The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-20
CHINESE NOTIONS Of GUNNERY.
Lord Charles Bcrcsford's Account of
What He Saw at Shanghai.
Engineering Times.

ElSiutcfluS III
Lord Charles Beresford. discussing the
openings in China for mechanical engi-
neers, gives an amusing description of Chi
nese forts and arsenals.
Il would like" he says, ito tell you one
or two stories thoroughly characteristic of
the Chinese. At Shanghai, in the superb
arsenal, under the superintendent of Mr..
Blunt and Mr.. Cornish, both British me-
chanical engineers, / saw an Armstrong
gun which had had the breech piece re-
paired in the most clever manner. AS a
matter of fact, 1t was really a Krupp gun,
but with an Armstrong breech mechanism.
On asking for explanations, / was told that
the original breech piece had been blown
out, and on visiting a fort later on / found
out how and why. At this fort / congratu-
lated the mandarin on having the guns CO.,
tom MOUNTED in proper positions, and i was
afterward shown the powder used. I then
said: You surely do not use this powder in
those guns? oh, yes replied the man.
DARN, we do But IL will blow the
breech pieces out Yes, ii does was the
reply. One gun on being fired blew the
breech of and killed fourteen men. and
then they tried the other gun and killed
Later on / visited another battery. where
there were five sixty-ton guns. Observing
the arrangement of these, / asked the man.
DARN where his front was. The mandarin
pointed in one direction, but the guns point
ed In another. | mentioned this, and the
mandarin nodded. and said he thought
there was some mistake. then pointed
CaN NtAot Ottf III Dull 1CaAa ~ AANa Il
in the desired direction. oh, no.. replied
the mandarin. we should fire them ALL At
my request the experiment was then made.
and on pointing the gun around as de-
sired they became en- echelon. so that the
wave or conclusion OF one gun would have
destroyed the detachment on duty at its
%neighbor: Knowing. this. | placed soldiers
hats and clothes about the guns. and on
firing the latter In succession these gar
ments were blown sky high. You see?' /
observed to the mandarin. Yes replied
the latter, we should have had some men
killed. but the shot would have reached the
enemy, wouldn't IL?
AT another place there was a sixty-ton
muZzle-loading gun. at which the arrange
ments were such that the gun was actually
loaded In the magazine. A badly sponged
blown the whole al. / pointed this out.
remarking that | had never seen anything
so dangerous The mandarin smiled.
clapped me on the back and said: You
are the cleverest man 1 have ever met.
That is just what happened last year. We
did fire the gun and the magazine blew
up. I will show you where About nifty
men had been killed in this explosion, but
no alteration had been made i'm reconstruct
Ing the battery. Later on ! went 10 a DOW
der mill and found there excellent machines
of German make / noticed. however. that
there was too much powder I'm the pan,
and, further. that the windows were all
open and protected by gratings. Hence IL
was possible for dust or grit to blow in,
and. getting Into the pan. II would be liable.
by the friction caused. to start an exrlo-