Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-01-31
HORRORS OF MODERN wAa.

Laveleye prophesies that the number of
killed and wounded will in one day sur
pass that Of an entire war in former
times. Human blood will never have
soaked the earth in such streams. On
the continent Prof. Laveleye has long
been regarded as professional alarm
list, and most OF his published opinions
of the approach and magnitude of tho
coming war have been taken with q
grain OF salt. OF late, however, the
majority of men on the continent who
write for the magazines on military
subjects have been gradually swinging
around to his extreme position, which
they formerly ridicuIe no French gun,
already passing out Of date, delivers
eight shots in twenty seconds. During
the next year the German army will be
provided with new magazine guns, and
the guns which were deadly enough
for it five years ago will be laid on the
shelf or used as old iron. Three years
ago Austro-Hungary began to Introduce
modern magazine guns Of big caliber
among its infantry. During the last
year, however, the introduction of tho
big caliber guns has been given up and
guns of small caliber have taken their
place. italy, too, has given her army
guns Of the latest pattern. Russia alone
with her colossus of nearly 900, 900 men
sticks to the weapons of former days.
In a recent issue of Die Nation, Ger
man weekly, Hugo Hintze makes the
following prophecy:
"The various zones in which mod
ern infantry may act are as follows;
1,600-1 900 meters Zone mile to three
tifths of mile), zone of evolution;
2,OG0-50O meters, first fighting zone;
500-a50 meters, zone of increased and
hot firing; 100000 meters, zone Of the
last firing, whence the decisive volley
Is fired and the attempt to take by
storm Ia made. The only cover possible
for attacking infantry is to be gotten
merely by lying fiat on the ground dur
ing the firing. Cover, while advancing
from position to position, does not ex-
ist. The losses Of the advancing in
fantry will be enormous. TO CROSS o
field Of 500 meters breadth, swept by
constantly increasing volleys, requires
OF soldiers degree Of moral courage
and persistence that In past wars have
never been dreamed of. Nor will the
losses OF the infantry be confined TO its
operations within the zones described,
for, save in a most Instantaneous
country, the artillery will be able to
sweep the advancing columns with q
destructive fire.
''The battle of the field artillery will
not be less murderous Aside from
small variations among the different
kinds Of artillery the extreme range of
grenades may be stated as 1000 meters
(well over four miles), and the range Of
Ehrapnel 5000 meters The real duel
| ing distance Is between 1000 and $500
meters. A prominent German officer of
! artillery describes D modern artillery
battle thus: 1T is q battle of life or
death, q duel at the end Of which one
OF the principals lies dead on the field.
i 1t would be criminal and inconceiv-
able piece Of recklessness to enter into
such struggle without utilizing every
possible means to victory
! II would apply similar remark to
, the whole struggle on the battlefield
and say: 'One principal hes dead on
the field, the other leaves the field q
cripple
fertilization guns has been brought to .
frightful degree Of perfection. The big
siege cannons have a range OF 10000
meters. The weight Of the projectiles
OF siege oannons Of shorter range runs
as high as ITS Kilograms. Naval guns
and guns Of the coast defenses carry
shot weighing 1000 Kilograms. No
armor, no earthworks can long with
stand tho explosive power of these shot.
Formerly flfteen-oentimeter grenade
was exploded into forty or forty-ffve
pieces; to-day 1t Is torn into 800 to $50
pieces Of over ten grains weight and in
800 pieces of one-tenth grain weight,
while the smallest pieces Of less than
one grain weight are thrown with
sufficient force to penetrate a plank Of
two oontimeters thickness. No fortifl-
cations can be constructed which can