davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

locity with which ordinary shot and
shell are now thrown from high-power
gums, without the least danger from
the shock in the gun. Wet compressed
guncotton may be fired from a u at
service velocities, and even exposed,
without any shell or cover whatever, In
direct contact with a propelling charge
of gunpowder without any danger OF
defamation.
As essential TO a successful system OF
throwing high explosives from ord
nance lies in the propelling means,
whereby the projectile may be started
i'm the gun with a certain desired
amount of predetermined pressure,
that pressure be maintained behind the
projectile in its flight throughout the
entire length of the gun.
The Maxim-Schupphaus smokeles
torpedo power constitutes such a
means, and by it the maximum range
is secured with minimum shock of ac-
celeration upon the projectile. This
permits the employment of a torpedo
projectile large in cross section n
having "A comparatively thin shell, so
that the maximum Of high explosive
may be carried for minimum weight or
metal, and velocities attained compar-
able with those of projectiles thrown
from high-power guns but with less
than one-third the powder pressure.
such a low pressure does not call for
cannon with heavy walls, so hat the
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

chapters of hyperbole? Why, even in
the books of Moses and in what we de-
nominate the sacred writings of the
prophets the incredible slaughter which
they allege were inflicted upo their
enemies in the constant wars of Israel
against her enemies surpasses any
thing tina ever occurred in modern
times. though we have the advantage
of improved and though mod
ern wars have been fought between
countries of vastly greater population.
Coming down even to the annals OF Our
own country, we find that in its earlier
history lying about public affairs was
much more prevalent than it is now.
George Washington is now regarded as
a saint, but in his day he was lied
about much more virulently than any
modern statesman.
1t is related that on n occasion a
friend of General Grant read to him a
particularly abusive article, which
made the hero of Appomatox Vince,
and caused him to wonder whether
really. after all, he had rendered any
worthy service to his country; but
when he learned that ii was written
not about him, but about George Wash
ington, he concluded that he might take
some comfort in the fact that the old
time liars were more v1rulent' than
those Of his generation. 1t is true that
the Spaniards bolster themselves up
with lies, and they are very surprising
lies to us; but in measuring them we
must remember hat they are built
that way; that they have not arrived
at hat stage of enlightenment when
they can realize that the sort of lying
they indulge in is useless, and that,
moreover, there is that in their make
up which often leads them to imagine
that to be the truth which they wish
to be so.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

ordnance does not require to be pom
derous or unwieldy, ever when having
a very large caliber.
The Maxim-Schupphaus smokeless
powder has been adopted by the United
States army. The combustion OF this
powder can be controlled to the most
perfect nicely, N predetermined pres
sure can be relied upon with absolute
certainty.
TIL question of fuse has always been
one of the chief %ature of the prob
lem OF successfully throwing large
masses Of high explosives from ord
nance. When the main body of the
high explosive is sufficiently i%nsensi-
tive to be absolutely safe and proof
against all danger OF premature ex-
plosion due TO the acceleration in the
gun necessary To high velocities. IL re-
quires a strong decorative charge to
explode H.. II has been found that airy
gun cotton may be thrown with abso-
lutte safety in sufficient quantity to de-
nat the most insensitive high eN-
plosive constituting the main charge
Of the aerial torpedo. But this dry gun
cotton charge also requires TO be de-
tonated before itself can become a de-
tonator OF the main charge. conse-
quently. "A illuminate eNploder must be
used. Thls illuminate is. in fact. the
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

