New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-15


THE NATIONAL GUARD WILL MAKE IT'S
REPoRr-EITHER THE WINCHESTER
OR THE SAVAGE WEAPON. IT is
SAID WILL BE ACCEPTED.
The State Board to select p rife for the Ma
tonal Guard met Saturday in the office Of
Eliphaet w. Bllss. No. II Adams-st. Colonel
Albert D. Shaw. Of Utica. chairman. and Pro-
fessor Robert II. Thurston. of Cornell University.
with Secretary Henry f Abel. were promptly on
hand at J. o'clock the hour set for the session.
Bethel Burton. the venerable Brooklyn gun in
ventor. was ready. and so was Colonel Adds. OF
the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. DR..
Mclean. of Chicago was also there. The Put
nam Glib representatives had new gun In the
field while the Savage Repeating Arms Com
pany represented by Mr.. Risley. Of Utica.
The Winchester company entered an entirely
gun. built on the principle Of the Lee rifle,
which the company is manufacturing for the
United States Navy but the calibre Is the regu-
lar 80 bore of the United States Army. 1t is
operated by a crank. one-quarter turn Of which
opens the breech cocks the firing pin and elects
the empty shell. a reverse turn closes the breech
and places the rife in action. The Putnam gun
is said to have overcome the original defect
of going off when not wanted The Mclean
It so easy that dropping it little heavily when
grounding arms throws open the breech and
cocks the hring-pin. owing to the gun not being
finished in this particular it was barred out Of
the contest. which closed on Saturday. far as
entries concerned.
Among the experts present were Ferdinand
Van Dyke the shotgun marksman. of the Win
chester company: Private William Crane Of the
18th Regiment. and Armorer Sergeant Corrie. OF
the 1th Regiment.
Neither the Blake nor Briggs-Kneeand gun
represented, and apparently they have
dropped out Of the contest There was new
competitor. however. rife owned by William j.
Reed of San Francisco. which came from the
Springfield Armory. 1t Is ordinary bolt gun
and the Commission paid hardly any attention
to H. as II is said TO be entirely ouclassed by
the other guns
Dr. Mclean took his defeat with the best pos
sible grace. He said he had been handicapped
by the fact that his gun was made at Pratt Il
Whitney's big gun shop the small arms shop Of
the firm being occupied by the Putram gun
This made him unable to have his rifle finished
and he wished every success TO the winner. ana
hoped to enter the contests In other States.
TWO RIFLES HAD NOT BEEN TESTED.
This gun had never been fired. and the risks
were by no means small. 1t has been claimed
that the Blake gun had never been tested. either
prior to being placed in Private Cranes hands
II went through all right but the risk was not
Just one to expose any man 90. Had Cram"
been aware Of this Mr.. Blake would probably
have had 10 take the Nrst chance ~ being
hoist by his own petard."
The Commission while anxious t. give 10 every
| competitor a fair SHOW felt that IL was time to
close the entries and this was done on Saturday.
| Each inventor then went before ID" Board and
| explained the strong points " his rn". The
| Board then went into executive session. ana II
was late In the afternoon bcior" ihc outsiders
werc admitted Cplin~l shaw announced that
| the Board had determined % allow the Winch g.
teri .ce model and the new Putnam gun 10 hav"
a trial al Crc"imoor on Tuesday, JrL" ~. hff'r
which the final award VIII Dee mad" as speedily
| a. possible. The Board Will report - the Gov
ernor after which the decision VIII %" MAI"
| public.
The contest has apparently narrowed down 10
the winchester ana Savage rifles. with tn odds
In favor Of the latter winning. one 'hlne ~
| absolutely certain. and that a. that tn" Com
| mission is determined 10 accept only tn" beat
| Of the lot and that no such weapon as the
| Krags-Jorgcnson used In the United States
Army. shall be given - the Nanonal "NaTd OF
the state Of NowYor''.
WHAT TIE MODELS HAVE COST.
II was said that the Savage rife has cost
S2O.tWD 10 PERFECT WHO MI i'"i '"''' P'" '"'
| punmaker said hts cost only SOD Not one Of
the others cost less than ten times that sum. i
is said.
Colonel Adds said that the first OF the new
Navy rifles Of the Lee pattern VIII be delivered
| In September The contract was Tor Io""o AM
vet with all the resources Of the Winchester
| Repdating Arms Company. IT VIII take one year
| 10 deliver the nrs. gun called for under tltt
| contract THIS fact is likely L. dispei the Illusion
| ,hof ms
"a GO ~ trouhle every sewing machine. typewriter
! and bicycle factory could be mctamorpnosed
| into arms factories. He said that II would be
| sn,,pht for in less than year after the contract
was ended
JUSTICE RHODES'S DENIAL.