The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-11-18
HE MADE THE DYNAMITE GUN.
Unfortunate Plight Of a Man Whose
Invention Has Been Invaluable.

JOnn RapleH, n OF the
dynamite gun, is now in the home
for %incurables, without resources, and
dependent upon his friends. His wife
is compelled to take in sewing, one
of the boys is a ticket chopper on
the elevated road, another is in
charge of a moving stairway, while
a daughter, who has shown remark
able artistic ability, is supported by
some friends in Troy. He is to a de-
gree himself responsible for his pres
ent paralytic condition.
Rapieff was born in Perm, Prussia,
in 1847. His father, an untitled noble,
gave him an elementary education,
and then sent him to the parish
school. From there he went to Sa-
mara college, and finally entered the
High Military school at st. Peters
burg, from which he graduated in
1865. Four years later he retired
from the army and was employed
ICE
by the Russian government as a civil
engineer, knowledge Of which profes.
sion he had acquired by private study.
He had removed to London when
in 1873 he invented a system of arc
lighting by which a current could be
divided and utilized by a number of
arc lamps, a thing which had not been
accomplished up to that time. The
London Times gave long accounts OF
this feat, and its composing rooms
were the first to benefit by such a
system. An exhibition about that
date gave much space to Mr.. Rapieff's
invention of arcs, and he was pre-
scented to the then prince of Wales
on that occasion.
In 1884 he came to America and
was introduced to S. D. Schuyler,
then president of a pneumatic dyna,
mite gun company, which had been
experimenting with a primitive inven'
ton by Mr.. Mefford, of Ohio, the fore
runner of the present dynamite gun,
Capt. Zalinski of the United States
artillery has often been given credit
for the present dynamite gun, prin'
cipally because with him it had been
a hobby, and he has lectured at ev'
cry opportunity on the desirability
of such a gun. When Mr.. Schuyler
organized his gun company Capt.
Zalinski was detailed to investigate
the matter, and he was so impressed
that the government granted his re
quest to be allowed to be consulting
engineer of the company. George H
Reynolds next invented a gun, and
then Nathaniel w. Pratt of New York
city improved upon it, and Capt. Ia
linski himself patented many inven
| tions and had full confidence in the
gun as then completed. But it proved
to be a colossal failure, as the pro
| ~iectiles revolved in the air on the
way to the target and the gun be
| came ~overheated after three or foul
shots, and had to be practically taker
apart to cool.
1t was then that Mr.. Schuyler be
sought Mr.. Rapieff to devote his whole
| attention to the invention of a valua
BILE dynamite gun. He was at thai
time as he was for eighteen years
| drawing a salary of about $4,000 from
the company. He told Mr.. SCHUYLER
that the gun as it stood was practi
cally useless, and suggested that he
be given absolute freedom in inven
ton, and that to safeguard the com
pany against any imposition on hi:
part, he desired as he proceeded tina
the other engineers be given liberty
to criticise his work. After a yea
he found it would be to his advantage
to work unhampered by criticism, an(
he invented the gun as nov seen a
Sandy Hook.
Every particular of this gun is new
and original and is entirely the out
come of Mr.. Rapieff's individual work
although it is the popular belief tina
Capt. Zalinske invented the gun. The
American edition of the Encyclopae
dia. Britannica went so far in it's frs
edition as to give credit to Capt. Ia
linski, but this was corrected in thu
second edition. At present there ar
three of these guns at Sandy Hook
three at the entrance of the harbo,
of San Francisco, one in England
one at Port Royal, and one at Fish
er's island, while the Vesuvius is
also equipped with guns after thi'
pattern. The first dynamite guns OF
that cruiser, which proved unsuccess
full, were not of the Rapieff design.
OF an erratic disposition, he de
stroyed his vitality by overwork AM
little s1aen turning night into da,