The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-09-16


EO first practical test
- 10 which Professor
Hinton had put biz Invention. For
many months Professor Hinton has
been experimenting IN the cage os his
invention. The problem before him lat.
teFly has been the one Of rendering
the sun perfectly safe. lie found Il
I'll times the Princeton boys eager 10
stand up and face the cannon even
when 8, sent the balls o. lncredlbie
swiilness. And be owes he form %
which the artificial pitcher has A.
present arrived very largely 20 The
continued interest which the boys have
taken In lis construction. For Ions
time Professor Hinton would not Al.
low any one 20 stand In the direct tn,
o. IRE. but nov the batter u safe. To-
the ball goes true 10 ne mark. a. the
mechanism Of the pitcher has arrived
Al that stage Of completeness when Il
can be depended upon. 4 great dim
Guilty At fret was 70 and a catcher who
was willing 10 catch the balls thrown
BY this cannon. az they came % swim.
AZ length. however. Mr.. Stevenson a.
sured the professor that be could
catch the balls. And the event proved
the truth o. the assertion AR. Steven
son took the balls easily. bon With
and without the use u the electrical
dlacharglug plate which the batter
steps on when be- l. ready Tor TIE hall
70 b delivered. This plate Il quite .
feature In the use Of the gun. VIII
The gun. Of courne. there D. none b
the preliminary movement 81 The arm
ThIch gives an Indication h 49,,
Is coming The ball starts sudden
Jrt Of the cann0n's mouth. pratao,
Hinton tried many forms Of arnal 10
'eplace the pitchers arm. iuf the BEL
)ian OF All he found Wn 10 dlspens.
9Th signals altogether aud lei he
oaiter pull the trigssr himself Thh
. done By the dischafelug plate abos.
mentioned. on which the batter sisp
- be is ready 10 receive the bail
Having found that Mr.. stevenson coal.
'aich the ball frat Of ail Without
oatier and then with a batter AZ Al.
plate. NJ. Hinton aaW no reason vi,
he sun should not BE- used In
zane. bat he expressed himself yer.
strongly that the gun Il not deslrne.
10 take the place Of . human pitcher
u is for practice. 10 Improve the hat
ling Of . team; not 10 serve Ia a..
anal contest a. to which l. The b.
II Two coniendlnE teams Dufin~ n
same In which the gun Was feaird Pre-
lessor Hinton found thai one Of ID
balls out Of the half dozen used Ia
swollen slightly. and this made AZ
shooting a little less irne than A. /
when the balls ail n easilg.
The defect In the gun Is not IN ~
undue velocity. Il shoots sieadll, an.
Eiyes ali The varieties Of curve ~,
loading and setting the electrical a.
tonator take an undnly loax tine
repeating breech-ioadine aeflcn for n
shell and an auiomailc setting Of Al
electrical catch would Improve the Ii
teresi Of the spectacle The dsiav =,
ptrlenced. however. Was ,hirfr an, ,
the ball on one occaslra striking n
discharglnE plate and knocking p,
one OF the connecting scrrwa son.
minutes were spent a. Intervals rem.
dying the consequences of this acc
dent
The apparatus looks Ike a cross 3.
tween . cannon. a rife and an el.cir
battery. The cannon proper IL AZ,
tao feet Ions. with bore large enonr
Tor the insertion Of an ordinary Ia.
ball To the hreech Of the cannon
attached a long tube. connected Al n
end With an ordinary rife siock. m
cartridge Is inserted In the rife hre,cl
and the gas generated by explofln
powder forces air through the rlns H.,
rel. thus forcing the ball out Of TIE can
non. TIE iorce With which TIE bali
thrown can b. regulated perfectly I,
wires 20 a disconnected plate In Al
batting box. and when the hafsman
rvady be presses the plate with n
feet. thua breaking on TIE circuit an
pulling the trigger The ball Is curv.
By means Of the fingers. These =,
curved leather hanges screwed on F,
the noHEle Of the sun. when he -
ia forced oui Of the cannon the han
giyen = rotary melton BY passing slon
The curved Singers. and by chanrlr
be position Of the hngcrs ans cof
'elvable curve may BE- thrown n
,urve 70 b. thrown can easily be- n
lermlned BY the halaman b. observln
he direction IN which he aneer a.
placed The apparatus tended To Al.
,olor the ball and TIE fingers 10 fln N
over. % that the numbcr of halis =,
sulred IA : nine-lnninr game uonl
prove no small Item Of expense. Ne,
base running rules had 20 be roenr
alEed Cor the game After the BAN ~
)een placed On the cannon. the n,nns
vas not allowed 10 steal and he coni
lnly be advanced when the BAR va