The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-22
Include the Powerful
Pneumatic Gun.
DIFFICULT TIES OVERCOME.
Many Experiments Made Before
Success Was Attained.
COMPRESSED AIR in PEACE.

NEW YORK, juno 22.-fSpecial. Cap
tain Zalinski, whose pneumatic CUR for
shooting gigantic cartridges filled with
gun cotton Is now making a belated record
for itself, Is seen In New York almost
daily just now.
1t was his hope TO take personal part In
the military operations OF the war
against Spain, since no is not yet quito 90
years old, but the state Of his health rem
ders this impracticable. He has recovered
in a measure from the severe illness that
Frustrated him some months ago, but he is
still far from strong, and he shows a per
ceptible limp when he walks. he has
many friends here, especially among mem
bers of the Century association, to which
he belongs and whose clubhouse serves
him as a sort of headquarters.
Captain Zalinski is Of Polish blood, as
his name indicates-in fact, ne was born
In Prussian Poland-but at heart he is as
good an American as any man born under
the stars md stripes. He was brougS to
tho United States In 1858 when only a
child. Soon after the breaking out OF tho
civil war he entered the northern army as
q volunteer and SO distinguished himself
that he was commissioned q second lieu
tenant in tho regulars I'm 1866. His first
IltuttHunt y N0r ~ fttsh
later, but his promotion to the ran OF
captain was o matter Of about two dec
AIDES. In the meantime he had not only
perfected his pneumatic gun, but had also
made many experiments along other lines,
the most interesting of which perhaps
were his Investigations of the qualities
which made tho swords forged at Damas-
Gus famous in history.
Captain Zalinski Is an extensive travel
or as well as inventor, and o after re-
tirement from the army he made q round
the world trip, which, of course, took In
Japan. While there he secured q collec-
ton Of curios and japanese works of art
which Is said to be unique.
The Pneumatic Gun.
The early history Of his pneumatic gun
covers a period of much anxiety In hts
life. The difficulties which he had to r
mount werc manifold. First and most
important perhaps was the distrust with
which the pneumatic gun idea was re-
garded alike by army men, practical mech
anicians and the authorities at Washing
ton with whom the appropriations for car
rying on the necessary experiments rested.
Next came tho technical difficulties, which
were greatly enhanced by utter lack Of ex-
pcrlence In that sort Of work by the mon
to whom the building Of the guns and the
accompanying air compressors had to be
intrusted.
Many experiments were necessary before
n small pneumatic gun could DO made to
do it's work properly, and the difficulties
encountered with a gun OF model size
were vastly increased when n of the full
size was attempted. Not the least of these
lo<ko~ <V.x,h1,o xvao tho ootafrnefiDn nf n
barrel which would maintain the rigidity
necessary to accurate shooting. This is a
difficulty of no mean proportions in the
construction of an ordinary piece Of heavy
ordnance, Notwithstanding tho fact that
the barrel Of such n piece Is made of tubes
of thick steel. To have made the Zalinski
gun barrels like those Of the heavy powder
guns would not only have been entirely
unnecessary and SO expensive as to have
been virtually prohibitive, but 1t would
also have added enough weight to make
their use on a light boat like the Vesuvius
but of the question.
In choosing cast iron for the material
reference was had TO it's relative strength
and weight and also Its rigidity. But
IL has been found In actual practice
that tubes practically 80 feet long, rs the
guns on the Vcsuvius are, develop great
tendency to bend and vibrate. or course
this lessons their effectiveness by just so
much, and the fact that by reason OF their
size they must be mounted at n fixed angle
Is another serious drawback. After Ia
linski had overcome tho ~prcjudices Of con-
gress, had eliminated the technical diff
cultios as far rs possible and had got the
Vesuvius with It's death dealing tubes
built and In commission he encountered
tho worst opposition of all, tho officers OF
tho navy protesting against the use of u
an explosive as CUR cotton. Bearing oil
these things in mind, IL seems apparent
that the inventor OF the pneumatic u
must Just now feel that he has won a nota-
BILE triumph.
That the good work of his pieces In the
present war will lead to n moro extensive
future use Of similar guns in Unclo Sans
navy there would seem TO DO no manner
OF doubt, nor should there be my quos-
ton that inventive genius will DO stimu-
lated to do AWAY with some Of the remain
ing defects. But, no matter how much
nearer perfection tho pneumatic guns Of
the next century may be brought, tho
credit of originating tho idea and of push
ing its development To practical SUCCESS
must always remain Zalinski's.
Compressed Air I'm Pencc.
Tho usc OF compressed air In tho indus
tries of peace has been considered theorct-
ically possible for many years, and yet be-
yond it, employment rs u motive power
In drilling rock, rs in mining operations
and tunnel building, comparatively little
has been done in that direction until TO
Gently. 1t "a doubtful indeed whether 10
would have been much used even In rock
drilling were It not that the exhaust OF
steam drills not only obscures the sight OF
the men operating them underground,
but also makes the tunnels, headings, etc,
In which they are used damp and more
difficult OF ventilation, whereas the cx-
haust OF tho air drills docs not obscure I'm
tho least, and. at tho saIne time actually