The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-04
SUPERIORITY OF THE BoER GUNS
H'eIo artillery Brought From
France OutcIasses Britain's old
Fashioned Weapons.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
The Beers have, in the present war
Placed their reliance not only on their
ability to shoot with more accuracy than
the British, but on their artillery. which
Is OF the latest and most improved pat
tern, and on which enormous sums have
been spent by the Transvaai government
during the past ten years The burshers
have been buying artillery almost since
Inc close of the last Transvaal war, and
they have secured the services of the best
european experts, chiefly Germans, whom
they could induce to accept high-salaried
positions in the Boer army.
According to British artillerists who have
examined the Transvaal ornaments, the
Beers most formidable weapons are their
qulck-hrlng field guns. About two wears
ago they purchased eight batteries, or
torty-eight guns, of the latest and best
quick-tlring type from the French firm of
Schneider-Canet These guns were not
delivered until short time ago, but are
supposed 10 have reached Pretoria just
IN time for use in the present war.
The Schneider-Canet gun fires a thirteen
pound shell. In practice against targets
composed of six wooden frames. each with
an area of forty-five square feet, six of
these guns fired each six rounds throwing
each shell at an average of forty-six sec
onds' interval and making numerous hits.
An ordinary field gun in the same time
would have fired only one, or at the most
two rounds The Beers weapons, there
fore, fire three 10 six times as fast as the
ordinary gun with which most batteries of
British artillery are armed This rapidty
of fire is obtained by anchoring the gun
in the earth. A spade is fitted to the trail
of the gun, which is driven into the ground
at the first shot The gun is in this way
held in fairly firm position where the
ground is favorable. On rocky or very
soft ground the spade arrangement has
been found almost useless.
There are two types of quick-fring guns
used in the British army. The first Is the
Nickers- Maxim, which was used by the
troops under Lord Kitchener in the Sou
dan. The other is an adaptation of the
ordinary field gun, which is converted to
a quick-firer by a carriage designed by
Lieut.. Col Sir G. Clarke. This gun, it
is said, has been found of considerable
utility, but is certainly not equal to the
quick firers in the possession of the Beers.
Some time ago the Transvaal government
purchased three of the most powerful guns
in existence. These were also made by
the Schneider-Canet firm. Two are of
91A-inch calibre and one of Pinch. The
latter weighs forty-siX tons, and fires a
shell Weighing half a ton through four
feet of steel The two smaller guns fire
a shell weighing three hundredweight.
According to one account these guns
were ordered by President Kruger when
the Transvaal government, in 1896 was
laying its plans to acquire Delagoa bay.
The British admiralty ordered some of the
most powerful vessels of the British navy
to proceed to Delagoa bay at full speed,
as a hint to Portugal that Great Brltain's
right of pre-emption would be insisted
upon. It is said that so sure were the
Beers of obtaining the much-coveted sea-
port that they ordered the guns in ques-
ton in order to arm the batteries which
they intended to erect there.
The rDelagoa bay scheme having fallen
through. the Boers determined to use the
guns elsewhere. and it is said on good au-
thority that they are now outside Jo-
hannesburg.