are to be employed at all, long-range
torpedo guns throwing from half a ton
to a ton of high explosive, backed up
by quick-firing torpedo guns of smaller
caliber, would be her best armament for
the destruction of other vessels and
coast Notifications.
Light, quick-firing torpedo guns may
be used upon torpedo boats and torpe-
do boat d~estroyers in place of the pres
ent guns, and the destruction these
weapons would be capable of doing adj
mits of no comparison with the present
types of quick-iring guns.
As an example of a quick-firing tor
pedo gun the present six-pounder, or
gun of Observation-Disclosures caliber.
could be replaced by a three to three
and-a-half inch quick-fring torpedo
gun, and the explosive charge increased
from several ounces to several pounds.
The projectile would have but little less
velocity han the present ~six-pounder
shell, sufficient velocity to give all the
accuracy, fiatness of trajectory, range
and penetration which we could possibly
desire in an attack upon torpedo boats
and torpedo boat destroyers un'
armored cruisers.
1t must be obvious to persons at all
familiar with the subject. that if large
quantities of high explosives can be
thrown from ordnance with safety.
then such is the most practical, direct
and accurate of all possible means IF
placing submarine mines. or of bring
ing high explosives to bear upon a war
ship for it's destruction, or for the de-
struction of towns, earthworks or for
tifcations.
In recognition of the superiority of
the aerial torpedo to other forms Of
torpedoes and projectiles, many IN
ventors, with a greater or less degree CT
success, have attempted to solve the
problem of throwing large masses Of
safety. Notable among these have
been Captain Zalinski of the United
States army. and his associates, who,
by means of compressed air, have sue
ceeded in throwing from 15-inch pneu-
matte guns 200 to 500 pounds of nitro
gelatin.
The accuracy of these guns is ONE
thing remarkable, but the shortness of
their range. being only abou a mile
and a half for the 5O0-pound projectile,
is too short, and permits of an enemy's
battleship lying beyond range of the
| pneumatic tubes and destroying them
without in turn being exposed to their
fire. Another material disadvantage in
the use of the pneumatic gun is the
cumbersome plant of engines and air
compressors necessary TO operate them.
The Sims-Dudley powder pneumatic
gun is the one which, perhaps, is the
| best known of those combining the ex-
plosive energy of g~unpowder with com
! pressed air as a propelling means for
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

war. 1t Is the story of a clean shirt ana
how IL gained one man a good VIE.
During the civil war there was a certain
young lady i'm Georgetown who found h in
her power to do "A great deal for the con-
federatc soldiers confined in prison at
Washington. Young. beautiful, cultured.
popular. Of a wealthy and prominent fam
lily. she was frequently allowed admission
to the prison. whittier she Away took her
maid with a well-stocked basket of good
things for the poor boys behind the bars.
one day. as she was passing through a
group of men In the common prison, she
stopped and said to them:
III there Is anything YOU would like
TO have that | can bring you. won't you
let me know I shall be very glad
One man stepped forward promptly.
Bowling most courteously. he said:
'If you will be SO kind. | should like
very much To have a clean shirt,
lie was a young lieutenant from Louisi-
ana. one of the handSomest and most ele-
giant men | ever met. and when that
young lady looked up into his brown eyes
she found IL i'm her heart to give him
much more than a clean shirt. for she
married him as soon as the war was
over.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10
Pats Inkinn Thrust.

Two visitors at Camp Black had sa-
luted a general and passed on, when one
chuckled and said:
II never meet an army officer of that
rank that | am not reminded of an in
cident that occurred on the veranda OF
a retired generals house where / was a
visitor. He had just been retired. He
had been a brave soldier, and his ad-
vancement was due to merit. Blu his
excellent wife had the reputation OF
commanding the home field. Her word
was law.
"A quick-witted son of the old sod had
been employed about the place as gem
eral utility man. He had the usual
weakness, which caused him to be for
getful. and on the day | was there he
had received his discharge from the wife
for overindulgence. There was an agree
able party on the veranda as Pat passed
with his bundle on his shoulder. He
halted Immediately in front of the gen.
eral and saluted him. n then he said,
in the hearing of the generals COM
pany:
Good bye, sor. 1 can laive. sor. Ye
can'ti'"
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10
MAXIM ASTON TORPEDO GUN.

throwing high explosives. The illus
tration shows the Sims-Dudley A.
inch gun on field mount. the same as
was used by the Cuban insurgents in
the last rebellion against the Spaniards;
il is claimed that it did a great deal
of execution. NOTWITHSTANDING the small
quantity of explosive thrown.
Hiram S. Maxim. the inventor OF the
automatic gun. has invented a pneu-
matte gun in which he proposes TO
employ an explosive mixture of COM
pressed air and gasoline vapor. start
ing the projectile with the compressed
air and then touching off the explo-
sive mixture of air and gasoline vapor
after the projectile has moved forward
a certain distance along the bore of the
gun. One of these gasoline-pneumatic
guns has already been made and fired.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

