AFTER A LARGER GUN

Dr. Joel G. Justin's dynamite canon.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, September 20, 1889.

AFTER A LARGER GUN.

Dr. Justin Wants to Hurl 30 pounds of Dynamite Seven Miles—Details of Monday’s Trials Near Apulia.

(From the Syracuse Standard, September 14.)

   Dr. J. G. Justin, who has succeeded in doing with his dynamite shell, what no one else had done before him—sending a heavy charge of the giant explosive out of an ordinary gun without first bursting the gun—is making arrangements to repeat his experiments on a larger scale. He has written the Secretary of War for a six or an eight inch bore cannon to use on the next trial. Guns are now rated by diameter of the bore instead of according to the weight of the cartridge or shell. A six inch bore corresponds with a 100 pounder and an eight inch bore with a 150 or 200 pounder.

   Such a cannon as Dr. Justin wants to try next will carry a shell weighing 150 pounds. The shell will contain 25 or 30 pounds of dynamite and will be propelled by a heavy charge of powder. The shell will be flung a distance of seven miles before the force of the charge is spent.

   Dr. Justin is eminently satisfied with the trial near Apulia last Monday. He now has every confidence in the complete success and great value of his invention. The experiments so far have been made on one of the Labrador hills, four miles distant from Apulia. Dr. Justin has been at much expense to prepare the range for his trials. G. L. Ransom, a farmer, has been employed for weeks with his team in changing the face of nature to suit the occasion. William Schmidt, an old German of Apulia, has also been in Dr. Justin's pay during the trials, his work being merely to stand in the road and wave a flag when the road was clear of passing or approaching vehicles and people.

   The cannon used at the last trial although comparatively small, weighed 1,800 pounds. Earthworks were built for it and a strong harness made to keep it stationary. The intention was to fire into a gulf beyond which another of the Labrador hills rose. The aim was too high and instead of striking in the gulf the shell exploded half way up the further hill, nearly two miles away.

   When the first shell was discharged Monday afternoon it went screaming over the head of Henry Clark, who was quietly picking berries on the second hill. Clark heard the horrible music and saw the strange object shooting along above him. He was naturally filled with terror. He dropped his berry pail, threw up both hands and gave a yell that was heard by Dr. Justin and his companions above the roar of the cannon. The shell in striking tore a great hole in the earth and sent dirt in every direction and some of it hit Clark. The frightened berry-picker ran for his life, yelling as he ran. The second shell struck the ground about five rods from where the first exploded. In firing the gun Dr. Justin stood behind a big tree 30 rods distant from it.

   Dr. Justin finds that he will be compelled to secure another range for his further experiments. He wants one which will permit the throwing of a shell seven or eight miles and strike against a perpendicular wall. The Labrador hills do not afford these accommodations.

PAGE TWO/EDITORIALS.

   Tanner was undoubtedly given the office of Commissioner of Pensions for the express purpose of fulfilling a promise made to the soldiers before election, that the administration would be liberal in the way of granting pensions to soldiers. It was this promise that secured the large soldiers' vote for Harrison. But Tanner was too liberal. He couldn't give away money fast enough, and the President discovered that if he was allowed to hold the place much longer, there wouldn't be enough money left in the treasury to pay his own salary.

   The three candidates for the republican nomination for County Judge are riding the county about these days, renewing old acquaintances and forming as many new ones as possible. They are willing to promise almost anything for the support of the honest granger at the caucuses and on election day. Next Monday two of them will be mortified over the success of the third and their own defeat. On the evening of November 5th, he will be mortified over his own defeat and the two that are defeated next week will have cause to rejoice thereat. Verily there are some compensations even in politics.

The Service Pension.

(From the Albany Argus, September 17.)

   The country has jumped out of the frying pan into the fire, if Commissioner of Pensions Tanner is to be succeeded by Gen. William Warner or Gen. Merrill. Tanner, we believe, was always consistent in his opposition to the service pension bill; but both Warner and Merrill are now committed to that measure.

   The total number of names on the pension rolls on June 30th was 489,725. The total membership of the Grand Army of the Republic, reported at the recent encampment, was 382,598. As about 100,000 widows are on the pension rolls, the numerical membership of the Grand Army and the number of names of soldiers on the pension rolls are substantially identical.

   The adoption of the service pension as an article of Grand Army faith is virtually an effort to consolidate those who have pensions and those who want pensions into an organized body of voters, strong enough to compel obedience to any demand. The immediate demand of the Grand Army, reiterated at the recent convention, was a service pension to every soldier, sailor and marine who served in the army and navy of the United States between April 1st, 1861, and July, 1865, for the period of sixty days or more, of $8 a month, and to all who served a period exceeding 800 days an additional amount of one cent per day for each day's service exceeding that period. It was also demanded that the widows of soldiers, sailors and marines be given a pension without regard to the term of service of the husband or his cause of death, and, finally, that the Grand Army disability bill be passed.

