Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-10-13
UNCLE SAM HAS THE DROP ON
THE WORLD.
A REMARKABLE EXHIBIT
Underground Fortifications, Secret
Passageways and skyscraping Pro
jectIes Shown at the Worlds Fair
Throws Seven Miles-A Mortar
of Monster Size.


begun until about ten years ago,
American military experts are con-
WINGED that, so far as those portions of
the defensive works already complet-
ed are concerned, the United States
Is better equipped for resisting a for
elgn invader than any nation in the
world Besides the most complete or
ganization, the most modern types of
Notifications, disappearing and rapid
hre guns, and submarine apparatus.
the most effective explosives. and the
most perfect system of ascertaining,
plotting, and communicating the ex-
act position and range of approach
ing vessels, there is one important
feature in our fixed armament that
is absolutely unique, no other coun-
try having yet been far-sighted
enough to adopt it.
This is the coast-defense mortar
which is mounted in a peculiar kind
OF fortification known as a mortar
pit, consisting of circular pit. lined
with a cement wall, and banked up
with earth so as to form an immense
mound. In some cases the concrete
is twenty or thirty feet thick and the
embankment may extend to a dis
lance of more than a hundred feet on
the most exposed side. The entrance
Is hidden behind a clump of bushes.
or In some other way, and within the
earthworks, on the least exposed side
there are cement-lined passages lead
ing from the exterior to the interior
and giving access to the magazine
rooms and store-rooms, and the tele-
phone and telautograph booth where
communication is maintained with SUI
perior officers and the range-fnding
or observation stations. All neces-
sary apartments are subterranean and
provided with thick cement walls.
The observation of range-fnding sta
ton is usually at distance from the
pit. There are usually from two to
four mortar-pits in battery.
While field-mortars proved very eff
tective in the civil war, and have
shown their efficiency in other mill
tary operations in various parts of
the world, the coast defense mortars
have never yet been thoroughly test
ed in actual warfare.
While the gun proper is a cannon
used for firing directly at the hostile
works, ships or men, the mortar IS
one that throws its projectiles in
such a manner that they VIII descend
Tpon the enemy from above; the
howitzer, which is used only as a field
piece, being capable o. being used for
both purposes. The length of the
most modern guns is about fifty times
as great as the caliber or interior
diameter; while the howitzer is ex-
ceedingly short in proportion to its
oaliber, and the mortar much shorter
STILL
The mortar constitutes a kind of
aerial mine, dropping large quantities
of explosives from above. Submarine
mines can be cut out by the invading
ships; they are frequently defective:
and when they are in good working
order they are liable to do injury to
the fleet with which they are intended
to cooperate, as has so frequently
happened in the Russo-Japanese war.
The mortar, on the contrary, is sure,
safe, and effective. 1t is altogether
beyond the enemy's reach; for the DO
sition that it occupies cannot be To-
Gated. and it is impossible for it to be
dislodged by the guns from a fleet,
as ship cannot use a mortar, and
the pit is so constructed as to be alb
solutely impregnable to direct fire.
In actual warfare the mortars are fired
either by pits or batteries. either four
eight or sixteen being discharged at
the same time. In target practice
single mortar acting alone has at
tanned to an accuracy OF thirty per
cent. of hits at distance of over 1900
yards range, with a target moving
cbliquely across the line of fire at a
rate of from eight to twelve miles
an hour.
Each mortar pit is manned by one
company, which is divided into four
OuS lOT HdCQ NOR
tar, an ammunition detachment.
range detachment and a reserve. The
general command is vested in an en-
placement officer. The gun-detach-
ment for "a mortar consists gun
commander and a gunner, Who are
non-commissioned officers. and ten
privates, to each of whom a certain
number is assigned. Numbers one to
four constitute the breach-detail. and
do the loading. FIVE and six constitute
the elevation detail. seven and eight
the traversing detail. whose duty 1t Is
to give the required horizontal direc-
ton. and nine and ten the shoEtruck
detail.
No one outside the military service
is allowed to inspect the details of the
coast defenses themselves. but at the
Louisiana exposition there is a per
fectly constructed and equipped NOR