The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-26
NOTES ON ENGINEERING

The official returns OF the commerce of
France for the year 1900 shows de-
crease They amount to 4,4os. $50, 600 francs
as compared with 4,5ls,3 900 francs for
1899. The exports for 1900 also decrease,
being only 4,O7SOS2, 900 francs. as against
4l52, $685. 900 francs I'm 1899
Hereafter the Baltimore e. Ohio Rail-
road will not engage engineers weighing
200 pounds or over, although those now in
the employ OF the company will not be
dismissed for this cause. The reason for
the rule is said TO be the narrowing of
the space 7or the engineer caused by the
extension of the boiler through the cab
OF the newer types of engine, and large
engineers might not be able to move rap
idly enough I'm emergencies
Out-of-date Parrott and other old-style
army and navy guns are destroyed daily
near Reading. Pa The guns weigh from
thirteen TO twenty-five tons. The work Is
accomplished at Fox Hill, In Warwick
township, Chester county. Six men are
employed in the log forts In the ravine
They make about $50 blasts a day, and
tons OF dynamites are used each month
The heavy timber forts are twenty-four
feet square. and the sides are heaped high
with earth. The guns are rolled into the
forts from the fiat cars and are drilled by
steam power The dynamite cartridges in
the guns are discharged by electricity.
The forts prevent the pieces from being
hurled into the air.
\ new hrearm Is being introduced into
the German army. IL is OF rather com
plicated design. but IL is claimed To, he
"A perfect weapon regarding it's firing ca
pabilities. The barrel has been made
more substantial t4nan the Mauser, while
the soldiers hand IL protected from the
/ nF MI IVfp ha zftn ia
loaded from "A charger, instead of the
clip. the advantage OF which innovation ~
that Il can be loaded with greater rapid
ity either from the right or left. Auto
matte elevating in connection with the
sighting IL also provided The only draw
back to the weapon IN the delicacy Of It's
construction. which will render the arm
liable 10 arrangement with rough usage.
The United Kingdom continues In bs
the chief of the foreign patrons OF the
Carrara quarries. According to the latest
official returns. out OF l6l .259 tons export
ed l0,0S9 tons, or onc-fourth the entire
quantiti,. came TO England. The United
States may soon take the lead for the
quantity credited Co them was 30 S57 tons.
! Italy required g 800 tons The uuarries ex-
tend from Carrara To Massa aud Nersilil.
Altogether there are 1864, but 1893 OF them
| are not worked. Inc men employed num-
| her G522 ut Carrara. 100 at Massa, had
| 2a33 at Nersiiia. The last years products
are returned "a having the value OF p
| SlS52O Italian lire. IL H. often supposed
| there r. great loss of life at the quarries.
/ but during 1893 there were only forty Gc-
| rious casualties among the workers, by
| which seven quarrymen were killed aud
| thirty three were injured, OF whom three
! were permanently dcformed and the rc
mainder recovered Slight casualties NUN
| bcrcd 12l.
/ Tho efficacy of the Lee Enfield rife, the
small arm used in the British army has
| been CNcmplincd upon several occasions.
| while repeated experiments have been
| made 90 compare It's characteristics with
! the Mauser arm The latter rifle has gen
| eranv been considered 90 -be the better
! nrCarm. both in carrying and quick firing
| capacity Recent experiments conducted
| ir India. however. dsprove the latter
| statement. The Lee -Enheld rifle carries
| ten cartridges IN its magazine. while the
Mauser carries Eve The former arm. how
| ever. g. generally employed as a single
| loader The objects OF those experiments =
| were 90 determine respectively the time
| occupied in firing ~ rounds when used
az a loador. and when utilized with the
magazine In tho frst test the twenty
| rounds were discharged I'm ? minutes I.
seconds When the magazine was brought
| irto use the same number of rounds were
| discharged iu I minute. 26 seconds. with
| tho Mauser rife. however I minute. "a
seconds were occupied in dicharrine the
same number uf rounds thus showing
| thal H more rapid fr, can hc maintained
ican