PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 521 



wonld throw balls of the common shape. There has been a number of them 

 made — I should think about twenty altogether. This gun would throw 

 twenty-four balls all at once. 



Mr. N. Wiard. — This gun was called the coffee mill. 



Mr. Stetson. — Tlie cartridges for this gun were prepared in little steel 

 cylinders, about three-eighths of an incil diameter, and these were carried 

 along by the bushel. The gun seemed to fire as fast as the man could 

 turn the crank; but in regard to loading, Mr. Kellogg's method is superior 

 and much more simple. 



Mr. Wiard. — The inventor of this gun just described, told me to-day that 

 an objection to its firing so many balls at once was that the accuracy of 

 the aim is destroyed. Twenty-four balls moving in parallel lines disturbs 

 a large volume of air, and the tendency of which is to cause the balls to 

 clog together, and thus impair the very important feature of precise firing. 

 Mr. Benjamin Garvey. — In examining a subject of this kind we should be 

 guided by some practical results to be attained) and there are four to be 

 considered in discussing the utility of this gun. The first is rapidity of 

 firing; second, precision of aim; third, long range,> and fourth, ease of 

 handling. The different plans for rapid firing that have been devised, and 

 have not come into general use, is a practical illustiation of the failure of 

 this feature. The only time when rapid firing would be necessary is in 

 making a charge, and even in that case it has been found that firing a great 

 number of shots is entirely useless. A British regiment in India, at one 

 time, was ordered to charge up it" hill, and when within 500 yards of the 

 enemy they were ordered to fire, but what was their surprise when they 

 found that their bullets tore up the gji'ound before them, and their simulta- 

 neous firing was of no avail. We have an instance of an opposite natur^ 

 at the battle of New Orleans, where a rifleman, with his slouched hat, sta- 

 tioned himself at a long distance off, and commenced firing deliberately; 

 and when seen by the enen)y he excited only their laughter and derision, 

 but pi'esently one man fell, then an oflScer, and still another, and soon Iheir 

 laughter was changed into sorrow; and after a short time all eyes were 

 turned towards this one man in his rifle pit, whose single fire had produced 

 so deadly ai\ effect. In the first instance here spoken of, the simultaneous 

 firing of a whole regiment may be said to be entirely wasted, while on the 

 other hand we see the advantage of slow but accurate firing. What is 

 wanted in small arms is precision of aim and long range. In the gun be- 

 fore us it is said we have the latter, but the former is doubtful, as there 

 are many things that render it so. The simple working of the lever that 

 fires the gun may disarrange the aim after it has been sighted. And in 

 introducing anything new it should be made to conform as tnuch as possi- 

 ble to the accustomed mode of working, for a gun made to suit a certain 

 style of cartridges and no other, will be sure to fail of coming into general 

 use. In the gun spoken of by Mr. Stetson it appears that the ordinary 

 copper cartridge, in general use, can be fired from it, and these are fed 

 into tlie barrel by their own gravity, andtiiis seems to me to be an admi- 

 rable plan; but as stated this evening, the firing of 24 balls at once is not 

 an advantage. In vessels of war it is found desirable to fire heavy balls, 

 and if a massive ball is fired once an hour it would be doing very well. 



