The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-10

the telescope camera, the observer uses
unique snap shot apparatus in the form OF
a camera attached to the stock OF a gun,
with hammer and lock. He places the
stock to his shoulder, sights at the object
TO be photographed-just as though he
were about to send a bullet into it-and
makes the exposure by pulling the trig-
ger
The safety of a war balloon from as
sault depends upon its color and its hight.
At a hight of almost two miles French
balloons, in practice drill, could be MT
only twice out of hundred shots by 10
millimetre gun steadily aimed Frehch
tests result in showing that pale-blue en-
velopes are those least readily seen against
Tn sky, but Prussian experiments indicate
that yellow covering is the most durable,
because of its resistance to the chemical
effects of the sun.
Interesting experiments are being made
in the Russian army with tan observation
towers which may be readily unjointed and
distributed among the men during
march. In their drills with these, squads
of sixty men can erect complete structures
in but twenty minutes. When not sup
piled with the pieces already made, they
can by chopping down a few trees and
properly cutting them, put up a tower of
almost the same kind in only half hour
Such towers would be used by the Rus
slams for signal as well as observation sta
tons.
The military authorities of all great ma
lions are doing their utmost TO project
economy in the weight and size of all i'm
PIGMENTS and weapons, thereby increasing
the possibilities of forced marches or CIV
ing greater room for additional details of
value to the soldier. The Austrians, for
example. have recently adopted for their
army a shelter tent which, when not pitch
ed, is separated into pieces cut to fold
over and form storm coats for the sol
diers. The material is a light, strong wa
terproof linen, bound aolng the edges with
wide braid and provided with cords which
serve the double purpose of fastening eth
er the tent or coat. Upon hating Ior
the night the soldiers remove or unpack
their coats in pairs, tie them together and
form the tent upon their two rifles which,
with bayonets fixed. are stuck into the
ground to form tent poles. One tent OF
this character affords ample room for one
extra man besides the wearers OF the coats.
Progress is being made in the French
and Austrian armies in the training OF
dogs for many military uses. They are
found to make excellent scouts or messen-
gers, ranging wide territories without
making any noise and with their keen scent
detecting the enemys pickets long before
to carry cartridges to the skrmish line
when ammunition is needed and to search
thickets and uneven ground for the wound
ed especially at night. They are taught
to go over the battlehelds after engage
ments and carry necessities of all sorts to
those unable to help themselves.
Nearly every great army is now at work
perfecting means of carrying on battlefield
communication between the staff and the
Nf he Amin ina .oah olr4
squadron of the Russian army was lately
equipped with a portable field telegraph
apparatus for this purpose, or for trans
| hitting messages along an extensive line
of defenses. All staff and superior officers
in Russian fortresses have lately been
equipped with what are believed to be
The most powerful speaking trumpets in
the world, capable of magnifying the
voice to such a degree that it can be heard
giving commands during the roar of the
loudest cannon The French lately adopt
ed for their field telegraph lines poles of
Indian bamboo, which they can readily
carry about with them on the march.
Russia is experimenting with giant
| search-lights mounted in balloons and con-
tanning electric burners connected with
dynamos upon the ground. The largest
OF these yet reported is of 5000 candle
power. At distance of only 600 yards
dDONe the GdTlH II VIII d ClFCu-
lar area below 500 yards in diameter, to the
brightness of day One of these sent above
spot marked out for hasty Notifications
would not only be able to look out for
the enemy, but enable the soldiers to do
| night work. Drifting in one OF these above
| hostile fertilization, an observer might
study with impunity, if high enough to
defy the enemys guns.
One of the latest inventions in machine
guns is that of an Austrian. 1t is an auto
matte quick-fire, worked by a ay-Wheel
kept in motion by the recoil after each
shot. Each recoil gives the wheel such
force that it runs the gun forward again
and fires it, causing another recoil, and so
on until the belt of ammunition is exhaust.
ed. Speaking of guns, ii is reported that
the deadliest gun in the world is owned
by England That government is now ex-
perimenting with one which will fire LOCO
shots in 1913 seconds. After the first shot
it will automatically absorb cartridges and
emit an almost solid sheet of bullets as
long as it is fed. 1t can be made to fire
eleven shots in a single second.
The government has received extensive
reports concerning the feeding of foreign
armies and their cavalry drills. One of the
most interesting of military wheeled craft
is the Austrian kitchen wagon. One of
these with four wheels will feed as many
as 1000 men at meal in the Held, and
smaller one with two wheels will accom-
plish the same for 500. In the Russian
cavalry service instruction in swimming
and the rapid crossing of water courses
with equipment is taught not only to men
| individually, but to horses and mounted
men in detachments. Soldiers learning to
| swim wear belts attached to ropes held by
instructors on scaffoldings constructed
over the water. Horses which do not
take to the water readily are tugged along
behind boats until adept swimmers. Novel
| drills are held for the purpose of teaching
| attachments TO rapidly construct RATS,
floats. ETC., on reaching a stream. utilis
ing only such materials as happen to be
| at hand.
This country can doubtless brag of
more military inventions each year than
| the whole of Europe. Inventors are now
besieging the heads of practically all bu-
reaus of the war and navy departments.
| They have all sorts of crank suggestions
to offer and crank inventions to sell. The
| usual course is to first apply for pat
emit A patent attorney yesterday said
| that the present rush for war patents
was something enormous. An examiner
/ t,o,,;.or c,a rua Of cavara1 a1assac Of .,,ti;