.