The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-05
A RAwHDE cANNoN HEST.
Wonderful Test OF the Unique New
Engine of Warfare.

From the Philadelphia Record.
New York. July "A rawhide cannon.
the wonderful invention OF a Frenchman
named Frederick La Tulip. living in SYRIA
euse. was tested by the ordnance board Of
the United States army at the Sandy
Hook proving grounds to-day.
The cannon held its own against very
severe tests. 1t successfully withstood
pressure of 5lS59 pounds 10 the square
inch; but the recoil after each shot broke
the trail of the gun carriage and fur
Their tests were impossible, no other car
riages being available at the time.
The members of the ordnance board
made copious notes of the workings of the
gun, and maintained their usual silence
when questioned as 10 their opinion OF Il;
but IL was apparent that they did not
quite see the great advantage 10 be gain
ed by the use of the weapon and had
little faith IN the claim of the inventor
that the gun is destined 10 reVOlutionize
things.
The breaking down Of the gun car
riage was a disappointment 10 those who
witnessed the test. and the members Of
the ordnance board were particularly an
nOyed by il. IL 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 rawhide boat and a
number of other things made Of rawhide.
and two years ago he began work on the
rawhide cannon. He Interested a wealthy
Syracuse man in IT, and the latter sue
ceeded in inducing Secretary Lamont TO
have the test made
The rawhide gun used to-day was not
a very formula Bile affair. II was five feet
eight inches long. and was of two and a
half inches caliher. IL was mounted on a
most elaborate gun carriage, and weighs
i56 pounds. and. according TO the diagram,
is made up OF layers OF steel. rawhidc and
copper wire. The bore is of steel, three
quarters Of an inch thick at the muzzle
ana 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 lay
ers of heavy copper wire. The gun looked
strong enough 10 stand an ordinary
charge. bat not an officer present believed
that there would be much more than a few
bits of the carriage left after the first OF
the heavy tests had been made.
There was considerable discussion as to
the amount of powder 10 be used in the
first test Some Of the officers wanted a
heavy test for starter. their idea evil
IDENTIFY being TO settle matters quickly. 1t
was finally decided TO put "a pound of or
binary powder in for a start, and when all
was In readiness three lanyards were tied
together so as to give the gunners plenty
of opportunity TO escape the flying debris
in case Of an accident. The whole force
retreated 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 10 the already
long line and Joined the rest Of the COM
nanv Al the word he fired and, although
everything seemed TO have gone all right,
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 5,4n pounds
TO the square inch, while after the second
shot it registered $3.50 pounds. The third
shot. IL was thought. would settle the
cannon. and two pounds of powder were
used. but 1t did not, though the guagt
showed a pressure Of 267 pounds to the
square inch
The pressure from the last shot was So'S0
pounds TO the square inch.
The members Of the board came around
after the last shot, and seemed very much
surprised to find the cannon intact. They
said there would have to be some more
tests, and there were wicked CLEANS IN
their eyes as they said it.
The cannon was perfectly cool after
every shot. The average recoi was about
six feet Maj. Phipps said after the test
that the gun to be Of any use would nave
to be a breech-loader.