The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-18
Beers WERE WELL PREPARED.
HAD BEEN BUYING GUNS EVER
SINCE 1921.


Have Two Long Toms" One of
which Guards Prctoria-They Have
About 23O Modern Heavy Guns and
Are Well Supplied With Ammunit-
fon-EmeetIve work Can BE Done
With the Creusot Guns-The Ter
ror of Lndys mith.
Correspondence Of the Associated Press.)
London. Feb. lG.-Tne correspondent of
a news agency, writing from Durham.
speaks with apparent knowledge of the
Boer armament and the way it was OBJ
tanned as follows:
THE expenditure Of the Transvaal gov
ernment for artillery during the past four
years is shown with startling bluntness
in a document that has been brought here
from Pretoria and was issued some time
before the spenlng Of the war for the
private Information Of the members of the
Volksraad. In 1894 the Beers gave their
first order for a quantity Of heavy guns
and then they expended 100000 with
Krupp of Germany, and about 100000 with
an Austrian firm for SINAI! arms.
THE Krupp guns were delivered in 1885
and included two of what was then the
largest pattern for gun in the world.
These guns are forty-eight feet ia length.
weigh 40 tons. throw a shell weighing
$500 pounds, and require 904 pounds Of
powder for each discharge one Of these
enormous weapons has been dragged TO
the nights overlooking Ladysmith, the Ia
Dor necessary TO accomplish this feat
having been prodigous The other is IN
the fortihcations defending Pretoria
where il awaits the approach of the Brit
ish in their coming attack on the capital
Both are amply provided with ammunition.
which. in addition TO the great steel ana
iron shells, consists CT shrapnel, holding
1900 balls weighing three and one-h5lf
ounces each. Its bore is 1853 inches, and
all these attributes have enabled this gun
60 make Lsdysmith most uncomfortable
spot during the past several weeks.
"In 1885 another fl00. 600 was expended
with krupp, and a number of field guns
of long range were obtained, as were also
several mountain and bush guns. these be-
ing especially adapted TO the billy country
and the hot climate Of the Transvaal
Their Best Pieces.
"But it was In 1896 that the Beers con-
tracted for the guns that have thus far
in the war done them the most effective
service 1t was at this time that they
made their first purchase of six cannon
manufactured at Creusot. and so satisfied
were the Boer officers with them thar
eighteen have been added to the Trans
vaal armament since that date. One of
the many effective features of this gun
is the clever arrangement of springs and
brakes that lessons the recoil materially
and brings the gun back to its former po-
sitiou within two seconds after It's being
discharged. This gives greater velocity to
the projectile and increases the range. The
range Is trifie under five miles, this re-
markable result being obtained from
charge of less than two pounds of powder
and from a gun weighing only S,400 pounds.
Eight shots may be fired each minute
without heating the metal, and every gun
goes into action provided with IA rounds
of ammunition. There is a sufficient guam
lity of ammunition for these particular
guns to keep them in active. service for
the next two years.
During 1928 and a portion Of 1899
the Beers continued 90 strengthen their
artillery arm and also to fortify many
of the hills along the frontier In this
period they bought fOrty-eight rapid-are
Schneider-Canet l4s-pounders that throw
shrapnel containing 23i bullets. Five
batteries of eight rapid-fire Maxims. each.
are being used against Mafeking and
Ladysmith The Beers also provided
themselves with four batteries of 12-pound
quick-hring Vickers-Maxim guns, with
range extending up 10 5000 yards They
have also four guns with a range Of 70
600 yards. Two of these are sold TO he
mounted on the hills at either side of
the narrow pass that leads from Natal into
the Transvaal. another is overlooking
Ladysmith and the fourth protects. Pre-.
toria.
I'm all, the Beers have between 220 and
30 heavy guns and field pieces every
idividual gun being of the latest design
and with the latest improvements and the
entire number superior in nearly ever7
way to those possessed by The British"