The herald., 1893-01-18
BIG GUNS WHICH SHOOT QUICKLY
DR.. Gatling and His Struggles
Before Succeeding.
He Tells How He Got and Elaborated
His Idea.
Fundamental Principle of the Maxim
Gun, in Which the Recoil Is
Made to Do the
Work.

, A white Haired, White bearded old ma
of striking presence and nervous ma,
ners is familiar and frequent figure {
one OF the up town hotels. His name
Richard j. Gatling, and he is the inven
, or OF the Gatling gun, which has playe
m modern warfare larger and more et
fectlve part than any other instrumen
OF destruction. DR.. Gatling has been
great traveller as well as a close and care
ful observer, and is delightful and in
structive companion. While chattin,
with him the other evening he told m
the curious and interesting story of tn
origin OF the Gatling gun. DR.. Gatlin.
was born IN South Carolina and received
his medical training here in New York
In 1851" said he, 81 was living il
indianapolis. My residence was neal
the depot, and often saw troops of vol
unteers leaving for the front or wher
the dead bodies were brought home TO,
burial. was surprised to note that the
number OF men killed by sickness was
far greater than those killed by ball or
actual battle. One day observed that
OF nineteen corpses which arrived at the
depot only three had been killed in bat.
tie. Then the thought struck me that if
a gun could be constructed capable of
dong the work of a hundred men and
requiring but two or three to operate it
the horrors and the duration of war
would be wonderfully lessened.
81 set to work at once, and in a few
months completed the first Gatling gun.
My first guns were built in Cincinnati
ana were able to fire from 150 to $50
shots per minute. Six had been COM
pleted when the factory burned down
and the guns were destroyed. Follow
ing this accident l had thirteen guns
made at what is now the type foundry
IN Cincinnati, and those l sent on by nv
partner, wealthy merchant of Cincin-
natl, to Washington to persuade the
government to introduce them. He tool,
them to Baltimore, where he left twelve.
and went with the other to Washington.
Ihe chief OF the ordnance department at
the time was an old fogy. He received
him coldly, told him he had no faith in
his 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.
my partner then left 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 $4,000 for them. Ny part
ner had this cashed, but at this time
here was great fall in pork, and SO. 900
1ogs which he had packed in Chicago
With the expectation of rise had to be
'old. In a word, the break in the mar
Set ruined him. and my money went
made at great cost to myself Ireceived
lothing. Ben Butler took the guns he
lad bought with him to the battle of
and fired them himself. They
,reated great CONSERVATION and slaugh-
er, and the news Of them went all over
he world. Now they are used by all
he leading governments of Europe, and
Ilso in Asia and Africa"
Equally curious and equally interest
ng was the origin of the Maxim gun, in
apidity of fire and destructive qualities
he most formidable rival of the Gatling
run. Hiram S. Maxim, from whose brain
t sprang, is one of the greatest of living
inventors, a man of splendid intellect
md superabundant energy. Long be-
ore he became famous as a gun invent
n he had achieved distinction as an
electrician, and it is we'll known that he
vas narrowly anticipated by Edison in
he perfecting of the incandescent light
when | went south as a soldier in the
'anks many years ago." said Mr.. Maxim
lot long since, ''and fired my first mus
ret the recoil knocked me down. Ever
ince l was a boy had experimental
With tools and wood in making little
and when l fell down a new
dea came to me. wondered if could
lot put that vigorous recoil to some
rood use. When l went to London ex-
long while, and my gun is
he result. The principle is simple. The
cartridges are fixed on a long strip of
'anvas, which passes at right angles
through the gun. press a button, the
rigger is released, and the first shot is
ired.
1.-THE recoil of the gun is all spent in
cushing the lock piece back against
pring and pulling the canvas strip SO
hat another cartridge falls into its
olace. AS soon as the lock piece touches
he spring it is released again. Another
hot is fired, and the recoil pushes it back
gain, and so it keeps up as long as l
lold my finger on the button, or as long
IS there is single cartridge in the strip.
IF course there are many details Of
but that is the principle Of
he thing. There are 1888 rounds on each
,anvas strip, and the gun fires at the
ate of ten second, or about 800 a min
lite. The Russian army has 1000 rounds