Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-03-03
THE FIRST CANNON
They Were IN Use Long Before
Hand Firearms Appeared.
CRUDE GUNS or EARLY DAYS

CRUDE GUNS OF EARLY DAYS
curiess Wsspers From which tavs
oesn Evolved the Modern Deadly En-
einss Of Ws~-Unele Sans Famous
Collection In the Nstionsi Museum.
Specimens Of military and other
fcrms Of nrearms from England.
France. Russia. Japan Germany and
many other countries. are to be seen
IN the small arms exhibition Of the
United States national museum The
exhibit includes some LOO Individual
pieces and comprises probably the best
general collection IN the United States.
considering that there are represented
Examples Of military rides. pistols and
revoivefs. sporting shOtguns and rides.
target rides and pistols. and numer-
ous odd and unusual pieces relating
to the development Of 6rearms
Although the discovery OF gunpowder
b attributed By some to China. there
b no positive evidence that the Chi
neoe ever made use Of II. At an early
period they produced certain kinds of
0reworkA accounts Of which came
through Persia. Egypt and the Moorish
countries In southern Europe. but gun
powder for use In firearms, Il 10 be-
heved originated IN Italy. Spain or Ger
many While cannon 0f q sort were
built 10 the early part Of the fourteenth
century. hand firearms were slow to
b. adopted on account Of their unre-
liability. and II was not until about
1881 that they are known to have ap
peared IN Germany. while Europe IN
general did not take them up until the
middle Of the fifteenth century. when
they became known a. hand cannon.
The earliest form OF hand gun was q
crude affair. Cred By the application Of
Q burning match TO the touchhoIe. The
6rst improvement was the mounting Of
the match on sprfngless lock or cock.
which later. upon the addition OF .
spring. beca me known a. the match
lock. Examples Of this early weapon
from India. China, Afghanistan. Japs q.
Fofmosa. Arabia. Morocco and Mexico
are In the museum collection
The next Development was the wheel
lock gun. about 1918 or 1917. nred BY a
spark struck on pyrites BY q roughened
wheel revolved BY q spring Speci-
mems of this type Of gun and pistol
from Greece. Germany and England
A<~A o. -.
hibit.
A form of fiintiock, called the snap
haunce. followed In 1870 This substi-
tuted In place OF the wheel lock.
which held In it's jaws a piece Of py-
rites and when released hit the cover
Of the pan. striking spark. which tg-
nited the charge Of powder. A pair Of
pistols Of this type from Constantine
pie illustrate the principle well Fur
Their Improvements IN the snaphaunce
resulted In the dtntiock gun. tn which
a piece Of nint replaced the pyritea
mon. and some sixty are included in
the museum collection. representing
nearly every country and well liustrat-
ing the various changes and Improve
ments made
One Of the most interesting and val
John Cookson nintiock breech loading
magazine gun. made In 1885. which has
q magazine In the stock capable Of
holding ten rounds OF loose powder
and bullets.
One movement of the lever feeds the
ammunition into the barrei. cocks the
hammer and primes the pan In spite
Of the English name Of the maker. this
odd piece b believed to be OF spanish
origin on account Of its general type
and the style OF tn decoration Ii was
probably brought 10 Maryland By the
early English coIonistA. At least 1t
was found In Baltimore and conascat-
ed In 1858 and held oy the government
until 1861. when II was thrown away.
In 1888 II was purchased for Q small
sum and put IN tn present perfect con-
dttion BY a gunsmftb Of Baltimore.
from whom II was secured BY an
American collector and presented to
the museum
From . military viewpoint the de-
sign Of this gun evidences great ad-
vances of III time. for. With the maya
xine charging sppurtenaDee. ten shots
could be cred in q little more time
than b required for a modern maya
s1ns gun Altogether. the antiquity.
design workmanship and beauty Of
this gun make IT q most valuable and
remarkable relic.
The collection also contains several
pillock. and the percussion cap guns
which followed the nint lock and the
Prussis needle gun and the French
Chassepot which appeared somewhat
later.
The development Of the gun and am
munftiop 10 the United States b web
Qlr~<r~ se-H hv eprfSs Of historical