New-York daily tribune., 1853-12-16
THE MIME BALL-EXTRAORDLyARY
SHOOTING

From Oar Own Correspondent.
PARIS, Tuesday, Nov 15 1853
Just now one rses up and lies down to the sound of
arms Mars is decidedly in the ascendant. Military
discussions have usurped the place Of all others espe
caliy since the subject Of discussion is exterior to
France and therefore not dangerous to public order
Tie entire population Of Paris is divided OF into Turks
and COseacks the latter existing only in microscopic
minority. The boys in the street dressed q Ia
Turque or la Eusse accordne.to the political COM
plexion Of the household TO which they belong. To
tie astonshment Of every ODe there has appeared all
at once in the streets Of Paris an immene number of
Greek and Asatic Turks in the form OF military men
and dome stcG to the uintated passing for veritabe
Turks 10 the initiated only recognized with difficulty
Every species of colored domestic from the coal black
importation from Congo through the various grades of
American color TO the copper cOlored Egyptian has
mounted the red ez cap Of the Christian Turk. Thus
they onize for day. regiment OF Chassears
F1E5ique dressed in the African style have existed
some tine in the French service company OF Guides,
ore of the corps df have lately been dressed as Cos
sacks and while the former pass through the streets
with head erect everywhere meeting the rl1aS OF the
eonins the Cossack impressed with his unpopuariy,
and as if trying TO away from the advertisement
which the Government has put on his back, steals his
WAY burrie1y through the crowds which thrOng the
streets Books and maps relating TO the seat OF war,
carcatures portraits OF distinguished characters con-
pected with the Eastern question: Russian and Turkish
military reviews and tortihcatOns, have usurped the
printshop windows, 20 the exclusion OF almost every
thing else. 1le claEklchl NlnuONs VI NOupn tlcn
have Welded portion OF their space TO the exciting
topic of tie day very large majority of these arti-
ces are in favor of Turkey and thus the Frenchman
gives public expression to his opinion; for although
forbidden to meet publicly as do the English he has
his own emphatic way OF pronOuncing his sentiments
In all this the Government sees political barometer,
rejecting faithfully tie sentiments Of the people as
do tie public meetings of England and it can act in
telligcnily therefore, in whatever course it may
adopt.
al; oil ha
perfume to make some remarks the superiority of
modern French firearms for purposes in con-
necton with the history of extraordinary results
lately obtained at Vncenncs, near this city IN presence
Of Gov. Jones Of Tennessee, Lieut.. W. A. Bartlett,
L. S. Navy, and other Americans Your readers will
have observed the remarkable fact in connection with
the late battle Of Oenitza between the Turks and the
Russians on the banks of the Danube, that number
of superior officers largely in dsproporOn TO the num-
ber of sodiers-o helue, killed on that occasion.
sending terror and defeat into the ranks of the Rus
slams II was a species of warfare TO which they were
unaccustomed, and which they did not anticipate.
This result was obtained by the use Of the French
frearm which has been adopted by portion OF the
Turkish service and which enables them TO shoot with
accuracy at distances at which all other arms are use
less So long mankind will insist on making war
science andsnce the arms used Tor war purposes IN
the United States inferior to those OF the French
wish to call the attention oil your reauers lot mo-
ment to this subject.
Since the completion of the models at the great Ex
hibtion of London and the opening OF the New-fork
Exhibition great deal of attention has been directed
TO the subject Of small in both the United States
and Europe Our people have gained certain amount
of nOtorety in the manufacture OF reV0lyerS and for
sharp-shOOting they are very apt 70 believe there
is no ann to be compared TO the American re and no
marksmen equal to a rfeman OF the backwoods In
a certain this is perhaps true. But the Amer
cans are not the only people atNhis moment engaged
in the study Of the perfection OF small arms and it
would be well TO look at what others are doing, in
order to ascertain the position in which we stand Ii
a man were TO present himself before western log
cabin with one OF the baiie-d tgc guns in BY
the Chasseurs de Iinoenaes of the French army, and
were to propose to shoot for wager at distance OF
from Geo or 200 or even 1,i00 yards, he would be,
perhaps only laughed at for s proposition. And yet
with the gun in the hands of over l5,OOJ men in
the French army, and as possible 10 be IN the
hands of all il is perfectly practicable for an ordinary
shot to be sure of hitting within the square ex-
bhited by the front of six to eight men at the distance
Of 200 and 800 yards, while little practice will
enable him easily TO hit single man at the same dis
lance The ball is as sure of hitting the target, If
uroperlv directed if only sent the distance OF two
or three hundred yards; and the explanation OF this
fact lies in the construction and weight OF the ball. and
not in the gun, as many suppose.
There is, moreover, great misapprehenslOn IN the
United States to the arm used by the Nlncennes
Classeurs, il being generally termed the " MIME
rife" without any distinct knowledge OF what the
MIME rife is Tie iact is, there is no MIME re but
there are two kinds OF balls, OF which one is known as
the toHe-dge introduced into the French service by
the French Commission Of the School OF Practice, and
the MIME ball which is the invention of Major MIME.
Tie halle dce is tie one used in the French service
tie MIME ball has not yet been adopted either IN the
French or any other service. The effect OF the two
balls is quite tie same the MIME ball being only pre-
frabe fiom The fact that il may be shot from any gun
whether r1ed or not Though better red than other
visc) while the balie-dtige can only be used bale
G.tige BY having pn-fige inserted in the chamber
Center of the breeehpin II inches long in order to
receive the ball and produce the operation OF suggng
by the force of the Tammer-en arrangement WHICH
viii be described further On. ...
The baHd-ieeis OF the immense range of 20O
metres ESQ to 800 yards) with an elevated back
sight" perfectly within the command OF the marks
man. and Just as easily used az any shortra or
point blank sight. The back sight, placed just IN
advance of the lock- is about two inches high, open III
the center and graduated with scale, that the an
Gle AZ which il throws the ball above the range OF the
target NAV easily be known at all distances The usual
TARGET range of the ChGsseHrs de jiHceRRes Is ooJ
Yards and then as their practice improves, they re-
ire hundred Yards at time. their eyes IN this way
Growing well accustomed 10 the distance, and their
practice being consequently good.
On the occasion of the firing az Vino shoI1
time $50. Lieut. Bartlett invited By Major Mimic
10 take a part and some Others were engaSed III Ae
expeTiments not habituated 10 the use oi 'ns lcns
vance suns The gun used u rough construction
r;d5 f,Ifa tnrn and percussion The balls used were
tle Mimic balls weight so grammes, O. oz- aooutl
the charge Of powder grammes, or one-'enh tle
weight OF the bali the cartridge 20 constgge 'ua.
lie ta is encased in paper, aud creased 0y dpPns e
lan and of The cartridge in tallew, which then sllps
into the barrel easily without the ard o. ne rol hhi
i arrives al the charge great saving 81 tmo ~ oal-
nos tlus Gained How theuis the iraaGge stopped a