The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-03
SHAFrER'S SIEGE GUNS.
0-Inch Rifles. T-Inch HowItzers. s.Hnch Nor
tnra. IotchkIss Guns and y DJnnmIte Gun.

0-lnch rifles. T-Inch HowitEers. 5.Inch Nor
tnrI. HOtchkISs Guns and n Dynamite Gun.
Early dispatches from Santiago yesterday
stated that the Engineer Corps had cleared q
road from Bniquiri. where the invading army
landed. to where the army advance guard was
stationed, and that along this road Skaters
Blege guns were being hurried. A Sun reporter
tried to get some definite about
these guns yesterday. lille no one here
knows exactly what guns were sent to Shafter,
some information was obtained. His siege
train is composed of four batteries of four guns
each. The men behind the guns were taken al.
most entirely from the Fifth United States Ar
tillery. the crack artillery regiment of the army.
Brig. Gen. John |. Rodgers, Chief OF Artillery,
was the Colonel of this regiment for many years
and the men OF the regiment got their artillery
training under his personal direction. Ono
Of the four siege batteries Is made up of 6.inch
oreech.loading steel rifles, finch breech-loading
rifed howitzers. and Finch breech-loading
rifed mortars. The exact makeup Of the bat
terry depends upon the works to be attacked.
These guns, which are too heavy for field orera,
tions, are light enough to be transported over
common roads upon the carriages from which
they are fired.
The total weight Of the b-inch rife, with Its
carriage. is b.543 pounds. the rife alone weigh
ing o'ooO pouuub' lIS length ID IT'D feet.
Tho proiectile which 1t throws weighs forty
five pounds. It's range is about FIVE miles. At
1000 yards the projectile penatrates Harvey
lied steel 40 inches, at $500 yards 2.6 inches,
and at $500 yards Q inches.
The siege howitzer weighs 3,710 pounds, and
with Its carriage 5.722 pounds. Tho length of
the howitzer is about six feet. 1t throws a pro-
Jectile Fl inches long, Weighing los pounds.
Its effective range is from two to four miles.
The 7-inch field mortar weighs 1882 pounds,
and with its carriage 2,470 pounds. 1t Ia 40
feet long and throws a pIojectlle of 1875 pounds.
Gen. Shafter had decided, Of course, before
he left Tampa Of just what guns his batteries
would be composed. The information he pos.
sessed of the character OF Santiago's defences
the guns to be included in each bat
terry. 1t is supposed here that he has In each
two 5-inch rifles, one howitzer, and one mortar.
1t was said by an artillery officer yesterday
that such acombination would be about the most
effective that could be made. With the rifles a
line fire could be maintained against tho de-
fences.none of which could efrectually Withstand
tho bombardment Of eight 5-inch rifles, II the
gunners are able to get any sort OF a range on
tho works. Because the rifles fire moro directly
on a straight line than either the hoWitzers or
mortars, they would be planted in front.
a how lite co can nf be siey1tod at a. angle Tt 20
tion it can throw a shell from two to four
miles, and drop II where 1t will do tho most
damage. The mortars may be clev ated almost
TO the perpendicular, The. shells which they
throw, explode with terrible damage 20 any
thing with which they come in contact, What
the rifles and howitzers don't destroy the NOR
Besides the sIsgo guns. Gen. Shafter has a
number OF Hotchkiss mountain guns, all rapid
fire. and he also has at his disposal the battery
OF Colt guns given by Craig Wadaworth TO
Roosevelt's regiment and one dynamite gun OF
tho Slms-Dudley pattern. The hauling OF the
llOtchkiss guns could be easily managed by
the mon. and the dynamite gun 10 very light.
1t Is reported In Dispatches from Santiago that
the dynamite gun mad been hauled from BAL.
Alsop Borrowe. . son-in.lRw Of the late Austin
CoESin. 1t Is rackoned that each Hotohkiss and
Coli Gun y equal 70 about twenty rifles.