The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-25

From the Chlcago News.


The highest notch reached in the manu-
facture of pistols is the mitrailleuse pis-
tol, which fires twenty-five rimless cart
ridges charged with smokeless powder in
forty-four seconds, with an effective
range of 800 meters. IL Is almost auto
matte, the recoil Of the shot moving the
mechanism which extracts the empty
shells and moves the next cartridge into
The small pistol is the one for emergen-
Giles. There are some shown in collec-
tons, one a miniature wheel-lock pistol
of gilded brass only two and a half inches
long. Pocket weapons Of small size We're
priced IN the highlands. The pistol IS
not the murderer's weapon. Most de-
clares that of twenty-five attempts with
a pistol to kill man only one is success
full. and Carrots murderer said, The
When Empress Eugene fed Paris she
carried with her a small goldmounted
and jewele1 pepperbOx pistol which she
carried hidden in the waist Of her gown
and which she was not afraid to fire.
1t is said that exTQueen Isabelle Of
$500. In New York one may buy gold
mounted, single-shot pistols for $50
these are purchased mostly by women,
the barrels embossed, but they do not
compare with the work Of the gunsmiths
of the middle ages.
1t was nearly four centuries ago that
the first pistols were made in Europe and
a few collectors have succeeded in, gath
ering beautiful specimens Of the hve
stages Oh development - IndlCu LOCK
wheel-lock, fiint-lock, percussson-lock and
revolver. The earlier forms of revolyers
had barrels that revolved, each barrel
fitted with its own firing apparatus. A
few collections show the marvellous wheel
lock, with its ornate and delicate details.
In those times precious weapons ranked
with precious stones and famous gum
smiths would spend a year In making and
inlaying a single arm.
The hint-lOck reVolutiOnized firearms
and was the savior OF GustaYus Adolphus
and others 1t was the dint-lock that
went through the Crimean war and the
nint-lock that carried Napoleon on TO vic
tory and as late as 1860 United States
army officers were opposed to arming
troops with the new-tangled percussion
sla and Turkey and the Circassian artifi-
GERS are the cleverest known. The Arabs
around the Red sea and the central Afri-
can tribes are devoted to the fint-lock.
The goldsmith of Phillip V. of Spain
used to charge $40 sterling for a gun bar
years on the carving OF a single pistol
butt If Nicholas Bis, the most famous
maker forged the barrel of a pistol and
an artist was employed to carve and de-
sign the handle IN ebony the magnificent
hrearm would probably cost the owner
somewhere near 81, 900 of our money and
be considered cheap.
The pistol of the fifteenth century was
nearly three feet in length and the slow
match. made of twisted rags and oil. had
to be kept constantly burning in a holder
on the top Of the barrel.
The early pistols were slow weapons
With no disturbances a man might be toll
erably sure of firing one off In an hours
time. 1t Is matter OF record that at the
battle OF Wittenmergen the musketeers Of
the Duke of Weimer managed to let off
their pieces just seven times between the
hours of noon and p. m.