The Washington herald., 1908-07-26

- elI2e--AAA4 -eL--zs near EDLA-
corning an inspection Of which Special
Agent Capt Godfrey L. Garden gives The
following interesting account:
The Hotchkiss works, at St Denis, are
working at present so men. This tine
last year. when business was in better
condition. about !. .o05 men were employed.
While essentially French IN its organiza-
ton, the Hotchkiss establishment has long
been recognized as American IN direction
and control A story which has been cur
rent Tor many years attributes the found
ing OF the Horchkiss works in France TO
a lack OF encouragement on the part OF
the United States. The real facts Of the
case are as follows:
During the civil war Mt. B. B. Hotch-
kiss had been supplying good deal Of
war material 70 the United States. more
especially the welI-knoEn Hotchxiss pro-
5ectile for muzzle-Ioading rife guns. At
the end OF the war Mr. Hotchkiss was
one OF the few contractors who realized
that there would be a long period during
which the policy OF the government would
be retreuchment and that he should seek
other fields for his activity.
Metallic ammunition for small arms
having been successfully developed at the
Erankford pa Arsenal. and the use and
manufacture Of such ammunition being
practically unknown in Europe. he de-
cided. in IS5S. 70 90 TO Vienna. as the
Austrian government had begun 70 take
interest in this subject. There he estab-
Hshed a small factory for the Eaa1ufac-
ture OF smaII-ar-ns ammunition which was
fairly successful
Revolving and Rapfd-fire Guns.
Il was while IN Vienna IN $50 that
Hotchkiss conceived the idea Of the re-
vOiving cannon. which was designed IN
der his direction by A c. Koerner. still
director Of the Hotchkiss company.
During the Franco-German war the com
mittee on the national defense. hearing
Of Hotchkiss' small-arrus ammunition fac
tory, invited him 70 bring his plant 20
France. which he did. installing It at
Viviers- E5e received large contracts AZ
the time and was supplied by the govern
ment with a certain number OF wOrkmen
and an old locomotive. which was put
il on Sizids anGs used as motive power
Tor his factory Al the end 05 the wcr
the French government paid Hotchkiss a
considerable indemnity 10 cancel his con-
tracts, and he removed 20 Paris. where
he tooz up the Development OF the revcIv-
ing cannon II is al interesting tact that
the first revolving cannon for field service
was taken up by The United States gov
eminent
When. in the early SOS. AIr. Hotchiziss
conceived and developed. in association
with Mr. Kosrner, the idea OF the rapid
fire gun, 70 which he applied the we'll
known principle OF q nOnrecOU gun train
ed from the shoulder, the United states
government gave him his first order. and
- e.
steamship Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and
Dolphin were the hrst Of this make. ac-
cording 70 the statement Of the Hotchlliss
company, which were ordered by any
government for actual Service. Mr.. Hotch-
kiss died n February. ISIS. and soon after
HIS death the present company was form
ed in order TO take over the business and
buy out his installation
HOtehLziss Encouraged at Home.
From the foregoing it viii be seen that
HOtchlsiss. far from being DISCOURAGED
BY the United States government came
abroad n order 10 find fresh. fields for his
activities. and that he was always encour-
aged although established abroad. through
orders for both the army and navy OF the
United States Il may be remarked IN
this connection that Up 10 the present day
10 artillery business has been developed
IN the United States which has been able
70 obtain fOothold in foreign countries.
This is largely due TO the apathy OF the
American establishments. On the other
hand American manufacturers Of small
arms have. az least in the past, been very
successful. due 10 the fact that they have
carried on an energetic campaign in for
eign countries through American agents
sent abroad.
The Hotchkiss works. IN common with
many other French plants, undertook
curing the past five years the construction
OF automobiles. and while this part OF
the business has suffered by reason OF the
general depression IN the automobile trade
Of late, the general activity Of the shops
has been maintained through gun and
Projectile orders
Capt Garden enumerates about thirty
gron-working tools in operation in the
Hotchkiss works. as against fifteen OF
French manufacture. These tools include
lathes. boring machines. planers. milling
machines. automatic turTet Iathes and
others. He then continues.
Certain standard gauges used have been
supplied By c. E. JOhansson, Of Eskes-
stUna Sweden The Johansson gauges
are probably the most accurate in the
world. The writer has talked personally
with gauge makers who have not hesi-
turned out by Johansson; and the inter
esting part Of It IS that no one has been
able 70 discover how Johanssoa makes
his gauges JOhanssOn declares that he
has his own machines. designed by him
self. and this IS doubtless true.
At the HOtchkiss shops I saw q box OF
JOhanssOn gauges which were purchased, I
I understand. for about $50. The state
ment was made that the gauge proved true
and that on the assembling Of the smaller
gauges the additions came out absolutely
correct with the single E1Uges. which stood
for the several additions Great care has
10 be exercised IN handling these gauges
70 assure that they are not affected by
temperature, expansions, and coatrac-
tious-
Making Small CaIiber PrOiectiIes.
observed forty-fve Hure lathes at
work in one department turning out
small-caliber. rapid-fre gun projectiles.
The lathes were designed by the Hotch-
kiss company, and I understand that the
Hotchkiss management prefers that there
shall be iow OF projectiles from lathe 70
lathe rataeT than an attempt TO work I'd
The prOjectiles on turret Iathes. I IN
Quired why turret lathes were not used
for this sort Of work. and received a reply
10 the above effect. Il cannot be said
that these Hurs lathes are doing slow
work They are working I'D hard steel
IN these projectiles, and I am Informed
that these forty-fve tools turned out for
the Russian government 400 proJectiies
g week Of six-pounder type. working
seven DAYS a week. twenty-five hours per
day I observed however IL This ocn-aa