The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-08-25
MERv,

Curtosittes of Tus komau Enginee sins
The special correspondent of tie Lonaon
Daily News at Merry, of whose extraordinary
journey to that city long account in his
own words was printed few weeks ago,
writing on the LIST of May from Kouchid
Khan Kala, the present political and military
capital OF the country, gives long account
OF the Notifications that are being constructed
there. Kouchid Khan Ksls, he says, is a
fortress rather than fort f,r It's length is
nearly two miles and It's breadth about one
mile. He was invited by Kedjar Khan to
come with him for walk 10 see the cannon
captured from the Persians. These were
about thirty-four 10 number: THE Turko-
mans were very proud of their spells, and
took every pains TO tell me sll about the diff
ferent guns. l said that in view of the pos
sible arrival of the Russians | Won
dered that some pains had not
been taken 10 mount the disabled
pieces. Oh said the khan, there
are plenty of people who could do that in
couple of weeks. There is abundance of
wood growing in the gardens, Most of the
iron work is on the spot, and know where
the tire of one wheel is--it fell off as we
were bringing the gun across the river.
This was all highly satisfactory to the genes
raj audience, but happened to know that in
the whole of the Merv tree plantation there
Is not a trunk to be found larger than eight
inches in diameter asked about the pro-
jectiles, and whether any large amount was
on hand. Thereupon the chief told me of
several traders in the bazaar who had many,
which they used as weights when selling corn.
Besides, be said. the Persians fired great
deal, and the old men who were looking on
could easily point out where the shots fell,
and we could dig them up when required.
Up to this | had kind of vague notion that
the Turkomans had made some kind of mil.
litary preparation in view of the nearness Of
the Russians What l have just narrated
will speak for itself.
After inspecting the artillery the correspcn-
dent passed on TO the Notifications; 1.-THE
rampant, for | suppose l must give that
name to the great earth mesH which has been
raised, and which bears no distant resem-
blance 10 q railway embankment, |, over
sixty feet at the base and some thirty-hve
feet in vertical height-if IL be not more.
At the top il is about sixteen feet wide. Il
The.enure construction has two enor-
nous vaults, if not three. An enemy with-
In forty feet Of the foot of the rampant
would not be under fire, direct or otherwise.
The scarp or exterior surface OF the wall is
too steeply built. The earth was first built
up roughly in series of mounds, intervals
being left for the workers TO mount by,
without going too far round or climbing too
deep slope. Then, outside of this, q re-
vehement of moist earih.clods was built,
having az incline Of nearly seventy degrees.
No artificial means were taken to bind this ia
cling to the inner mass. The consequence is
that 90 the occurrence of every slight shower
forty or fifty yards of il came down with
run, bringing with it the breastwork above.
Even without rain, its own ill-arraDged
weight drsgs 1t down. Untaught by daily ex-
perience of its instability, the Turkomans 90
at the repairs sgain and again with the most
praiseworthy diligence. Besiegers would
only have to plant their batteries at fifteen
huudr red yards or SO, and an hours firing
with large calibre howitzers and heavy
bursting charges at the base of given
hundred yards Of the wall would snnihilate
the breastwork and leave gently sloping
path to an assaulting column over The en-
tire distance. So much for Turkomsn engi-
neering The third fault I alluded 10 ia the
great height of the work, the whole forty feet
being sheer above the level of the ground.
They dare not dig ditch lest water from the
ubiquitous irritation Of the trenches
should accumulate in II and do the work Of
the enemy's artillery beforehand by sspping
the foundations. Such an idea as leaving
the exterior earth ut its natural slope and
procuring permanent cover from projectiles
never occurs TO them. The Turkoman is &C,
customed to the cad level of the plnin In