Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-07-02

Corpse at $500 Yards.
A somewhat unusual rifle test oc-
Cured at Fort Riley Saturday when
the new Krag-Jorgensen gun was
tested on dead bodies OF human
beings under the direction Of DR.. j.
D. Griffith, Of Kansas City, member
Of the United States Association Of
Military Surgeons and chairman Of
the National Committee on Testing
New Guns, assisted by dozen attend
ing surgeons and photographers.
The test has been in prospect for
some weeks, but as the Kansas law is
very strict about the transportation
Of cadavers, and the bodies had to be
brought from Kansas City, it was
found necessary to postpone the test
from time to time until the officers Of
the law could could be eluded. The
object Of the test was to find out the
relative effects OF the use Of the Krag-
Jorgensen gun, from humanitarian
point Of view, as compared with other
army rifles. This test was demon
strated to the minds of those who
participated that the Krag-Jorgensen
gun cannot be called humane gun.
This is a repetition Of the verdict
reached some months since at a test
at Fort Leavenworth, the correctness
Of which was disputed by some scien-
lists. The three corpses to be expert
mented upon were placed side by side
in an erect position, just at the base
Of the hill, and paper target was
placed in front Of each body to furnish
sight.
Adjutant Scoil, Of the Fifth Cavalry,
placed a detail Of sharp shooters at a
distance Of 1000 yards, and then at
1900 yards. The firing was first by
singles and then by volley. Exami-
nations Of the bodies were made at
intervals. Photographs were made
Of the wounds, showing as much as
possible their nature. The bodies
were literally perforated with bullets,
nearly every organ and muscle being
struck. Post mortem examinations
were made after the test.
The Krag-Jorgensen carbine has a
bore Of 30-10Oth Of an inch. The bar
rel is 20 inches long, The magazine
of the gun holds five cartridges
and has gate on the side. There is
a side lever for working the repeater.
The cartridge Is about 81 inches long
and the projectile is Of lead and anti
mony and has a very high force
The shell is similar to the service
one and differs from the common
shell in being filled with bullets ant
having only sufficient bursting
charge to rupture the shell and re
lease the bullets, which then NOV
with the velocity which the shell hal
at the time Of bursting. To do etfec
tive work the shell should burs
thirty or forty yards in front Of thu
object aimed at. Some very effectiv'
wounds were obtained and tn
opinion strengthened that the shrap
mel gun is to be the man-killer Of tn
future.
After the cadavers had been file,
SO full OF holes as TO be worthless TO
experimental purposes, the effect o
the shrapnel shell in stopping a caval
ry charge was tested. A squad Q
cavalry horses coming at full charg
at distance Of $500 yards wer
made a target. Although at thi
distance, not one of the horses wa
killed outright, the wounds mad
were Of such a nature as to demon
strate thoroughly that the shot wi
stop horses effectively, thus disablin
. in the best possible manner almos
any amount Of cavalry that dare fac
it. Each piece can be fired twice pc
minute, making p shots per minut
; for a battery Of six, which woul