as his doings were obscure in those far
of ports he made up a most beautiful
account. i'm which. however. he was SO
indiscreet as to give names and dates.
He said he fought unde Sigismund
Bathart. luke OF Pennsylvania. against
the Turks. But at the date he mentioned
Sigismund was not duke Of Transylva-
mia. ard he was In alliance with the
Turks. However. these are small mat
ers-the first thing Is. that Captain
Smith was the only man of his q VINO
seemed to have any correct ideas OF
what it is to found a colony. He had
a bad assortment Of people to begin the
colonization of Virginia with-mostly
broken down and dissolute gentlemen.
with wild ideas that Virginia was a
second Mexico. As Captain Smith said.
they were better fitted to corrupt than
found a commonwealth. He managed
this unruly crew so well, and that, too,
i'm spite of cabals against him. that an
other man. having accepted the COVER
norship, resigned the troublesome Office
to Captain Smith, after holding II ex-
actly three years.
He was too far i'm advance Of his x
as a ~colonizer to nave been greatly APP
preciated i'm his own time-nor did he.
with the best intentions I'm the world,
put much none I'm his purse. But had
he had Gives opportunities. ne might
have been equally great. Certain IL is,
he impressed his personality so far upon
his time and his environment that he
pretty generally eclipsed all the men
who were associated Will him-and that
is a tremendous feat i'm any age.
The only soldier of fortune now in the
public eye is General Maximp Gomez,
major general in the army of the repub-
lie of Cuba. Gomez is a native of San
Domingo. and his color reputed UNI
known. except that he is very dark. He
Joined the Spanish army and fought
like a Trojan to subdue the insurrection
against the Spaniards i'm San Domingo.
Afterward he went To Cuba, and rose
to prominence i'm the war from 1868 to
1878. The compromise next leaving him
without employment. he went to Hon
duras and entered the army. where he
served some time. Then he returned to
Cuba. and roposes to live and die there.
He Is said to have taken General Boil
var for his model. Gomez is the gentle
man who declares If the United States
proposes to annex Cuba he will lead the
insurgents against the United States
troops. This is a very sensible thing
for him to do. as an American protec-
torate over Cuba would probably elm
mate Major General Gomez from the
s~ituation-and il he wants TO play Boil
var. the orchestra furnished by the
guns and ships of the United States will
drown him out. II remains to be seen
If this West Indian soldier of fortune
can become the liberator, as Bolivar
was.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

gained a title. vast wealth and all the
tangible things which life holds-a N"iy
unfortunate state for a man of his
mould. Fate, as she 50 often does, in
pretending Ia give him his hearts de-
sire. played him a scurNy trick. After
having welded more power over the
lives and fortunes of a greater number
of human beings than any sovereign
i'm Europe. Give imagined he should be
happy leading the life Of an English
gentleman Of wealth n leisure, II
suited him so in. that he was forced
To live on opium-and one morning. in
November. 171i. he was ound dead by
his own hand.
The greatest soldier Of fortune I'm
North America was Captain John
Smith. sometime governor of Virginia,
and admiral If all New England Most
Of what the school books print Of Cap
tain John Smith are lies-because the
early ~biographers made the fatal mis-
take Of believing the tales Captain
Smith wrote himself. In passing, be IL
remarked that Captain Smith had a
literary genius OF the first order, and
had he devoted himself TO literature
Defoe would have been nowhere. in the
art OF making the impossible read like
the actual. Like a true literary artist.
Captain Smith embellished his histories
as time went on. The Pocahontas story
he never mentioned in his first account
Of his life in Virginia, but some years
after. Pocahontas then being a person of
note and attention in England, he added
hat pretty story o her having saved
his life. As for his yarns abou killing
three tribes, being in captivity in Con
stantinople. and all that sort OF thing.
il is mostly contradictory. He did, II Is
true. run away from home when he was
Is. and fought In the Netherlands and
he really did 90 TO fight the TuTks-but
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

