The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-08
GA'TLING AND HIS GUN.
The Noted Inventor Talks About His
New Mammoth Rife.

The Noted Inventor Talks About His
New Mammoth Rifle.
CLEVELAND, March 7.-Dr. Richard
Jordan Calling, the inventor of the famous
engine of death which bears his name and
which forms a part of the Understanding
equipment of every army and navy of the
world, is actively engaged in this city in
the construction of a monstrous death-deal-
ing gun on newly calculated plans based
upon scientific principles, mechanically and
automatically correct. The fame of the
Calling gun is known from one END Of the
world-civilized and uncivilized-to the
other. Thousands upon thousands of rebel
lious people have fallen before its fire.
belching, lead-hurling muzzle trained by ex-
perenced hands. And yet, although in his
eighty-frst year, the doctor proposes to
eclipse all his former achievements in the
line of gun making. Although the inventor
of murderous weapon, the doctor is one
Of the mildest-mannered kindest dispo-
sitioned men on earth He is North Car
Gilman by birth, but has made this city his
home for many years. He comes by the
title doctor honestly, being a medical man
by training and profession, but as boy he
took naturally to mechanics, and thirty
seven years ago conceived the idea which
resulted in the wonderful gun which bears
his name. He does not consider however
that he has reached the height of his
achievements, although he says his weapon
is hard to improve upon. The new eight
inch gun which is now being constructed
in this city for the United States govern
ment, which is nearly completed and soon
expected to explode itself and all other
theories of ordnance construction, he be-
lieves will be the crowning glory of his
career.
1T would scarcely be possible he says,
ito overestimate the Importance of the ex-
periments in gun construction that are be-
ing tried in Cleveland" And it is a fact
that the ideas that are being carried out in
the construction of this heavy-calibered
gun have never before been put into opera
ton in building large piece of artillery
Heretofore what is known as the building
up" process of guns has always been fol-
lowed, but in the present case the immense
barrel is cast in one piece and mandreled
or bored through from end to end after the
barrel has been first cast, and then re-
heated. The process of forging the interior
will begin later, and it is this that is the
most important part of the work 1t is the
Sonally supervise, and it is expected that
General Miles will also be here to witness
the work. Exactly what this process con-
slsts of is known only to a very few, and
While DR.. Calling talked freely about all
other particulars of the gun, when cues.
toned upon this point he remarked signifi.
canlly: THAT is something l do not dare
discuss. L do not care to have our foreign
contemporaries learn too much on that sub
ject."
1T is the casting of the gun that will be
most interesting to the public" continued
DR.. Calling, land that is more remarkaple
when the old style building-up construction
Is understood. For forty years big guns
have been made of scores and scores of
pieces. First the inner tube has been cast
"a mere weak shell. To strengthen this,
section after section of steel has been built
up around 1t. Now, when these sections
are heated by firing, they of course expand
and the tube elongates. have known guns
large enough to allow half-dolars to be
slipped in. After this the tube curves
downward and the gun is useless. The old
style or gun could not stand twenty rounds
In action, and do not believe one exists
that could be fired twelve times in quick
succession without being rendered useless.
Now, when gun costs 100000 it is pretty
expensive shooting if it can only be fired
such limited number of times I believe
the new gun will outlast the old ones for
three or four times the number of dis
charges at least. If not fired too rapidly
hundred rounds may easily be discharged
from the mandreled gun.
Then, too, the cost is q considerable
item. We can build two and perhaps three
guns on the new plan for what one could be
built before, and-what is more important in
an emergency-they can be built in a quar-
ter of the time The old plan was unne~
chanical and unscentifc. 1t was the best
that could be done forty years ago, but way
out of date now. When steel could only be
made in small crucibles they were obliged
to build up the guns, but now it is different.
The casting is done with rotary flow OF
metal to give the band a ropelilSe con-
and with the alloys now known
the cast metal can be made as strong as if
it were welded. England has given up the
built-up gun and is now experimenting with
a wound wire method. The mandrel is far
ahead of this, however"
1t will only be few days before the big
gun will be ready to be shipped to Wash
ington where the rifling will be DONE and
then it will be ready for mounting. When
asked how he ever came to devote his mind
ling laughingly replied: Il suppose you are
thinking tbatsI do not look like murder
Gus or destructive individual. Well, the
fact is, / am not. / have seldom told the
history of my Inventions but 1 will say that
the motives that prompted them were the
most humane. That sounds strongly incon-
sistent, does it not? But it is none the less
true / remember the first idea that ever
prompted me to invent a gun as we'll as If
it were yesterday. In 1862. during the civil
war, l lived in Indianapolis. Almost daily
I watched the departure Of troops that, had
been sent there to be drilled before being
sent to the front. The many touching part
those who remember those awful times 1t
was not alone the departings that I wit
messed for in a little time the trains be-
gan bringing back boxes. Sometimes
dozen, sometimes twenty. in a single day.
Each box, of course. contained a dead
Union soldier. The partings had made
sad impression on me, but nothing like the
one those home-comings made.
T began to make inquiries, and soon
learned that comparatively few of these
soldiers were killed by bullets. Scarcely
one in four, and the rest died in hospitals
from disease or in camp from exposure
Then it occurred to me that there were
too many men in the service. / thought il
something could be invented whereby one
of these men could do the work of a hum
dred. why then the other ninety-nine might
stay at home. Then there would be less
widows and orphans in proportion. had
invented quite number of things, notably
the first wheat drill ever used, and put my
mind at work to invent a rapid-fring gun,
My early difficulties were many l made
my plans easily enough, and finally had
battery of six guns built. When these guns
were nearly completed and all paid for,
some one--I doubt not q scroundel of a
rebel spy-set fire to the factory and they
were destroyed. l went to work again. and
a battery of thirteen guns was made in
Cincinnati. and sent to Washington as soon
as completed. Here there were more
troubles General Ripley. the chief of ord
nance. would have none of my gun. Finally