The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-13

strength with simplicity Of construction, aud tho
system present perfection Is tue Result OF long
and careful study to produce rifle meeting all the
quirements of military service No moven ent OF tho
barrel ANY other parts except those imme talely
connected with the block Is required in tho
performance OF any OF It's operations. In loading
The whole movement OF the block Is male
within the breech frame or receiver tho end
tho block lever falling but short distance from tho
stock The block itself Is strong piece, and when
position firing SO firmly secured to insure ITS
perfect safety. The block when drawn down for load
ing slopes toward the breech OF the barrel and tho
cartridge slides easily into the chamber without the
necessity even OF looking to see If It is properly tn
serted The manipuatlons for loading aud firing arc
Of the simplest kind. The rifles sighted at l. 400
yards and may be made effective At 1900 yards. They
made with great care and subjected TO thorough
Inspection by United States inspectors from the
Springfield Armory and aterward they reinspected
eminent II the Turks discover The icas, dcioct or
bemsh in rife It Is thrown out This rigid scrutiny
insures perfect work.
THE TURKISH EXPERIMENTS
The turkish army al the beginning Of the Seryian
mostly armed with me Snder breech dlnr
rife. Tho ottoman govern had pu Scrinr-
field muxzle.oading rifles from the United states amer
cur war, and had them altered to the Snider brecch
THIS rifo had many defects Its range short ana
its brcsch mechanism difficult TO manipulate
For military service It found inadequ ate
Not being satisfied with Snider ride the Ottoman
government concluded TO adopt the Martni-Henr
rifle, in 1873 made with the PROV
Tool Company Tor 600 COO OF these rides after precisely
the same MODEL as lhosc adopted by the English gov
ernmcnL Tue tool company held tho PEABODY patent
and also obtained tho right to use the Martini Improve
Is, and alter year OF preparation Tor the
extensive Job began to turn the rifles in 1874 The
rifles called tor IN the turkish contract are those de-
nominated Tho Mar,n-Honry. and they are SO
called by tho tool company their dealings
with Turkey; but they are called, whom mado Tor
other parties the Peabody -slartni rifles as although
the Henry riing is used the pamo discarded on
the ground that the honor OF the invention does not
belong Mr.. Henry. The Peabody brcech niechan ism
being the foundation Tor Tho Martini Improvements,
the tool company believe that Pcabody's name should
be associated with the rifle
As already stated, when the Servian war began last
fall the Turks engaged IN that contest only armed
at arst with the Snder rlc Great shipments of tho
pany to Turkey, but they wcro In tho government
warehouses; and had not been gwen tho hands Of
tue soldiers. Alter time few thousand OF the
rifles sent 10 tho Turkish army
IN Servia Tor trial. Almost immediately re-
ports back TO the army headquarters
satisfaction with the Marttniienry rifles and requests
were made that the Sndcr rifles should be Withdrawn
and the entire army IN Scrvia supplied with the
Martini Henry tbs was done II once greatly to the
delight aud improvement Of the Turkish troops then
IN the field. From That time all the army were fur
that all the arms made by tho Tool Company now
in by the Turks engaged In defending their coun
try irom the Russians
The present Turcoussian war 10 the Grst extensive
contest in which tho Martini Henry rifles have been
used rhey have boon trcd in two petty war
worthy Of the name. Information from the seat or
is to the effect that they meeting this severe
adm raby. They are !ouCd accurate and precise
no accidents are reported from their USE II Is
stated that the morale OF the soldiers OF the Turkish
army has beon much improved by tho use OF these
ldcpce, and their ability 10 do effective work with
them al long range promotes remarkable enthusiasm