DR R. J. GATLING
Brief Sketch on the Life of This Distinguished North Carolinian. At this time when everybody is interested in matters pertaining to war, a sketch of the life of the great inventor of the Gatling gun is of much interest. We give the following which we clip from an exchange:
Robt. [should be Richard -dp] J. Gatling was born in Hertford County, North Carolina, September 12, 1818. His early life was spent on his father's farm, and while still a boy he contrived a machine for thinning co[t]ton plants. His next invention wa[s] a screw propellor, which is widely used on st[e]amships. This was followed by other inventions, among which was the wheat drill, which secured for him a medal from the Crystal Palace, London; als[o] one from the American Institute in New York city. His first employment was copying records for the County Clerk. He also taught in the district school. Subsequently he kept a store and was successful as a merchant.
While on his way from Cincinnati to Pittsburg during the winter of 18[4]6 he contracted smallpox, and the boat in which he [was] travelin[g] was frozen in the [ice], so that for thirt[ee]n days he received no medical attention.
Recovering from this severe illness he resolved to study medicine. He entered the Indiana M[e]dical College, thence going to Laport and later to Cincinnati, where he completed his course in the fall of 1850, after which he practiced several years. He spent much of his leisure time experimenting and working out inventions.
When the ci[v]il war broke out Dr. Gatling watched events closely and saw the need of rapid-fire guns, which would enable small armies to do the work of large ones. His great gun was first thought of in 1861 and was competed in 1862, at which time it was tested in the presence of sever[e]l army officers, who pronounced it a great success.
Six of the new guns were made by a Cincinnati firm in 1862, but just at the time of completion, the factory, guns and drawings were destroyed by fire. As soon as more drawings could be made Dr. Gatling gave an order for 13 guns to another Cincinnati firm. Some of these guns were used near Richmond on the James Riv[e]r by the Union army. Twelve more Galting guns were made in this city in 1865, which were used at Washington. They were given the severest tests and pronounced entirely satisfactory by Secretary of War, Stanton and General H. B. Dyea, Chief of Ordnance. They were adopted by the goverment in 1866, and an order was given for 100 of them, 50 of one inch and 50 of one-half inch calibre. These were delivered to the Government in 1867.
Dr. Gatling was elected to the presidency of the American Association of Inventors and Manufactures, which was organized in 1891, and and has been the recipient of m[a]ny honors from scientific societies.
Dr. Gatling's latest work is the gun, for which Congress appro[pria]ted $[4]0,000 on June 6, 1896[.] The contract for this gun was given to the O[t]is steel Co, of [C]leveland, Ohio, and the work has been under the personal supervision of Dr. Gatling. The gun is the largest Galing gun yet made and differs considerably from any gun of its size.
The difference batween this gun and othere of its size and power lies mainly in the method of casting. Dr. Gatling's gun was cast in a perpendicular position, muzzle downward, the steel being run into the mould with a whirling motion to produre fibre[.] About 16 tons of metal were poured into the top over the amount required for the gun. This was done to press out the air bubbles and impurities and make the moulding more compact.
The first flask was taken off [a]bout six days afte[r] the casting was made, but finding the metal still red hot, the remaining flasks were kept intact some days longer. When the last flasks were removed the casting was pronounced successful.
Then the "sink head" was sawed off and the sides smoothed, after which it was sent to the city forge to be bored.
The twist drill was first used, which cut a hole four inches in diameter. The progress of this work was slow, as only a few inches could be drilled in a day. The second boring was done much more rapidly, as the borings did not have to be cleaned out so often. When the second boring was complete the hole was seven and five-eights inches.
The gun then returned to the place of casting, where it was subjected to great heat and a mandrel introduced into the opening and kept turning, which forced the opening from seven and five-eights to eight inches. A tube was then inserted carrying a stream of water to cool the gun from the interior, thereby strengthing it.
The gun as it now stands at Sandy Hook, weighs about 15 tons. Its length is 23 feet and the bore is eight inches, giving a tensile strength of 100,000 pound to the square inch. "The Patron and Gleaner", Andrew J. Conner, ed., Rich Square, Northampton County, N.C.
Thursday, May 26, 1898 [Vol. 7, No. 21]

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