Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-11-15
FRANCES GREAT ARTILLERY.
The Sprinkler of Death and the TO- Inch
Field Gun,

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What the French rely on to make
up for their inferiority in numbers II
case of war is their splendid artillery
There is the small field gun, whose
action has been likened to that Of 9
sprinkler-"sprinkler Of death"-and
the great weapon Of destruction re-
Gently perfected, the "155 R." which
though 1t throws an 81 pound projec-
tile and weighs more than 1000 pounds
mounted and ready for action, is yet
designed to be used in field operations
The sprinkler Of death Is officially
known as the rs gun. That is to say,
1t is of rs millimeters or about inches
calibre. 1t is, perhaps, the most ac-
curate and for the size Of its projectile
the most rapid firing of guns; the
French certainly think 1t Is.
While it is being fired the piece has
two controllable motions. One is the
"reaping" motion; this is horizontal
sweep which enables each gun to rake
line $50 feet long, or thereabouts.
The other motion increases or dimin-
ishes the range. Thus the man who
is directing the gun by wabbling 1t a
little from right to left and left to
right, raising or depressing the muzzle
trifle at the same time-all by means
operate-spreads a hail Of bullets over
acres of ground as easily as woman
would sprinkle a flower bed from a
watering pot.
The French army now has about
1000 of these gentle engines Of de-
struction and Is Of course building
more. It has been is use in principle
since 1897, when it was determined to
replace the old 81 inch field gun with
1t, but 1t has been greatly improved
since. Only two to three shots min
ute could be fired from the old gun.
The new one gives easily twenty shots.
Parisians who are fond Of figuring
deduce the comforting conclusion that
the light artillery Of the nation may
be counted on to fire at least 10000
shots a minute, hurling 100000 bull
lets against an invading German host.
The characteristic feature Of the
gun is that when 1t Is unlimbered for
action the carriage Is immovable. 1t Is
anchored to the ground by a massive
steel attachment called the spade"
while the wheels are set in brake
shoes. The only movable thing Is the
cannon itself, and it's recoil is taken
UP by a hydro pneumatic cushion,
which instantaneously pushes it back
into the firing position. Thus once 1t
is set for certain range 1t can be
depended to land its fire there, subject ]
to the guidance Of the pointer" or
man who controls the motion Of the
gun.
The guns crew consists of five men. |
They crouch behind two rifle proof |
steel shields while they work. The |
wagon is brought up close
to the gun and opened The copper
are in rows. bullet down, in |
grooves, so that they need not be lift !
ed. just slid out. Two men. the feed I,
ers, pass them to the loader, who sits
behind the gun, slipping the charges
IN with regular motion like clock
work, first from the right, then from
the left feeder. The firer sits on
seat attached to the right hand shield.
He does nothing but open and shut
he breech and fire the gun. The open
ng Of the breech throws out the dead
the discharge is effected
~ the same motion that locks the
)reech block. The pointers seat is
lttached to the left shield. He takes
he range and direction from the OFF,
er commanding the battery, then
,lacidly plays the hail Of fire over the
egion indicated.
An experiment was recently tried
With the 75 gun on the artillery ranges
t Poitiers. in which 1000 silhouettes-l