= In the days when war was esteemed
almost the only genteel trade. soldiers
sof fortune were common enough: for
they could fill their pockets while wear
ing a sword. But i'm these degenerate
sxfmes. when war is considered a bore.
fand fighting bad form. these enterpris-
Eng gentlemen have but one solitary
representative left. at the end of the
century-and his name will be present
by given.
The Latins have produced most "
these long-headed swashbucklers: the
Anglo-Ssxons and the Teutons have
made Dry a few. though brilliant con-
r~fributians TO the list And even IL those
aspiring persons did fill their pockets.
q cannot be denied that they had =
true and gentlemanlike taste for fsht-
ing. and took actual pleasure in up
roofing governments. knocking down
dynasties. and slashing about general
~. Pizarro and Cortez are the best cN-
eamples of their tribe-and who snail
say that they were not considerable
fellows? But Maurice, Count; SAKE, was
about as big a man as any i'm this
khnsiness for fighting for love of IL, and.
Incidentally. feathering his nest With
hold and honors. He WAS a perfect
BEAUTY Of a man. irresistible among the
laaes, and Frederick the Great sail Of
hinA This general could teach all tua
.&enkrals in Europe"
= Pfrhaps this count. afterward Mar
s~>hafSSaxe. did not himself know exact
Is Where his allegiance belonged when
he FIRST drew his sword. The son Of the
@beartiful Aurora Won Konigsmark. and
Auf.ustus. elector of Saxony, and af-
nterward king Of Poland, his original
~,nationality was much mixed. He was
hut u years old when. I'm 110S, he ran
AWAY to join Marlborough's army. and
a a fine time in Flanders for a year
or two. Things, however. not going to
cult him.. in I'LL he transferred himself
10 the united armies of Russia and
Poland. then fighting Charles XII. of
Sweden. As long as there was fighting
70 be done the Count Maurice enjoyed
himself very much. Things, however,
,auieting down, he returned to Poland,
where he fought gaily in civil wars un-
I'll 1920. by that time. being "a years
old. he was a veteran. not only in war.
but in love-and having d~isenCumbered
himself of a wife whom he had taken,
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

by laws. A man who studies these laws of
nature carefully and reduces them to q sci
ence, can count on exact results every time.
A doctor knows that certain remedies
affect certain diseases.
When a disease seems to have ne remedy.
the doctors pronounce it incuNble. All the
time Nature may have the remedy right at
hand, but il will only be discovered by the
doctor who has studied longer and deeper
than others into this particular disease.
Consumption seemed for a long time with
ou. a remedy, until DIR. Pierce made his
wonderful Golden Medical Discovery" 20
years ago. IL has proved to be a marvellous
and aim ost unfaifng specific for consump-
ton and all forms Of lung, bronchial and
throat difficulties.
It's effects seem almost magica! but its OPP
Grafton is based upon simple natural laws.
1t has the peculiar property of enayting
the blood making glands to manufacture
healthy, red blood and pour il a~bundan;ly
into the circulation. This nourishing, vital
ling effect is rapidly manifested In the
Iangs and bronchial tubes where il stops the
wasting process and bailds up healthy tissue.
are too weak 10 digest cod liver oil, and IL
Is FAR supe rior to mait-extracts as q perua-
ueni and scientific flesh : builder ir ali
wasting diseases.
"rwsrty-sve years ago eight different doctors
tod ae that I would live hut a short time, that I
bad consnmp iou aud must die. writes Geo. 4
coooe. Esq. Of Myers Valley. Pcttawatenie Co,
Ssrs. "Ibnai.y eosp menced taking Dr. Pssoe's
Golden Medical Discovery and am stu on the
lazd and eE7ons the living have faish to be-
lieve that |. has ;erythened NY life hr the last
twsnty I've y-ars aed xhave 50 much faith In all
msu Sense Medical adv:serx'"
Dr.. Pieree's medicines are recognized a.
s:anosEc remedies throughout IKE world.
Us Pleasant Pellets" cue ccxstipatiss.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

weight as the 12-inch Acton wire
wound Woolwich gun, Fig. !, and the
other made considerably longer, and
weighing slightly more.
Accuracy of fire is chiefly secured by
uniformity of action of the propelling
means, whether of guncotton or COM
pressed air, and does not depend so
much upon velocity n flat trajectory
as is generally supposed. This, with a
she'll adapted to fly true by rotation
given ii i'm the gun, makes the ques-
ton of hitting simply one of pointing or
sighting at the target with properly ad-
justed sights.
When the value and efficiency of
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10
wooLwlcH ASTON WIRE GUN.

