The morning news., 1894-10-21

percussion lock, although in our own
army, owing to a scarcity OF the latter,
the 1intlocks were used some years
longer than in the old world. Our Mexi-
can war was fought almost entirely with
the 69-caliber fintlock which fired either
buckshot or round ball, or both together,
with a paper shell. One of the most curl
Gus guns of the flintlock species in the
museum is an ancient Turkish musket
with an octagonal barrel and stock deco
rated with brass tacks, measuring over
all six feet in length. In the place where
is located the hammer of the modern gun
appears diminutive vice, which may be
screwed together to hold any small-slzed
piece of flint. A plate of steel is so placed
in front of the flint that sparks made by
concusson will glance off into the open
ing beneath which exposes the powder in
the barrel The trigger on this is very
small, resembling the protruding head of
a nail. Another Turkish fiintlock mus
ket was manufactured in 1927 by Omar,
the celebrated gunsmith of the east. An
Arab musket, altered from matchbox to
a fiintlock is said to have belonged to
descendant of Mahomet. Its stock and
barrel are both gorgeously decorated
with pounded metal work, the former
being covered with green velvet and tas-
sells, which signify it's owner to have been
either a governor or commander-in-
chief IT was made In Venice, in the mid
die Of the seventeenth century. Another
Arab musket of the same family is richly
inlaid with ivory and brass. The oldest
American in the collection is a modest,
implanted rifle, made at Springfield In
1881. 1t greatly resembles the modern
musket in shape.
When flint lock muskets were in vogue
England was the only country In the
world which was able to manufacture the
fiints in shape convenient for the cocks
of the guns. Other countries sent spies
into her workshops to learn how the
stones were cut. but none were able to
compete with her I'm their manufacture,
so all became dependent upon her for their
own supply. In fact, England may be
mentioned as the mother Of the firearm
up to the time it was introduced to yam
kee" ingenuity. The breech-loading gun
is said to have been known I'm England at
the time Of Henry H. prior to 1850. During
the reign Of Charles / a revolver was made
in England, having seven chambers with
touch-holes, the load being inserted with
out a ramrod The chamber was really
the barrel Of the contrivance, being four
or five inches In length. This same form
preceded the modern revolver I'm this coun-
try and those who first manufactured IL
thought they had made a marvellous dis
covery. Henry VIII Is said TO have been
the FIRST monarch who really observed the
value Of firearms, and during his reign
we find most of the English cannon and
hand guns loaded at the breech During
the whole Of the eighteenth century in
England, however, only five patents were
filed for breech-loadinR arms.
A specimen Of the first breech-loading
musket ever made In the United States
also appears Ia this exhibit. Here the
hammer Is Of steel and the flint is held
by n fastener IN front The whole Is but
thirty-nine inches long. This style OF
musket was invented in 1911 by J.. u. Hall.
an American, or Portland. Ne. IN 1910
100 OF his muskets were made and Issued