Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-03-17
BREEcH-LoADING HowITzER.
A Weapon Used for the First Time at
0mdurman

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0mdurman.
A deadly modern weapon of war
fare was in action for the first time
doing good work-at the battle of
Omdurman. Yet, owing to the fact
that muzzle-loading howitzers weigh
ing from four to ten tons, were used
in a former generation, the ordinary
British civilian has scarcely compre-
hended the true meaning of Give
inch breech-loading howitzer," whose
"bore" when parallel is three feet
seven inches from the ground.
Unless all "stand clear when this
gun is fired, the recoil, in spite of the
''dfag Shoes will impolitely knock
the leaders over. So abominably does
the howitzer knock that it positively
jumps on its own account backward
a distance of five yards, even with
"drag shoes'-a brake like those
used on wagons-while without "drag
shoes" it runs back from rs to 80
yards. When firing at range of 1900
yards so per cent. of the rounds
should drop within space of % yards.
The weight of a gun and carriage is,
roughly speaking, about twelve hun
dredweight, and it makes good prac-
tice up to 5000 yards. At this dis
lance Lyddite shell last June ground
sham fort to powder, though the
walls were three feet thick. How
itzers can fire behind cover better
than any other gun, because, being
short, they can get better angle of
descent. Their shells weigh so
pounds and are constructed external
ly of steel and filed with Lyddite-
a fluid the colcr Of which seems to in
dictate the presence of picric acid. As
soon as an object is hit, terrific back
ward and forward flashes take place.
Those who are unfortunate enough
to be within 800 yards of the forward
explosion are nearly certain to be
killed, and whoever are within range
of the backward flash up to 200 yards
may be congratulated if they escape.
The ''bore;" 40 inches in length and
five inches in diameter, has three cov-
erings-the elmer tube" "center
tube" and Jacket
In order to obtain faint idea of
how a modern howitzer is charged,
imagine a large craftsman made of
cordite threaded onto pencil. This
pencil technically would be termed
The GORE" When three more ex-
plosives shaped like craftsmen are
placed on the top this is "full
charge" Each howitzer is drawn by
six horses, and the same number are
harnessed to the ammunition wagon,
just as in the case of the artillery, only
the latter have their detachment of
nine men mounted.
The great objection to these death
dealing howitzers in a European waT
would be the likelihood CT the enc
my aiming at and exploding the am
munition wagon. The normal pace of
horse artillery is a gallop, of field ar
tillery trot, and of howitzers walk.
The last named gun weighs twelve
hundredweight, whereas the other
two are only six hundredweight
Iowitzers' uniform is the same as
field artillery-blue with yellow fac
ings, red stripe on overalls and red
collars to coats. Horse artillery are
similar, but they have more braid
across their TUNES. There are three
howitzer batteries-the Thirty-sev-
enth, who are now in Egypt, and who
shot with such admirable precision
in this recent decisive battle; the Six
ty-frst and the Sixty-fifth batteries,
who are now stationed at Woolwich.
London Graphic.