The morning call., 1891-03-22

tate together, enabling the latter to be fired
all around the circle.
General Schott's plan would be to have
instead of detached forts a series of detached
fronts, each about $50 yards long, mounting
fifty or sixty guns. with strong works on
the TANKS, provided each with twelve ma
chine guns. In front of the main line
would be 4 ditch twelve feet deep, with OBJ
stacles, and the flank works would have
deep revet ditcaes. In advance of the
main line are Schumann cupJlas of the sort
already described.
General Briilmont retains the system of
detached forts, but with curoias both on
the ramparts and elsewhere. with rified
mortars to aid them. The cup0las are to be
protected by bOnnetteS or Salieats of earth,
which are to be cut down gradually as the
enemy approaches. General BrialmOnt is
the well-knowG advocate of cupolaS COM
bined with the moro familiar forms of forts.
and he supplements them with armOr-
plated batteries running on railways. The
disappearing cupola and the rlted mortar
incased in armor are aids to the stationary
turret. Belgium has gone extensively into
this kind OF defense, as also has ROumanla
in the works of Bucharest and Foksani.
The St. diamond firm at Langonand has
constructed an Oscillating cUpOla in order to
give complete protection to the gun ports.
The cupola is equilibrated by two trains Of
powerful Belleville springs, which are
neither extended nor compressed when the
center OF gravity of the Oscllating mass is
vertically over the axis Of oscillation. In
the firing position the cupOla is tilted up
and the guns counterpOised by weights,
which allow them to be depressed or ele-
waited easily.
In all these schemes the object is 10 obtain
complete protection to guns and men eX-
cept ut the instance of firing But the
author of Les Forts ct la Meinite" does
not believe this to be practicable, and starts
cut in a different direction. He proposes
the decentralization of the fort, replacing it
with dispersed elements comprising
groups of batteries, infantry trenches,
and so on. The lighting line contains
eight bat cries "a, ~, eacn Of four
guns. Between these batteries are simple
lunettes for infantry defense (e, e., and
also supplementary guns. 4 railway runs
along the rear of the fighting line for
conveying disappearing guns mounted on
trucks. The second line contains the arma-
went intended for Indirect fire. About 600
yards behind the fighting line on the re-
versesslope are the bomb proofs for tie stores
and for the shelter of one third of the garri-
son. The powder magazines are to be dis
DeTsed and 10 hold not more than twenty
tons each. All the works are to be made as
nearly as possible invisible, and the belt of
ENHANCEMENT, 100 feet wide, is to extend
com .letely around the front and hauks of
the fighting line. III one such grnup OF bat
terirs, taking the place of a fort, there would
be sixty guns, with garrison OF 100 men.
Reviewing all these plans and proposals
Major Clarke sides with the advocates of dis
peTsed defenseS against those Of very costly
forts and eXtravagant employment Of armor.
He opposes Brialmonts views, especially in
regard 10 disappearing cupOlas, which he
speaks Of as 'pepper-pot lids" in which the