The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-26
HEAVY GUNS FOR China
Additional Siege Batteries May BE
Sent to Chaffee.
Secretary Root Making Provision
s,ra Large Artillery Force for the
Expeditiou-Ordcrr for "PompOms"
and Quick Firers-The Automatic
Machine Gums Also to BE Sent

The Secretary OF War is making special
provision for a large artillery force for the
Chinese expedition. When the expedition
is completed 1t will be the most complete
ever sent into a foreign country. 1t Will
be composed of every branch of the MIL
itary service. There will be infantry ana
cavalry, light artillery, heavy artillery
siege guns. and siege howitzers. confer
ence was held yesterday between General
Burlington. Chief of the Ordnance Bureau
and Secretary Root in regard to sending
additional siege batteries.
cablegram to General Chaffee sent
Tuesday requested information from him
as to siege guns and at the same time
gave him such information that leads the
Secretary OF War to believe that he VIII
not stop at Chefoo on his way to the 'front.'
but will 20 direct to Taku on the Grant
Secretary Root said yesterday afternoon
that lie did not know positively that Cen
eral Chaffee had received this despatch
lie explained that he had acknowledged an
previous dispatches, but not the one OF
Tu. day which is thought TO show that no
had already left Nagasaki for China when
it arrived II is expected that he VIII
by direction Of Secretary Root, he will i'm
mediately inform himself as to the situa-
ton in Tientsin and the conditions OF the
country between Tientsin and Pekin as re-
lating to an early advance upon the chi
nese capital.
All reports from China show that artil-
lery and cavalry are much needed. Gen
eral Chaffee is expected to advise the War
Department without delay as to how much
artillery should be sent. Already orders
have been issued for large artillery force
TO 30 to China, but this will be enlarged
should General Chaffee indicate such a
wish There are two fully organized siege
batteries in the United States. One is a
gun battery, the other howItzer battery.
The latter is Battery o, at Fort Riley,
Kan, which has just been ordered to the
front. In Manila there are other siege
| guns and howitzers. Whether Manila Will
/ be drawn upon for siege guns is the Ques-
ton now under consideration by the Sec
! rotary Of War. There are number of
| 81 age guns in the United States not formed
| into battery and organized with work
| ing force. These guns could easily be sent
| to China by some one OF the freight or
| animal ships leaving the Pacific.
The howitzer battery is composed OF four
| finch howitzers, distinguished from the
| siege guns in that they throw shell
J weighing 105 pounds in a curved line,
! while the siege guns fire a forty-hye-
| FOUNDER with great velocity in horizontal
! line Il is the latter that would be used
/ to batter down walls and heavy masonry,
/ The howftZers could do remarkable serv-
| ice in destroying buildings, after bursting
| spreading destruction for great distances
! In addition to the siege artillery, field
/ artillery of every description is being pro
/ vided Orders have been given for two
| batteries OF 75-mm. Quick-fring field
| guns on non-recoil carriages. Each battery
/ will have six guns, making in all twelve
! gun of this type. These guns are one OIL
/ the latest productions OF the Maxim Com
pany and fire from eighteen to twenty
two shots a minute, the projectiles weigh
ing about twelve pounds.
orders have also been placed for twelve
! 37-mm. "pompom'' guns. It was this typt
I of gun that the Beers used with such tell
/ ing effect against the British in Soutf
/ Africa 1t is practically an enlargement
Of the rife calibre gun and fires one
pound explosive shell at the rate Of abou
! $50 per minute. The gun is fed from al
/ ammunition box on the rlght-hand side
which contains a belt holding twenty
! five cartridges. 1t is called ''pompom" b!
! reason OF the peculiar sound made by thu
/ gun in action. II Is said to have de
moralizlng effect on an opposing force.
Automatic machine guns are also to b.
/ sent TO China with the expedition. FIT,
| of these guns have been ordered from tn
/ Colts Company. but as they will have non
| ready for delivery Immediately, the nav,
/ has consented TO turn over TO the arm,
twelve guns of this type and receive then
back from the army when the order ha
been flied. new model Calling ma
/ chine gun has also been ordered. The ma
chine guns fire cartridges of the same siz
as the service rife. the rate OF fire bein
between 500 and 600 shots a minute.
This concludes the list Of recent pur
chases by the Ordnance Department, bu
arrangements are being made 10 send Gd
ditional field guns from the Philippines
where there are a number Of 3.2-inc
field guns, twenty-one 2-pounder Hotchkis
guns, and number Of 12-pounders.