Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-15
THE EARLY USE OF ARTILLERY.
Tho Claims Of the Chinese Red-Hot
Shot-The Paixhan Gun-Fortifcations.

The Claims Of the Chinese Red-Hot
shoteThe P.ixhan Observation-Disclosures.
When ROmulus was marking out the
limits Of his new city gunpowder was
already known, and 2,000 years before
the birth of Schwartz pieces of ordnance
had been cast in China. The Moors used
guns in Spain in the beginning of 1900,
if not in 100. The claims of the Chinese
having been generally admitted, it is
supposed that ordnance. reached Europe
through the Moors Of Spain or the Vene-
tians. Neither, however, had any con-
nection with China. It is unaccountable
that it should not have been perceived by
the Turks, who conquered the northern
portion of China, in the early part of the
18th century, and were established all
around the Black sea, with the exception
of strip between Wanna and the Bos-
phorus. 1t is now doubted whether, in
deed, the Black Prince did use guns at
the battle of Cressy; but there is no
doubt that Murad /. had before then en-
ployed them at the battle of Cossovo.
On both sides they were used, the Turks
having already instructed the populations
with whom they were at war. Employ
ing artillery in the field, it was easy IRE
versing the process in Europe) to apply it
to fortresses; the peculiar nature of the
straits of the Bosphorus and the Darda-
nelles invited to its use.
To the batteries placed above Constan-
tinople is attributed the fall of that city,
the supplies from the Black sea being cut
off. At a subsequent period and after
the Venetians had penetrated into the
sea of Marmora, they equally fortified
the Dardanelles. The enormous caliber
of the guns placed there still astonishes
the traveller. In the campaign that fol-
lowed the capture Of Constantinople they
had 800 guns. The siege train was
equally remarkable for weight Of metal
and number of guns. At the seige of
Scutari they cast into the place shot of
fourteen hundred-weight. At that Of
Neuhoessel, in Hungary, on the first day
200 shots were gathered by the beseiged
of not less three palms in diameter. The
argeness of caliber was not the only
point on which they anticipated modern
invention. They employed red-hot shot
at the siege of Vienna.
The howitzer seems also to have been
an invention of theirs, and also its Sue
cessive improvements; and even down to
the time of Selim III they ran ahead of
Europe in invention. One species,
adopted by the Russians under the name
of Unicorn" gave rise to the Paixhan
gun for red-hot shot and horizontal
shells. A battery of unicorns was taken
from the Russians by the French after 1t
had done good service at the battle Of
Smolensko. Napoleon, on seeing one of
the captured guns next morning, is said
to have exclaimed: "Ce sont ces diables
la qui nous ont attrapes de 81 loin HER"
An improved instrument of this kind
was the consequence of their attracting
Napoleon's attention, and the celebrated
Paixhan gun subsequently appeared.
On one Of these, and that Of almost the
smallest caliber, was based the new sys-
TEN of field artillery by Louis Napoleon
Bonaparte. With this instinct for war
like instruments, and as the first intro
uuSCtS VI ihtO
fare. the Turkish corps of artillery must
have occupied an important place in
their armies. The same instinct extended
to Notifications. Administrative dis
order has prevented the application, and,
therefore, seeing the dilapidation of their
walls and the neglecto Of all sorts OF works
which has prevailed for a couple of CEN
turtles or more, these statements must ap-
pear extraordinary and incredible; but
they rest Oh indubitable authority. They
first used fankingwalls and mined
glacis; they first made regular APP
proaches, and devised the system of zig
Gags and parallels. The latter were dis
tinctly planned at the siege of Zegedetty,
under Soleyman; and the former are
mentioned at that of Gambia, though of
a peculiar fashion, and everything each
other as the scales of fish. They also
first introduced mining, and even before
the use of gunpowder reduced cities by
burning down the curtains of the wall
National Review.