Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-07
GATLING's BIG GUN BURSTS.
Goes TO Pieces Under Normal Firing
Pressure.
CNew York Sun-5thD

New York Sun-Jln.)
Dr. Richard Jordan Cuttings expert
mental cast-steel s-inch rifle. for the con-
structlon OF which Congress appropriated
$4,000. burst al the Sandy Hook proving
grounds Yesterday. The gun went 20
pieces under a normal firing pressure Of
SO. 500 pounds. Although the air was filled
with flying fragments of steel no one was
hurt. as the officers who conducted the
test took refuge behind a sand hill be-
fore each firing. Or. Calling was not AZ
the proving-grounds. he having told the
ordnance officers to go ahead with the
firings if he did not come.
The news Of the bursting Of the gun was
telegraphed to Or. Calling and 10 the
Ordnance Department. at Washington.
The gun burst on the fifteenth firing.
Five proof shots were fired three weeks
ago to-day in the presence OF General
Miles and his associates on the Board
of ordnance and Fertilization and Or.
Calling. Then the maximum firing pres
sure was 1900 pounds, attained by the
use of ~ pounds Of Dupont brown pris-
matte powder. Ten shots were fired yes
terday under the direction of Major
Heath. A normal charge Of powder was
used for each firing. and only normal
pressures We're recorded. The pressure
gauges showed that the pressures were
remarkably uniform. and the highest re-
corded was only "A trihe above that which
burst the piece in the fifteenth round.
Colonel Phipps. the head of the ord
nance Board. under whose direction near
~ all the modern heavy army guns IN
this country have been tested, directed
that especial care be taken 10 give the
gun perfectly fair test. The powder
was carefully selected 10 make sure that
only normal pressures were produced,
and the pressure gauges were used con-
tinuously. Ordinarily, In the testing of
heavy guns at Sandy Hook the ordnance
officers don't handle the new guns very
gently and If the pressure gauges run
I'D to fifty, sixty, seventy. or even eighty
thousand pounds. 1t isn't thought remark
able. Guns which are 70 be handled by
SQUADS Of men can't be too strong for THIS
government. Neither the Department of
War nor OF the Navy at Washington
wants its records stained by any such dis
asters as cover the pages Of European
departmental reports
1--WE build guns" said the army ord
nance officer the other day. that we can
issue to the service and say. these guns
are built for a normal pressure or 5hoV
pounds. but if, I'm the excitement OF battle
YOU overload them and create pressure
away I'D towards a hundred thousand
YOU needn't worry. These guns have al
enormous factor of safety
The bursting of DR.. Gatling's gun was
expected by the army ordnance experts
The inventor knew that his idea of cast
ing a big gun in one piece was an Ole
one. but he believed that his specia
methods OF casting and cooling would pro
duce a gun as strong as the service hoop
cd guns. The ordnance experts told Or
Calling that he must fail, and they op
posed the granting OF the money asked
for bv the inventor. But General Miles
who is a strong friend of Dr. Calling
| urged Congress to make the appropriation
Because they did not believe DR.. Calling
gun was built on scientific principles, an'
| because they felt sure that It would 90 q
| nieces the ordnance officers handled tn
| gun with unusual care and now that j
has failed they say only the gun Is Z
! blame.
| Under the act appropriating SO!WO 10
the S-lnch Calling rife, $1,000 was appro
priated for the construction OF a cast
| steel mortar The construction of tn
mortar has not begun. For the testinl
III the rifle the Ordnance and F0rtiiica
! tion Board allotted SlS,6O0. Three hundre'
rounds were to have been fired Tn
bursting OF the gun so early In the ties
was not expected by even those most op
posed 10 the principles OF its construction