The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-02-20
THE ROER ARMAMENT.
Their Splendid Equipment and the
WAY it Was Obtained.

London teD. lI.-tSaturd1y .)-1ne
correspondent Of a news agency, writing
rom Durham, speaks with apparent
knowledge Of the Boer armament and
lie way it was obtained as follows:
The expenditure Of the Trlnsyaal
government for artillery during the past
our years is shown with startling blunI-
ness III a document that has been
ought here from Pretoria, and was is
sued some time before the opening Of the
var for the private information Of the
members of the Nolksraad. In 1891 the
Beers gave their first order for a gum
ity OF heavy guns and then they eN-
scnded 100. 600 pounds sterling With
kruIp Of Grmany. and about 100000
POUNDS sterling with an Austrian firm
tor small arms. The krunp guns We're
delivered in 1880 and included two Of
what was then the largest pattern for
/ gun in the world. These guns are 4S
feet III length. weigh 100 tons, throw u
hell weighing 1900 pounds and require
}04 pounds OF powder for each discharge.
One of these enormous weapons has been
ragged to the heights overlooking Lady
smith. the labor necessary to accomplish
his feat having been prodigious. The
other is on the Notifications defending
Pretoria where it awaits the approach
# the British i'll their coming attack on
he capital. Both are amply provided
With ammunition, which in addition t.
he great steel and iron shells consists
II shrapnel, holding 5000 balls weighing
hree and one-half ounces each. Its
ore is 1888 inches and all these at
ributes have enabled this gun tc make
Jadysmith 4 most uncomfortable spot
turing the past several weeks.
~, 1S(lG onn+haT 100 00O mounds Star1
jng was expended with krupp and a
number of field guns of long range We're
obtained as We're also several mountain
and bush guns. these being especially
adapted to the billy country and the hot
Innate of the Transyaal.
But is was III 1896 that the Beers
ontracted for the guns that have thus
ar III the war done them the most eff
fectiye service. 1t was at this time
hat they made their first purchase of SIX
annOn manufactured at CreuSOt, and 50
satisfed We're the BOer officers with
them that IS have been added to the
Transyaal armament since that date.
One of the many effective features of
this gun is the clever arrangement OF
prinos and brakes tnnt lessons the re-
oil materially and brings the gun back
20 its former position within two second
efter its bein2 discharged. This gives
greater velocity to the projectile ana
Increases the range.
The velocity is 4 tritie under lir.
mics. this remarkable result being OBJ
aimed from a charge Of less tlIan two
pounds Of power and from a ru1 weigh
ny only 3.400 pounds. Eight shots may
he fred each minute without heating
he metal and every gun goes into action
.a,~,I, ,-,+l I 4 ,,,.,l-
There is 4 sufficient quantity of ammu-
gition for these particular guns to keep
hem i'll active service for the next two
years.
During 1S97rGS and Il portion of
1899, the Beers continued to strengthen
their artillery arm and also to fortify
many Of the hills along the frontier. In
his period they bought IS rapid fire
Schneider-Canet 14R Founders that
brow d shrapnel containing 234 bull
cts. Five batteries of eight rapid fire
MaNims each. are being used against
Nafeking and LadySmith. The Beers
}lso provided themselves with four bat
cries Of l2-pound quick-firing Nickers-
Maxim guns with q range extending up
% 5000 yards. They have also four
Guns with 4 range Of $4,000 yards. Two
IF these are said to be mounted on the
Hills at either side of the narrow pass
hat leads from Natal into the Trans
raal, another is overlooking Ladysmith
md the fourth protects Pretoria.
I'm all the Beers have between 22O and
80 heavy guns and field pieces, every
Individual gun being of the latest DESIGN
md With the latest improvements and
he entire number superior in nearly
very way to those possessed by the
British"