   These three propositions would increase by nearly three-fold the present annual appropriations for pensions, and unless the government's revenues should be increased, by imposing new taxes, would cause a deficit in the treasury annually of nearly $100,000,000. The service pension bill alone, favored at the last encampment, calls for a yearly pension of ninety-six dollars for a sixty days' man up to $207 for a man who served five years. It is, we believe, a moderate estimate to assume that 600,000 men would avail themselves of this law, involving an annual expenditure of at least $60,000,000, without including arrears. Arrears would swell the total at the same rate up to the tremendous aggregate of over $1,500,000,000, or would almost double the national debt.

   President Harrison has been told by the Republican press, since he removed Tanner, that he must appoint a man to the vacancy who will carry out the Grand Army policy. The Grand Army policy, as announced at the recent encampment, means the bankruptcy of the treasury.

Arabs Flocking to America.

   NEW YORK, Sept. 16.—Scarcely an ocean steamer has arrived during the past two weeks that has not had one or more Arabs among the passengers. By the Edam, from Amsterdam this morning, there were 100. This was too much for the authorities and the natives of the Holy Land were placed under lock and key to await an investigation by the Collector.

THE BRAKES SLIPPED.

Terrible Railway Accident on the Erie at Tioga Junction—Passenger Train Wrecked.

   TIOGA JUNCTION, Pa. Sept. 16.—About 7:05 o'clock this evening the train from Elmira south, carrying seven coaches, ran into a Fall Brook engine at this station, causing a fearful wreck and killing and injuring in all about 25 passengers. The train was coming down a heavy grade and owing to the slippery track and the refusal of the air brakes to work the engineer was unable to stop the train at the station and it rushed by, smashing into one of the Fall Brook heavy Jumbo engines, completely demolishing both. The engineer and firemen jumped for their lives and escaped with slight injuries. The smoker and three passenger cars were smashed into kindling wood. The wreck caught fire and it was with difficulty that some of the passengers were rescued from the burning wreck.

   The flames lit up the heavens for miles around and people rushed in from all parts to render what aid they could to the injured. A message was sent to Elmira asking for medical aid and a train arrived in a very short time. In the meantime doctors from Lawrenceville and Tioga had arrived and given all possible assistance. Stretchers were quickly provided and the wounded were carried to neighboring houses. The names of the dead are:

   Eugene Daighue, newsboy.

   Harry Oliven, of Union, New York.

   The wounded are Ed Bostwick, Lawrenceville, ankle sprained, hands scalded; William Walker, Leona, Bradford county, Pa., badly scalded and scalp wound; William Aspercoshly, Scranton, Pa., traveling for F. W. Fritz, scalded; John Samepool, Lambs Creek, Pa., nose broken, injured on head; George McNamie, Tioga, Pa., nose broken, back injured; Mrs. G. W. Wright, Spokane Falls, Wash. Ter., left leg broken; J. B. Judd, Blossburg, conductor, wounds on head, left shoulder broken; Charles Pierce, Pine City, N. Y., left leg broken; Mrs. Wallace Pryor, Lawrenceville, slight contusion; Miss Estella Ryan, head slightly injured; Emeline Darling, Lawrenceville, slightly injured; Alfred Seeley, Trowbridge, contusions; Herbert Campbell, Mansfield, Pa., scalded.

   Superintendent Kinbloe and other Erie officials are here looking after the accident.

CORTLAND COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

LIVE STOCK SHOW—OCTOBER 9 AND 10.

LIST OF PREMIUMS.

[Article on Page Two was too long and not copied—CC editor.]

TAYLOR.

   Nathan Oliver, formerly of this place, who has been living in Baltimore for some time, has returned to this place in order to enjoy single blessedness once again.

   Joe Eggleston [Republican candidate for County Judge—CC editor], of Cortland, made a pilgrimage to this place, Friday. He did not call on us, as he promised in his letter to us. Perhaps he found out we were Democratic to the core and of no use to him.

