Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-01-20
French and German Siege Artillery.

A military correspondent Of the Lon
don Times supplies some interesting
information as 20 the relative powers OF
the attack and defence OF PariA He
says:
The guns mounted on the forts Of Paris
are quite equal in power 10 any that the
besiegers could bring opposite TO them.
II the German batteries were 10 bonn
bard the city il could only DO after hay
ing reduced all the forts within easy
range, otherwise the batteries firing
against the city would be exposed 10
bombardment in their turn from perma'
nent forts with bomb-proof cover at u
comparatively short range, To reduce
one fort might be an easy task II the fort
stood alone but each member OF the
encircling guardians Of Paris supports,
and Is in its turn supported by others
so that, were one 30 fall, no large force
could march through the gap thus made
without being exposed 10 the concen-
t,ated fire OF many heavy guns, such guns
as have never been used IN war until
now, il we except tho isolated rounds
fred from the Affondatore during the
battle OF I4issa
The forts are armed with heavy ship
guns, breech-loading ell of them, made
Of cast iron. and strengthened by steel
hoops round those portions OF the piece
most exposed by the shock OF tne explo'
sion. The guns are rather untrustworthy
in strength, but, under the present cir
cumstances, there is tame enough avail
able to take any precautions that may he
thought advisable So far aS is known,
the gun OF highest ealibre now in Paris
has bore measuring more than ten
inches across its diameter The projec-
tile weighs little short Of 500 pounds, but
q comparatively large charge cannot be
used ON account Of the danger of burst
ing, uAless the Russian plan Of burying
the piece in the earth be tried. as men
say il has been lately. There are rumors
of wonderful new gun of huge dimen-
sions found accidentally in Paris, and
soon TO be used against Versailles There
is no doubt that gun can he made, and
has been made in England, capable OF
such work.
The nearest approach 10 Versailles
from the French side has been made by
a gunboat, which has come close up 20
the bridge at Seyres. The distance, as
the crow flies is less than five miles,
about 8, 500 yards. English artillerists
have not, with some exceptions, aimed
at building guns for extraordinary
ranges vet $500 yards, the distance
between the French gunboat and the
royal quarters at Versailles, has been more
than attained over and over again by
English guns, and / believe lately by
French guns for the forts. An expe-
rental Armstrong 32-pounder, weighing
only &c cwt. with charge Of 6 lbs. and
an elevation Of S9 deg. sent its proiectle
9,l5S yards The range was carefully
measured. Mr. Whitworth states that
his little 3-pounder, fired at Southport
attained a range of 9.6Ss yards. The
long experimental finch gun of six tons,
designed by Mr.. Lynall Thomas, with
25 lbs. OF powder, propelling shot ol
275 lbs, and fred with an elevation OF
STA deg, ranged l0,075 yards. There
have been several other instances OF long
ranges, and there would be more but foi
the general uselessness OF firing at dis
tances where no aim can possibly be
taken.