Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 236, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1910 — NEW GUN POWERFUL [ARTICLE]

NEW GUN POWERFUL

Weapon Could Wipe Out Whole Army in a Jiffy. Machine Invented by Swiss Fires Million Buliets an Hour Without Use of Powder, So Press Agent Claims. New York.—A gun that, its inventor says, can shoot 1,000,000 bullets an hour at a cost of S2O; that uses neither powder nor compressed air, and that fires bullets that do not require shells, was shot for the enlightenment of a delegation of New York reporters the other day. They saw the gun shoot, but they were not permitted to see that part of the gun out of which the little steel bullets came with such rapidity. A Swiss named Bangerter was Introduced as the ihventor. and the press agent who staged the exhibition stated that Bangerter used to make watches. The reporters asked nearly as many questions as the number of bullets this terrible weapon is said to be able to discharge, but there was no information coming as to what made the gun so lavish in the distribution of Its little steel missiles. In order, that the secret should be maintained that part of the mechanism that it is said causes the rapid shooting was covered with oilcloth. Only the motor that operates the gun and the little bucketlike receptacles into which the bulletß are poured by the quart were visible to the reporters. The exhibition was on the third floor of the building at 79 Broad street, Stapleton, S. I. In a little room adjoining that in which, were placed the reporters was the gun. There were targets made of a series of big boards arranged in box fashion, each plank about a foot behind the one in

front of it. There were four boards in each target. At four p. m. the shooting began. The first of the targets were dragged into position. A moment later the motor started up. Then the bullets started to fly. They riddled the target into a pile of splinters a foot high, and they did it in less than a minute. All In all, it was estimated that no less than 15,000 bullets pierced the target. Not only the first of the big boards was riddled into a shapeless mass, but each of the other three as well. There was hardly enough left of the target to make a dozen decent sized safety matches. The reporters were permitted then to enter the gunroom. They saw a motor, from the wheel of which a belt was operated. The belt connected the motor with another wheel, which was a part of the mechanism on the top of which was the oilcloth-covered weapon out of which the bullets came. They also saw the little buckets, on either side of the gun, into which the bullets are poured as they are needed. The reporters asked to see the gun in operation. Mr. Bangerter ordered another target swung into position. There was another whirl and a second storm of bullets struck the target. The fusilade lasted about ten seconds. Again was the target demolished. But Mr. Bangerter and his associates refused to say anything about what was under the oilcloth in the little gunroom. They did give out a typewritten statement, however, saying that one of these guns “could face an army of thirty regiments of soldiers or 30,000 men, and could mow down that entire body of men as easy as a knife cuts the grass. There is no earthly possibility for any army to successfully face the fire from a gun of this kind, which pours a veritable hailstorm of bullets into the attacking forces, who must either sacrifice their lives or turn in retreat.