The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-11
WAR EXHIBIT IN PARIS.
A COMPLETE DISPLAY or GtNs Or
MODERN TYPES
n, Int.r.,, 20 Ia,msn ne Well as Expert'
Companion OF War Materials OF the pii-
fcrsn Makers Guns Tested In Sonth
Africa o. TIE newest quick ihers'

loren tuh'
africa Tne Newest Quick iiters'
Tho exhibit. Of war material, In I q Rue dos
Nation. II the Paris exhibition made the most
.or ,,,lcn,iy display ct modern types of
armament that has ever been shown. IL was
y, iu,.rc-, not only 20 experts but 70 laymen
vho i'm tie past two years. ha'" become Ia
,,ui,r with TIC names of the various types OF
machine and rapiG-ilring guns and who found
be-, an example 81 each. There was not much
in mt, collection of gum that was absolutely
new IND tn experts II was chiefly valuable Tor
the opportunity which IL offered To compare
,re tiNrr.ui means by which rival firms had
arrived at nearly the same standard OF az
c~eIlru.s
Tine modern gun has revolu'ioni2cd warfare.
II ia, made such formations OF troops H. were
soon In ilo,ivil War a. obsolete among CIVILIZED
nations MS the bow and arrow Every advance
r. the construction OF guns Is necessarily OF
vital interest. A. tine range and execution OF
guns ar" increased army tactics are revised
To keep pace with them
Four of the great ordnance manufacturing
Arm, Of the world accepted IN a Wholesale
manner the field for display offered by the
Paris Exposition. These were the French
Arms Schneider 81 Gle and the Hotchklss Com
many. the English manufacturer. Nickers.
Sons A Maxim. and the austrian company OF
Tkoda Other firms. the majority french,
have lessor exhibits. These include the Rus
.ian nrm uhoukhoG. he french manufacturing
coupaniaa MAYNARD Of Gle, Usine 81 diamond
hocitrc Moml.rgiuue De rArrIege, Usinc Bu-
reau, Assailly. Societe Metallurgique de Mont
bard. Bach 81 Vaart, Thuan et Fills. Marvel
Ereres. and others, who for the most part only
c1hib., specimens Of she'll and cartridges.
4 long s-inch gun which was to have re-
9 - - - Dn.-
alan firm WIS reGuisiiloned and removed by
the Russian Government in view OF the troubles
in China.
The demand for a certain tyre OF gun which
on rar or will produce n given Iower Of exc
Cution constantly provides gun makers with
new problems. The rivalry between nations
for the possession of the best modern guns
guarantees big Profits to the manufacturer
who most successfully solves the problem.
No sooner. however, is such a gun accepted
than every other manufacturer turns his re-
bnlrces TO devi>inE a gun that shall surTass
f. \ military correspondent for the London
Ttmcs has examined the exhibits at the raris
EXPOSITION seyerally and he confesses that in
soue classes. accepting the Icrfornnnoe 81
the guns As described by the exhibitors, lie
fni~ II impossible to select the best. They
show such a level standard OF excellence that
" NtllU seeil ASH TIE lUllN 10 luNtillNr ktlAIus'
o. far as death-dealinr weapons were con-
cernad. had been reached Each firm has
worked ont the problem after its own manner,
and there in the Exhibition can he seen the
deterrent channel which have been emf loy ed
TO attain rractically the same result. with
the Introduction OF MaNim's automatic gun
OF rifle calibre a new demand was created,
Since the birth Of this demand three more
guns OF different y~rinCivle and mechanism.
but practically similar in the main result, Judged
from rapidly and accuracy OF FIRE. have ap-
peared upon the market. Three out OF the
four automatic guns are to be found upon
the platforms OF the Paris Exhibition,
vickers, Sons 4 Maxim and Schneider ct
Gle have show houses Of their own nt the ex-
position Both buildings have been designed
TO portray in their eIteriors something Of the
martial interiors. The vickers' pile seems
70 consist of nrmor plate. and looms up nnIid
vs. moro or less artistic surroundings like a
hattleshIp A great i2-inoh gun traverses
the whole LENGTH OF the Interior. dwarfng all
the other exhibits. with the exception OF a
7.5-inch Qulck-fre gun on the stage above
Il The breech action OF the Pinch gun is
a wonderful piece OF mechanism. 80 arranged
that II Is operated and controlled by the
rotation OF q hand wheel,
turning the hand wheel the breech plug Is
first rotated and unlocked and then swung
clear Of the breech Of the gIn
One OF the interesting exhibits OF the En-
clash firm is the 8-inch Quick-fring guns. The
brcech mechanism for the e-inch gun IL said 10
he n new design OF the single motion type
IN this the horizontal swing Of the hand lever
rotatcs docks or unlocks, the breech plug.
swings it In or out OF the gun. and cocks the
arlng striker. The firing gear is arranged
To- nrtay he alaNt rtCttC n parCnlsinn md ia
directly operated by the hand lever. so that
the gun IL absolutely safe before the breech
begins TO open. The whole weight OF the
moving parts OF these guns-sun. carriage.
and cTadle-is beautifully balanced on a hori-
yontll bail bearing on a hollow steel pivot.
Thus il Is possible by working he hand wheels
TO tran and elevate the gun Almost with a
single finger. The loading gear Is very in
genious and consists Of a shot tray pivoted
on a bar az one side Of the cradle. so as 10 move
with the gun during elevation and depression.
md capable OF swinging on its axis in such a
manner that the longitudinal axis OF the tray
IL always parallel TO the axis Of the gun. The
T5-inch gun fires a ?oo-pound projectIle The
weight Of the gun is sixteen tons, the weight
Of mounting ten tons sixteen hundredweight
and IL is maintained by the makers that six
rounds r. minute can be fred. I. that rae Of
lIt Df If'FNNdI
The Wilderness Of the direction ~ The present
demand Is shown by the Guick-nrlng gun. OF
smaller cal.ber. In common with the llotch-
kiss firm. Vickers 4 Sons arc trying to i'm
prove the rate Of FIRE ~ their smaller quick
nrers. Both arms have invented an action
which they term seml-lutomat.c. The former
have attached it to 6pr. and Spr guns. the
latter have it on exhibit on their I4pr Quick
frng gun. A. will be understood by the term
semi-automatic, tie recoil IL In both cases
utilized 10 open the breech Of the gun. wnils
the action of re!oading releases the spring
which acted upon the brcech block.
The field artillery exhibition Of Vickers.
Sons 4 Maxim is of special interest because
II contain, Mann field appliance, which have
been tested by the Englishmen In South
Afr"l TIA London Times expert ~ays;
The best carriage which they nave upon
the platform IS the Darmancier- Dalzon. Guns
on this mounting have already been supplied
To- tie British Government. This carriage IS
only on" ~ tho several combinations Of the
hydrallic-huNo- and spade action. In it n
long r"'o'l "a provided for. All parts If the
carriage ar" FREQ to r-rpil. except the hydraulic