The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-12-17
SOLDIERS CHANCES OF DEATH.
Not More Than One in a Thousand
Proiectiles Take Effect.

1t is certainly a crumb Of comfort 10
man about 10 night Tor MS country 10
know that in battle not more than one II
every thousand projectlles OF al! descTlp-
lions and weight take effect
Competent authorities state than on the
average II takes a ton OF shot 10 Kill one
man. For instance. il has been estlma ted
that in the Crimean war the BRUSH anu
French troops fired between them the
enormous amount OF 4o,yty,yJJ PIOJeCt!es'
resulting in the death OF only 0l'VJJ rus
slams. while on their side the cars ad-
herents killed some 5000 OF the allies Win
On expenditure OF over oJ,OJJ,VOO prOJecuiesi
this representing q death Tor every 4Ooi
shots fired.
The American Civil War returns. which
were got out with very great care,
show that the loss 10 both the Federals
and Contederates was about Z per cent
OF the forces engaged, 10 bring about
which involved the expenditure OF nearly
twenty-five hundredweight OF ammuni-
ton per man.
At the siege OF Mezieres, in the Franco
German war. the Prussians threw no
fewer than lE, 900 prOjectiles into the ILL
fated town. but, strange 10 say, less than
400 people were killed by them. Then. at
TrOuville. two people only were killed,
after more than q 900 shells had been dis
charged. At Sedan, however, the aim OF
both the Germans and the French showed
marked Improvement, for after 10000
proJectiles had been fired nearly 5000
French and Prussians were killed.
For the Spauish-American war the re-
turns showed a tremendous amount Of
shot and shell fired for very meager re-
suits. OF course, in this case, although
the mortality was not great, the damage
TO earthworks, fortifications and Govern
ment buildings generally was enormous,
and there can be little doubt that IL the
Spaniards had not made themselves
scarce the deathroll would have been ap-
palling.
Again. when the American marines
landed at Santiago during a fusillade
upon the enemy lasting two nights, the
machine guns and rifles alone accounted
Tor the consumption Of over 5000 rounds
OF ammunition. SiXty-eight dead Span
lards were found as a result OF this enor-
nous expenditure Of ammunition.
Our own experience in our little wars"
mas been very little, II any. better than
the results Just recorded Take, for in
stance, the Chartered Company's expedi-
ton into Matabeleland Every one will
remember how the warriors OF Lobengula
ike skittles, but even in this instance.
which, perhaps, is the most effective
on record. as the impi advanced on the
British lines in solid masses IL would
have puzzled a blind man 10 have missed
shooting some of them. The mortality
was very small considering the vast num-
Der OF cartridges expended, but this is &C
counted FOR by the fact that on examina-
tion some OF the dead bodies Contained
more than fifty bullets in each. On an
other occasion, at an attack on a lager
some twenty miles south OF Buluwayo.
l4.UOO rounds OF ammunition were disposed
of, with result OF 346 dead Matabele.
Military authorities now regard rapidly
or ire as being more essential than range
and precision. and content themselves
with giving general orders to aim low.
and this, perhaps, accounts for the fact
that most wounds are inflicted on the en-
emys lower extremities. Btatistics show
Ing that on the average 45 per cent Of the
wounds occur In the legs, 80 per cent IN
the abdomen, q per cent in the arms and
chest and only l per cent In the head
IL will be interesting to learn how many
Boer bullets II takes TO kill a British SOL
der. and vice versa. II only for the sake
OF really ascertaining whether the Trans
vaal burghers' abilities as crack shots
have not been considerably overrated.-
London Mail.