The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-13 00:00:00

THE MARTINI-HENRI RIFLE.

An abstract of the reports on the Martini-Henri
rifle has been prepared by the special committee on
the subject. The merits of the rifle
appear to have been very fully investigated,
twenty-one questions of practical detail having
been submitted to the officers at the time of the
issue of the experimental rifles in 1869, and the
replies to these questions are given in order. They
are generally unanimous, and afford a good test of the
practical working of the weapon. The general criticisms
contain several suggestions as to the probable
causes of the misfires, which were very frequent.
The committee have no doubt that the main cause
was the weakness of the spiral springs as originally
issued. If future springs are made of the
strength originally approved by Mr. Martini,
these misfires will, th©y believe, cease. Several
objections are made in the reports to the
breech mechanism. The committee specify these
and give their own opinion. They think that to
obtain the full advantage of rapidity in a breech.
loader the gun should be at full cock at the moment
of completing loading. There is not
necessarily danger in this, it the soldiers
are' properly trained. The Martini-Henri
Rifle, does not, they consider, require a cover, any
more than the Snider or the Enfield. The weapon
is generally objected to as too long, and the com-
mittee are inclined to think a shorter rifle
would be more serviceable, and would es-
pecially be preferable for the naval service.
One report condemns the bullet as too light, but
this is not supported, and there are one or two other
points of detail to which the committee direct atten-

iinn. One report suggests that the continuous explosion
of powder will wear away the groovings, and they note
this for trial. On the whole, the general verdict is
favourable.

THE TOWN OF STRASBUEG.

The news that the victorious German army had

invested Strasburg was received with surprise in
many quarters, from the great reputation of the
fortress, which is ranked among the strongest in
Europe. It is the central point of the Rhine frontier
defences and is unquestionably a very strong posi-

tion. It is situated on the river 111, about a mile and
a half from the Rhine, and has a circuit of six miles.
Die town is surrounded by a wall strengthened by
bastions, bulwarks, and ditches, part of the outworks
towards the Rhine being constructed by Vauban him-
self. Five hundred guns are required for its defence, and
its ordinary garrison is 6,000. Sluices by which the
neighbouring country can be inundated form an
important part of the defensive works, and there is
only one side of the fortress which cannot be laid
under water, and on that side the glacis is ruined.
Strasburg has played a part in the military history
of the country ever since the days of Julius Caesar,
but it owes its modern rAputation to Louis XIV.,
whose great engineer, Vauban, contributed, as we
have said, to the design. It has formed part of

the French dominions. for the last two
centuries, but still maintains the appearance
of a Prussian town, and the Germans have an im-
mense advantage in knowing the place thoroughly.
Great numbers of Germans have left the town since
the war broke out, after living there for years,
and of course the- strength of the garri-
son and the weak points of the • defence
are familiar to them. The long drought, too,

has greatly reduced the water in the 111, so that an im-
portant part of the defensive system will be seriously
weakened. Great interest will be excited in the
siege, which will test the relative strength of