Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-09-01
COST OF WEAPONS.
From These Figures the Cost of War
May Be Imagined.

One Of the sources Of expense in war
may be described as 'wastage" of ma
terial In the bombardment of Alex
andria between a. NJ. and 40 T.
NJ. the British fleet in somewhat
vigorous fashion deposited 1855 shells
upon Egyptian soil and about 500
Egyptians were killed. This was I'M
doubtedly good shooting. in view of the
fact that it took the Germans. when
besieging Mezieres in 1870. at the rate
Of three and one-half shells minute,
1873, 900 large projectiles to kill 800 peo-
pie that is to say. CAB shells head.
and that the Beers. in the earlier
stage Of the present war. dumped $3.50
shells into Ladysmith and only killed
eight persons.
In the Crimean war the total num-
Der Of combatants was 1,46O.5OO. and
they fired $4,000 900 shots. with the re-
suit that 81 945 soldiers were killed in
battle and 66.397 died from their
wounds; therefore. to all intents and
purposes. 1892 bullets found a billet
and IS. ISL, 65S were wasted.
In the Franco German war, where
the weapons used were Of a superior
quality. especially as regards precision.
the victorious host Of Germans fired off
80. 600, 600 small-arm cartridges and
1863, 900 rounds of artillery. with the re-
suit that 1900 French troops We're
killed outright or died from their
wounds. The wastage, therefore, on
the German side. amounted to &c, 2S6.-
900 shot and shell, and that on the side
Of the French would amount to quite
as much. The ordinary man will now
have an inkling where money goes in
war time.
1t is fortunate. in view of the fact
that after the battle of Modder River
the trenches in some places were knee
deep in cartridge cases, that cartridges
are not very expensive, costing
the Royal Laboratory, in the case Of
303-inch cordite cartridges with bullet
for small arms, about $50 a 1000 to
make, price somewhat suggestive of
stocktaking sales and alarming sacri-
fees. In this engagement one battal-
ion of Grenadiers fired $1,000 cartridges
(say 5000 WORTH and a battalion of
the Coldstreams 10000: wholesale val
ue, $3.50.
In 1898 the Royal Laboratory made.
among many other things, 66,979.606 Of
these cartridges. which II placed emil
to end, would extend from Woolwich
half way to the Cape: in addition to
1.049.712 other cordite cartridges in
tended for the Webley pistol and cost
ing nearly s12 a 1000 to manufacture.
Cordite, by the way, which comes in
handy. is an explosive in so many
ways costs from SO cents a pound
not much perhaps by the pound. but
the price mounts up when 945,56o
pounds are manufactured in the
year. as at Waltham Abbey.
Gunpowder varies in price according
to quality in marvellous manner. One
quality of which little is manufactured
at Waltham costs nearly 81 100
pounds. while picric is quoted at about
s95 a 100 pounds; but powder at Is
cents a pound is generally used. Gun
cotton in two and one-half pound
slabs, measuring 6hx6Mx1N inches,
costs 30 cents pound, and when by it's
aid Long Toms" are disabled it is
cheap at the price.
With regard to other weapons. .303-
inch Maxims are quoted at about $425.
without extras, by the Royal Small
Arms Factory at Enfield, while han
dy GardnerGatling chamber gun runs
to about 1922. when taking a quantity.
The So, 712 Lee-Enfield rifles turned out
at the same factory cost 1880 each:
ss.S53 word-bayonets, s170 each:
lances cost IS each. without their flags.
which run to II cents each. and cav
airy swords entailed an expenditure of
over 81.
One interesting item in respect to
the panoply Of war refers to the cost Of
the curass; the backs are priced at
sl2.25, the fronts at sl425 each: but in
addition to these there are rivets for
the shoulder straps at 13 cents hun
bred. shoulder straps at los. Sad each,
and various studs and washers to be
bought ere the lifeguardsman receives
his gorgeous steel overcoat which he
leaves behind him when his transport
is on the tide