What purports 10 be the history of all
ancient peoples is full of the baldest
and most astonishing ex-aggerations
and the most impossible assertions as
TO their own proves and the ~cowardice
and reverses of their enemies. Nearly
the whole business of the modern his
torian. who undertakes to present To
us the facts of the past. is TO eleminate
the lies.
What is all mythology but a tissue Of
poetic lies. and What is all the history
Of the ancient nations but a series Of
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10
only tickiish point of the whole prob

only tickiish point of the whole prob
lem.
In the fuse which / propose to en-
ploy. a small body of this decorative
compound. placed in a capsule. is sus-
pended in such wise that ii is not
given sudden rotation by the revolu-
ton of the projectile, thus obviating
any possibility of firing it by the fric-
ton upon it of rotation of the shell; and
it is held in such position relative to
the charge of dry gun cotton that, if it
should, by any possibility. be set off
p~rematurely in the gun, its explosion
vents or frees itself into an air cham
Der.
Figures 2 and 3 show different forms
of the torpedo gun of 24-inch caliber,
the one made the same length and
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

i'm a moment Of rashness. he went to
Paris, where he belonged. For six
years he had a glorious good time.
smashing hearts and studying hat re-
mained for him to learn about the art of
war.
Six years of Paris and peace having
bored him, however. in 1926 he got
himself elected Duke of Courland. lie
had the pleasure of fighting both the
Russians and Poles a whole year. They
were too many for him. though. and n
returned 10 Paris. where he Joined the
army of that other gallant ~adventurer.
Ihe Duke of Berwick. natural son of
James the Second Of England. From
that on, the life of Marshal SAKE was
one long carnival of JOY In victory. He
was equally great I'm fighting and ma
geuS.ering. He beat his enemies in the
field. and when they locked themselves
up in fortified cities he sat down in
front OF them and before they knew Ii
they were forced TO capitulate. H
had the exquisite pleasure of beating
she Duke of Cumberland, with his Eng
Dish, Dutch and A~ustrians, at the battle
of F~ontenoy. that famous battle where
the French politely requested the gem
slemen of the Guard to fire first. By
that tima he was a marshal of France,
and having led a very gay life, with
much eating and drinking. he was so
far gone in dropsy that he could not
mount a horse. but had TO be carried
about in a litter. This did not prevent
him. though. from beating all the gem
erals who opposed him and taking all
the. towns which resisted him. until
the peace OF Aix-la-Chapelle placed
France on a pinnacle OF glory. He lived
until 1850. enjoying himself tolerably.
after his days Of active service were
over. He had accumulated a handsome
fortune. ans had received all the hon
ors kings and people could show him.
Although the worst speller that ever
lived until Andrew Jackson came %
dispute the honor, Marshal SAKE wroIe
a very fine book. for which the French
Academy proposed to elect him a menu
bef This, however. he declined IN a
Ift4Ar full Of bad grammar. worse spell
md and extreme good sense. Marshal
SAKE was an ornament To the profession
of oIdier OF fortune.
The greatest E~nglishman in the busl-
ness was undoubtedly Lord Give. Bd-
ron OF Plassey-the man that the elder
PFrt described as "a h"eaVen-born gen
eral." and Of whom Macaulay says no
man except Napoleon Bonaparte ever
Displayed such military capacity at the
age of twenty-five. He was an English
country boy. rather dull at his books,
mt of a fighting and predatory dispo-
sftfon always. In i744 his family ship
ped him TO India 10 get rid of him. he
being then about eighteen. For three
wears he was haine TO a clerks desk
This man. born 10 fight and conquer
the mighty empires OF India. n 10
administer 10 governments greater IN
territory and population than any in
Europe. Then he was given a comets
commission in the handful of English
troops then employed by the East India
COMPANY. At the time-l74S-5l-gt
looked as II the English were about -
be driven from India, n the French
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10

not confined TO use upon any particular
sort of torpedo boat or cruiser. neither
is the torpedo u or the aerial torpe-
do confined to any particular magni-
tude. but torpedo guns may be substi-
tuted for present ordnance in any posi-
ton where any other guns Of whatever
size are now used. Large guns. throwing
from half a ton to a ton of high eN-
.plosive. may be employed in coast for
tiications. for the destruction OF battle
ships or other attacking craft.
Upon the battleship, II such vessels