Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-26
4 RAW HIDE CAN NON
Army Officers Making Trial of Novel
Piece Of Ordnance
t Successfully Stands Several Tests,
but More Are to Be Made
of 1t.

Ordnance officers of the army and navy
are much interested in the tests of raw
hide cannon, now being made by the army
ordnance board at the Sandy Hook proving
ground. This novel piece of ordnance was
recently subjected to a preliminary test
and surprised the experts by successfully
withstanding pressure of 3O,369 pounds
to the square inch. Frederick La Tulip.
Frenchr1an, living in Syracuse, is the in
ventor of the gun. He has patented raw
hide boat and a number of other things
made of rawhide, and he has sublime faith
in that material for almost all purposes
requiring strength and durability. He be-
gan work on the cannon about two years
ago. and claims that it is the first thing of
its kind ever made. despite historical refer
ences to leather guns. Those behind him
believe implicitly in his invention, and
claim that 1t will revolutioniZe the manu-
facture of ordnance. The principal claims
made for the gun are that 1t is only about
half the weight of an ordinary steel gun,
that 1t is just as durable and much stronger
and that any number of shots can be fired
from it in rapid succession without heat
ing it.
Called 1t "Haysecd" Gun.
A careful test of the gun was ordered by
the War Department. although the ord
nance officials generally took very little
stock in tie utility of weapon of such
construction. Most of the officers were of
opinion taat good charge would blow the
cannon to atoms, and the men ordered to
make the test made no secret of their fear
of the consequences. They characterized
it as 1.-The hayseed gum and were salts
fed it would prove a failure. They had
been ordered to give it trial. and conse-
quently they had no choice in the matter.
The test was made early this week. The
gun is five feet eight inches long, with a
caliber CT two ard a half inches. 1t is Jy
no means a fornldable-lookiGg weapon. 1t
weighs i56 pounds, and Is made up of lay
ers of steel, rawhide ard copper wire. The
bore is Of steel, three-quarters of an inch
thick at the muzzle and one and a half
inches thick at the breech. The rawhide
Is one inch thick at the muzzle and three
inches thick at the breech, and is cut in
four-inch strands. Around the whole are
wrapped two layers of heavy copper wire.
It Stood the Tests.
At the test it was mounted on an elabo-
rate gun carriage. and although it looked
strong enough to stand an ordinary charge
the ordnance officers made no attempt to
conceal their misgivings- Contrary to all
modern principles, this gun is loaded from
the muzz'e. When that was mentioned as
an objection, the representative of the in
ventor said he could build breech loader
just as easily muzzle loader, and that
it would be Just as good.
The gun was first tested with pound of
powder. with the evident belfef that II
would not even stand such charge. This
didn't even phase the gun, and a second
charge of a pound and half of musket
powder was used. The gauge showed after
the first shot that the pressure had been
5,4T1 pounds to the square inch. while after
the second shot it registered 16.S4O pounds
The third shot it was thought would settle
the cannon, and two pounds Of powder were
used, but it didn't, though the gauge show
ed a pressure of 26, 70S pounds to the square
inch The officers were surprised to find
the gun still intact. 1t was then decided
to put on a pressure Of $4,000 pounds, and
in order to do so two balls were used. This
charge did not hurt the gun in the least
The gauge showed that the pressure with
two balls had been only 26.345 pounds, and
so 1t was decided to use three balls and
two pounds of quick rifle powder.
Further Tests to He Made.
The pressure from this last shot was
30.S6O pounds to the square inch. The
gun stood it nobly but the recoil broke
the trail of the gun carriage and further
tests We're impossible, as no other carriage
was available at the time. The gun was
perfectly cool after every shot. The aver
nance board was not entirely satisfied with
the test and will make another in few
days, the result of which will be officially
reported to the War Department. Although
the ordnance officials of the department
admit that the performance of the gun
was greatly beyond their expectations they
are still far from the belief that rawhide
can be used as substitute for steel in the
manufacture of guns.