The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-09-11
,ENTENARY OF MACHINE GUN INVENTOR


war are practically unanimous in the opinion that
the most efficient weapon in use on either side IS
the machine-gun. In its deadly effects the little
machine-guns pouring out their streams OF
leaden hail have been found more powerful than
the largest artillery guns. That is why the
workshops of the United States are busy turning
out tens of thousands of these automatic rifles
and whv the Government has established a
special school to train officers and men in their
use.
In view of the prominent part that these weap-
ons are playing in the great it is interesting
TO recall that tomorrow will be the centennial an
niversary of the birth of the machine gun in
ventor Richard J. Calling. While many inn
provements have been made in DR.. Cuttings in
vention and many new devices added, the prin-
ciple remains the same.
All the rapid-fre guns of the world, in fact,
Calling guns, with the exception of the Maxim
guns, which are an original invention of Hiram
| Maxim.
Richard J. Calling endowed with in
vention genius Hartford County N. c., was his
birthplace, and it was on his fathers plantation
in North Carolina that he first gave attention to
invention He first tried to make machines for
agricultural use, assisting his father in perfect
ing machine for sowing cotton seed and another
for thinning cotton plants. He invented also a
screw for propelling water craft, but found that
he had been anticipated by John Ericsson. He
| invented and patented another machine for SOW
ing rice, and adapted-i subsequently to sowing
wheat
He was the inventor of several machines for
industrial uses when the war between the States
began in 1861. 1t was then that he conceived the
idea of the revolving battery gum and in 1862 he
had some guns made on the model that he had
perfected Although the gun was used expert
mentally by Gen. Butler in the fighting around
Petersburg it was not until after the war that it
was so improved that the United States Govern
ment adopted it for the service.
| The invention Of the Calling gun greatly in
creased the horrors of war. When first tried in
battle by Gen. Butler the slaughter that follow
| ed its use was tremendous as had been pre-
dicted. DR.. Calling, the inventor, however, was
not man of destructive nature or of bloody in
stincts, but on the contrary was of very mild
| and even benevolent disposition. He contended
that his invention was made the carnage of war
| so terrible that the nations of the world would
seek peace at almost any cost. This result. I'M
fortunately, does not appear to have followed the
development of Understanding agencies
! The CONSERVATION and slaughter produced by
the first use of the Calling gun in actual warfare
| secured for it worldwide reputation and led
| to its speedy adoption by the leading nations of
the world. 1t was effectively used in the Franco
Prusslan war and did effective service in the
campaigns against the Indians in the West dur
ing the seventies and eighties It was also eff
fectvely used by the United States forces against
| the Spaniards in front of Santiago in 1898
DR. Calling protected his invention and i'm
provements by half dozen patents. While the
first gun fired 800 shots per minute, the impro-
we'd one discharged 1000 shots per minute, and
by the aid of electric motor to revolve the gum
the capability of rapid firing reached maximum
/ of 500 shots in fourteen and half seconds with
a range of over mile, using Springfield cart
| ridge.
One of DR.. Gatling's last inventions was an
eight-inch gun for the United States Govern