Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-10-30
STRENGTH OF THE TURKS.

seventy millions of Mussulmanu
that sEsy Gather Around tne suI-
tan.
New York worldl
Yesterday a reporter of the
World had an interview with an
American who now holds a promi-
nent position in the Turkish army.
He said: "They have in the field
to-day 400, 1000 men. The regular
cavalry consists of 10000 horse,
and the artillery number $4,000
men. The rest are infantry. All
are fully and thoroughly equipped,
and with the most modern pieces.
The Sneider gun was formerly the
regulation arm, but it is now being
changed for Martini-Henry, and
the Sneiders are given to the mill
tia and newly-enrolled troops. The
infantry have the Martini Henry !;
also, the Winchester rifle and the
latest pattern in revolyer5 and
swords or sword-bayonets; the cav
airy have the same, breech-loading
carbines and reyolvers. The field
batteries are supplied with Krupp's
twelve-pounder breech-loading, also
with the Broadwell guns of the
same calibre. Their mountain bat
teries are very fine ; they have the
Whitworth three-pounders fastened
upon the backs of mules, and they
are no contract mules either. There
| are also eighty Gatlin guns in the
arn,,v from the foundry of Baget
Brothers A. Vienna"
Where are tseir other equip
ments manufactured"
Most if not all their other
heavy guns are of English make.
A few of their swords are of do
mestic make, but most of them
German. The rifles are almost
entirely American. When it was
proposed to change the regulation
gun from Sneider to Martini-Henry
the contract was eagerly sought
after both by English and American
manufacturers, but it was secured
here by old Gov. 0. L. Winchester,
President of the Winchester Re
peating Rife Company of New
Haven. 1t was for 100000 pieces ;
psrt have been furnished and the
rest ar under way.
cove 81, 900 have been destri-
buted, 81, 900 being in the hands
of the artillery and cavalry. A
man with thirteen charges at his
disposal, without having to stop to
reload, is pretty dangerous crea-
ture. Those repeating rifles are as
much superior to the ordinary
breech-loading gun is TO the old
muzzle-loading pieces"
" What sort Of an engineer corps
have they?"
GA large one and a good one.
Most of the engineers are Germans,
especially the senior officers. Some
of the oldest came over with Won
Moltke, who, you know, surveyed
all the military lines, defenses, and
roads in the vicinity Of CONSTANT
nople. The Turks at first thought
that Won Moltke was a fool, but
after they had seen the value OF
some Of his work they made him
chief of the Typographical depart
ment, and now they prefer q Ger,
man engineer to any other, and oil
of his companions have been adj
vanced one graae-a few of them
are Hungarians. The artillery and
engineer department. is separate
from the army and navy, something
as it used to be in England, and ITS
head, the grand master Of artillery,
is one of the cabinet ministers"
"What is the condition of their
navy"
"'I consider il second only to
that of England. 1t consists Of
twepty-seyen iron-clad ships Of
English build, and as completely
equipped as any in the English
service. There are also about eighty
wooden ships Of the line, all first
class as to build and equipment
They are manned by at least forty
thousand seamen and marines"
"Is this large force well disci
plined?"
81 Woe 90 ,ttnIi og any, o,.t,,s {,