The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-27
TEST ARAW-HIDE CANNON.
Ordinance Board AstOnished by q Gun
Made of Leather.

New York, July ga rawhide can
non the wonderful invention of a
Frenchman named Frederick La Tulip
living in Syracuse, was tested by the
ordnance board Of the United States
army at the Sandy Hook proving
grounds today.
The cannon held its own against very
@severe tests.It successfully withstood
a pressure of 30,369 pounds to the square
inch; but the recoil after the shot broke
the trail of the gun carriage and fur
Their tests We're impossible no other car
riages being available at the time.
The members of the ordnance board
made copiouS notes of the workings or
the gun, and maintained their usual
silence when questioned as to their
opinion of it; but 1t was apparent that
they did not quite see the great adj
vantage to be gained by the use of the
weapon, and had little faith in the
claim of the inventor that the gun is
destined to revolutionize things.
The breaking down of the gun carri-
age was a disappointment to those who
witnessed the test, and the members or
the ordnance board were particularly
annoyed by it. It prevented further
tests. They half expected with these
tests to blow the gun to flinders.
Frederick La Tulip who invented the
gun, has patented a raw hide boat AMI
a number OF other things made OF
rawhide, and two years ago he began
work on the rawhide cannon. He inter
ested a wealthy Syracuse man in IT..
and the latter succeeded in inducing
Secretary Lamont to have the test
made.
The rawhide gun used to day was not
a very formidable affair. 1t was five
feet eight inches long, and was OF two
and a half inches calibre. 1t was noun
ted on a most elaborate gun carriage
and weighs ass pounds, and, according
to the diagram, is made up of layers
of steel, rawhide and copied wire The
bore is of steel, three-QuarterS of an
inch thick al the muZzle and one and a
half inches thick at the breech. The
rawhide is one inch thick a the muZZle
and three inches thick at the breech,
and is cut in four inch strands.
Around the whole are wrapped two
layers of copper wire. The gun looked
strong enough to stand an ordinary
charge: but not an officer present be-
lieved that there would be much more
than a few bits of the carriage left af-
ter the first of the heavy tests had
been made.
There was considerable discussion as
to the amount OF powder to be used
in the first test. Some Of the officers
wanted heavy test for a starter, their
idea evidently being to settle matters
quickly. 1t was finally decided to put
a pound Of ordinary powder in for a
start. and when all was in readiness
three lanyards were tied together so as
to give the gunners plenty Of opportuni
ty TO escape the flying debris in case
of an accident. The whole force re-
treated behind the bank of sand so as
to give the gun plenty of room.
The gunner concluded that he had bet
ter get behind the hill too, and so he
secured another lanyard to the already
long line and joined the rest OF the COM
pany. At the word he fired and. al
though everything seemed to have gone
alright the officers did not come out
from behind the hill until the smoke
had cleared away.
The guage showed after the first shot
that the pressure had been san pounds
TO the square inch, while after the Sec
oud shot II registered $3.50 pounds.
The third shot, ii was thought, would
settle the cannon. and two pounds OF
powder were used, but Il did not. tho
ugh the guage showed a pressure Of 20,
703 pounds 10 the square inch.
The pressure from the last shot was
so. 500 pounds to the square inch.
The members of the board came
around after the last shot. and SEEM
ed very much surprised 10 find the can
non intact. They said there would
have to be some more tests. and there
were wicked CLEANS in their eyes as
they said il.
The cannon was perfectly cool after
the testetaoin shrdlu aoin aoin oinoin
every shot. The average recon was
about six feet. Major Phipps said af-
ter the test that the gun 70 be of any
use would have 10 be a breechloader.