proceedings of the polytechnic associatiojji. 405 

 Stevens' New Carbine. 



ilr. "W. II. Stcvciis exhibited his new carbine, and spoke as follows: 

 Gentlemen, in accepting- an invitation to appear before you, I did not 

 anticipate meeting- such a g-athering- as this; and I do not come with any 

 expectation of profit to myself, but because I take some pride in showing 

 my invention to scientific men, whose appreciative faces seem to offer a 

 gleam of sympathy with my long and laborious struggle in perfecting this 

 gun. My purpose was to make a gun that might be loaded and fired with 

 one hand. Not with the intention of sending back to the, war, the one 

 armed heroes, such as our friend who has addressed you; but that the horse- 

 man may liavc one hand to control his animal and fire with the other. I 

 commenced my study by laying down certain controlling principles as a 

 guide to my course. The breech should be opened and cleared for another 

 cliarge at one easy movement. After putting in a charge the gun should 

 by securely closed by one opposite movement. The working parts to acom- 

 plish this should be as few as is compatible Avith present security and per- 

 manent durability in severe use. The breech-loading should not interfere 

 with any improvements of bore, rifling or ammunition which ma}' give long 

 and accurate range. By much handling of a gun I find that the shortest 

 route to the cartridge box for the hand, is to draw it back in a line parallel 

 with the lock. I make use of the first inch of this motion to slide back a 

 guaz-d on which the middle finger rested at the time of firing. This guard 

 is a part of a sliding rod which wedges down the breech block, containing 

 the lock, then pulls by a single other piece of great power, the cartridge 

 shell both at the same movement. After the cartridge is inserted the 

 breech is securely closed by the forward slip of the hand, as the gun is 

 brought up to the shoulder; or both movements may be made with one 

 hand as the piece hangs at the side in the horseman's sling. By pressing 

 in a certain stop-pin, the lock may be swung down and its side plate opened 

 like a lid exposing the lock for cleaning, oiling or to be taken out, and this 

 is done without screw-driver or other tool. 



The sporting piece is furnished with a percussion cap cone so arranged 

 as to fire the regular cartridge or loose powder loaded at the muzzle with 

 a patched ball; or the frontiersman may refill the old cartridge shells with 

 as much or little powder as he fancies, and fire with common caps, and 

 this without altering- his piece in any way. The simplicity, compactness 

 and durability'' secured in this construction can only be appreciated by exami- 

 nation and use. 



Arrangements are being made to manufacture this arm in cavalry, 

 infantry and sporting form at Worcester, Mass. 



Plumbago. 



Mr. J. Johnson exhibited a large specimen of graphite from the State of 

 Maine. 



Grease Balls from Steam Exhaust Pipes. ' 



Mr. AVatson exhibited two black hard balls, nearly two inches in diameter. 

 They were taken, with seventeen others, from the exhaust pipe of a steam 

 ' iigine. The dirt and sand accumulates with grease and particles of iron, 



