Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-11
Battle Scared Gun of Privateer Gen.
Armstrong

a crank on the rear of the gun the projec-
tiles were fired at the rate of about eighty
a minute through the single barrel of the
piece. When it was first used against a
Georgia regiment the colonel is said to have
remarked
What kind of dog-goned spitfire Yam
kee contraption is that. anyhow? 1t re-
minds me OF company OF infantry
wheels"
An odd exhibit is a fintlock magazine
seven barrels, and Mr.. Jared Mundell in
charge Of the museum, explained that 1t
was fired after the fashion Of a Roman
candle, by the charge in the center or
seventh barrel. The large, clumsy looking
f1intlock is on the side Of the piece, the
trigger being operated by means Of a long
pitch-covered cord or lanyard The spark
from the flint Is conveyed to the center
barrel, which fires successfully the other
six chambers. This piece represents the
earliest experiments in this country with
magazine and rapid-f1re guns
The evolution of American small arms
from the unwieldy old flintlock musket Of
the revolution to the modern Lee and Krag-
Jorgensen long-range. small-bore rifles is
shown in a rack Of guns in the museum.
This exhibit includes small arms used by
the United States in every war in which 1t
has been engaged, from Lexington and
Concord to the present fighting in the Phil
fppines. In the rack is fintlock revolver
rife of 1893, with which continental SOL
der could fire five times without reloading
Another type Of instruments of war used
in the long ago is an assortment of brass
blunderbusses captured by the Americans
during the Mexican war. These guns are
wide or bell mouthed, and were loaded with
about pound of buckshot other mis-
Siles. Beneath the lower center Of the bar
rel Is a sharp pointed rod. This was stuck
into tree stump or other object to break
the effect Of the recOil. which must have
been terrific. s"=str
Those blunderbusses," said Mr.. Jared
Mundell, did more damage in the rear
than they did in front They must have
had the kicking capacity Of a government
mule"
Queer looking boarding helmets worn by
American marines and sailors during the
war of 1912 are scattered about in the naval
museum They are tall leather affairs, with
frame of steel bands to protect the heads
of the wearers from cutlass strokes or
blows from handspikes or marlinspikes.
The Billinghurst battery ''volley gum
is an interesting exhibit. There are twenty
five barrels placed horizontally and ar
ranged fan shape to cover a wide range Of
neously by trigger continuance in the
rear. The gun was first used In 1862, and
was by the soldiers nicknamed the hor-
nets nest"
Variety Of Torpedoes.
There is a great variety Of torpedoes and
submarine mines on exhibition In the little
museum building. A modern Spanish tor
pede. 10 feet in length. captured at San
uago by the Americans, Is exhibited by the
side of a smaller torpedo used in the civil
war. Near by is fac smile of the spar
torpedo used by Lieutenant Gushing when
he blew up the confederate ram Albemarle,
and a section Of a spar, twisted, bent and
torn. showing the terrific force of the ex-
plosion of one of those instruments of de-
struction. Among the captured confeder-
ate torpedoes are several crude ones, made
"a nd hnor
The relics OF the war with Spain include
Lee rifle used by an American marine
during the night attack at Guantanamo.
Its stock was struck by a Spanish projec-
tile and badly shattered.
The exhibit Of shells includes one which
was fired from a confederate gunboat and
lodged in the headquarters Of Gen. Mans
field at Newport News, Va, during the at
and Congress In Hampton Roads, and an
| other shell which was fired from a rifcd
32-pounder in the confederate works at
Cock Pit Point. on the Potomac, into the
United States steamer Yankee from Wash
ington while running the batteries January
2. 1852. Another shell was picked up by
Lieut.. Col. Reynolds, chief quartermaster,
Army of the Tennessee, at the battle of
Corinth. October 3 and 4. 1862. This exhibit
also includes a variety of hand grenades,
grape and canister and other missiles used
during the civil war and now obsolete.
Breech-Loading Gun in 1346.
A pamphlet on file at the museum. casts
some interesting light upon the conception
OF the modern guns in recent and present
use. 1t shows that breech-loading can
non was used by the English at the battle
OF Crecy in 1916. The breech block, with
continuous screw, was manufactured at
Client and used in warfare first in 1404 and
l4l9 Guns on the Hotchkiss principle
were made at Munich in 1882. The Swiss
made and used a copper gun on the Maxim
principle in 1742. 1t was adapted for firing
ten successive charges by block. The prin-
capie OF the Calling gun was originated by
James Puckle, an Englishman, In 1718,
while the principle OF the Krupp gun is a
Dutch cannon made in 1850
From this statement of facts" said
naval officer. will be found a verfhcation
OF the old adage. There is nothing new un-
der the sum-"
The navy yard museum is filed with in
teresung relics. and owing to its obscure
locat ton the institution islitt1e known, even
to residents Of Washington. A journey to
the museum on onset0fsfhe balmy spring
days will amply repaya1ny one. Outside Of
the little war museunidissre are many other
objects of interestt1hysand about Uncle
Sans great gun feaMdaes in the Wash
ington navy yard. iatof