   Miss Nina E. Jordan died at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Jordan, at about seven o'clock Friday evening, September 13, aged fifteen years, ten months and eight days. For nearly a year she has been gradually declining despite all that medical skill and loving hands could do for her. The end came a little sooner than was expected but there was no hope that she could ever get well. We should all feel thankful that she was spared from further suffering and that she has gone to that land where there is no more toll and suffering; where she said she was going, just before she breathed her last. She recognized all her old friends as they came in and surrounded her bedside. She said to them: "I am dying;" and to each one she said "good bye." She also bid them tell her absent friends that she bid them all good bye and to meet her in heaven. We never have seen anyone more reconciled than was she. She fully realized that she was fast passing over the river. Just before she died she told her parents who she wished to preach her funeral sermon. Nina was a girl of more than ordinary intelligence. To her credit, be it said, she was no back-biter. What she had to say she said to one's face. All her life she has lived among us, and during that time has maintained an upright character and an honorable life. She had many friends. Integrity and morality were marked traits in her character. To a friend, a few days before she died, she said: "Once I thought it was hard to die, but now---." Her mother then entering the room, the sentence remained unfinished. We leave it with the reader to conjecture what she intended. The funeral was held from the house Monday, Rev. W. H. Robertson officiating. A large concourse of friends and neighbors were present to testify by their presence and by the profusion of flowers which they shrouded the casket, the respect with which they held the deceased, whom we all loved. A letter of condolence was received from Miss Elizabeth Hathaway. The family wish to extend to all who manifested by their presence and to those who brought flowers and furnished music, their sincere thanks.

   CALUMET. [pen name]

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   CHENANGO.—Frank B. Mitchell has been appointed postmaster at Norwich.

   Geo. L. Marble, of Columbus, has eloped with Mrs. Church, wife of the cheese maker of that place, deserting a respected wife and four small children.

   J. W. Shepardson has just completed a steam grist mill at Smyrna Station, with a grinding capacity of fifty bushels per hour, and an elevator capacity of 300 bushels per hour.

   MADISON.—A furniture factory will soon be built at DeRuyter.

   There is still considerable talk about building a railroad from Oneonta to Earlville.

   Clark Wilcox, of Lebanon, shot a blue heron the other day, which measured six feet from tip to tip of the wings.

   Last Wednesday night dogs got at a flock of sheep owned by A. J. Boyce, on the Eaton farm east of this place, and killed twelve beside injuring several others. Mr. Boyce succeeded in getting the dogs into his barn and after notifying the town officers he caused their sudden demise.

   The principal industry of Bouckville is the mammoth cider mill of S. R. & J. C. Mott, which annually turns out an enormous amount of clear, amber cider, which is sold the world over. The apple crop in this State this year, as is well known, is almost a failure, and for the consumption of this mill some 500 car loads of apples will have to come from Michigan, where the crop has been a good one.

   DeRuyter reservoir, it seems, is to furnish the motive power for the proposed electric railway between Manlius and Syracuse. One half mile south of Manlius the waters of the feeder to the Erie canal, some forty feet wide and fourteen inches deep, leap over a precipice of eighty feet, "tossing up a cloud of spray and thundering like the warring of gods." It is estimated that the cataract would afford 400 horse power, while 150 horsepower would send a car over the line every twenty minutes at a rate of thirty miles an hour.

   TOMPKINS.—Teachers' examinations at Ithaca, Oct. 5th.

   A Slaterville man has about thirty specimens of canaries.

   Boys with Flobert rifles are making Ithacans afraid by their reckless shooting.

   Dr. E. O. Kingman, of Cortland, will exhibit a monstrous sturgeon at the Dryden fair. The fish when alive weighed four hundred pounds and was caught at sea, two hundred miles from land. It will be well worth looking over.

   Fishing for pickerel in Cayuga lake is now rare sport. Many fine catches have already been made with the trolling spoon. The fish are not as large as those caught at Sodus, but they are large enough to interest all who are fond of a day's sport with the rod and line.

Recommended:

Railroad and Engineering Journal, Vol. 66 (Dr. J. G. Justin): https://books.google.com/books?id=IMZLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA345&lpg=PA345&dq=Dr.+J.+G.+Justin+dynamite+gun&source=bl&ots=T-rBbv1iau&sig=nGg0H25mimG7D1sG-iciTJ9HVCc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=MPcFVZWKA4qZNuyGgOAI&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Dr.%20J.%20G.%20Justin%20dynamite%20gun&f=false

Iron Age, Vol. 50 (Dr. J. G. Justin): https://books.google.com/books?id=wpM-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=Dr.+J.+G.+Justin+dynamite+gun&source=bl&ots=Sgvc2RwZ3r&sig=ogP75k08UXSSgZX779699QQ7FAo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=MPcFVZWKA4qZNuyGgOAI&ved=0CCoQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Dr.%20J.%20G.%20Justin%20dynamite%20gun&f=false