Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-29
WILL KILL BY THE SCORE.

The special correspondent Of the Lon
don Times, who has attended the
French military maneuvers, had an
opportunity Of seeing the much-vaunt-
ed new seventy-nve nm. quick-hrlng
gun at work. He says Each gun
besides lts timber, has an ammunition
wagon. When IN column OF route the
ammunition wagon and the gun move
abreast n possible; II that is not prac-
ticable. the wagon precedes the gun
The draught for a wagon Is team ol
four. for a gun team Of six Each
batfery Is accompanied by a reserve
ammunition column Of three wagons
Whom the battery comes into action the
gun and wagon unlmber abreast OF
each other and the llmbers OF both gal-
lon clear TO cover. II the gun unllm-
bers action front the wagon unllmbers
action rear. and vice versa. Nos, ., 8
and Immediately tilt the wagon up
disiolnt the pole so that II doubles
down 10 the ground and open the top
shutters. which fan back from a center
fastening and make a shield. behind
which the three gunners kneel, Ihe
fixed ammunition IL In a rack before
them. each wagon holding eighty
rounds. As the gun and wagon are now
wheel and wheel abreast, NO mas
simply TO hand each round 10 NO z,
who is kneellng by the tran prepared
to load
and now as 10 the gun itself As far
as could Judge. while standing IN the
battery the pneumatic buffer which
takes the recoil Is part Of the gun. Ger
tainly when fred with blank the only
p,ovement apparent Is the running
back ~ the gun Itself on a sliding seat
underneath the trunnions. The whole
OF the breech end OF the gun seems
seated In this heavy socket. A brake,
which is lowered on coming into action,
takes part Of the recoil. as well as
spade affixed 10 the end OF the tran.
Before the gun Is laid the trail Il raised
TO an angle VI forty-hye degrees ana
brought sharply TO the ground This
might be 10 insure the settling OF the
spade but from the sound II makes and
the fact that after the gun team has
been standing fast for some time the
operation is repeated before again COM
ing into action | am inclined 10 believe
that Il Is a mechanical means by which
some pneumatic buffer IL loaded THIS
muCn rs certain lNhA hllNt INV NAei so"
been raised the brake adjusted and the
spade Embedded the gun carriage never
moves again though twenty rounds are
fired In rapid succession, The gun only
runs back. In this the mechanism is
Far IN advance Of the spade action OF
tho Vickers- Maxim carriage. In which
both gun and carriage run back on the
shade for several inches.
THE breech action Of the French gun
Is a marvel Of simplicity, The breech
opens with single action, the whole OF
tho block revolving from left to right.
| The reverse action loads the piece, the
motion OF opening extracts the case ana
| throws II clear. No. opens and closes
| the breech IN two motions, while No. 2
] loads. No. attends TO the laying Of the
gun-once laid any alteration In range
| is made by turning a hand screw, 70
| which Is fitted an Indicator and dial II
| would be possible 60 fire thirty rounds
n minute with the utmost care. But
/ hitherto during the maneuvers no rapid
/ fire has been attempted, The gun Is
| provided with light bullet-proof
| shield. 80 that when in action the four
men working the guns are under cover,
/ while. M was stated before, the Nos. 3,
G and kneel behind their ammunition
wagons and are also completely
| screened