Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-10-27

II Germany wins the war it will not
have been science that conquered; it
will have been the science OF war
fare, such as other nations have
known and practiced, though not so
well, but above all it will have been
the science OF artillery, for the pin
nacle Of German war science is the
AZ centimeter (6.5-inch) Krupp NOR
tar, the most miraculous and power
full weapon designed in the history
OF war
The Krupp mortar is the one
unique and astonishing product of
this month of fighting. 1t has smash
ed apparently impregnable fortifica-
tions like those of Liege and Namur
has been battering at the perfect de-
lenses of Antwerp, and unless all pre-
dictions by German artillerists go
astray, may blow open a roadway
to Paris.
The Krupp mortar is known only
by few
For eight years the Krupps worked
at the secret while guarding ii with
most rigorous precautions. This year
they perfected it, This mortar fires
the largest and most dangerous pro-
/ jectile ever shot from weapon. In
making it no single workman worked
/ on more than one small piece. and
\ one vital part of the machinery was
made in Austria.
Even the artillery subcommittee of
4 the bundesrath was not informed this
year. II was merely asked to with
hold debate on the artillery situa-
ton, as something extraordinary
was being provided That something
extraordinary was first seen when
| the Liege forts, which could with.
stand any artillery fire known to
Belgian officers, collapsed like shan
! ties, burying thousands of the garri
son under the wreckage,
AT Namur the same story was re
/ peated ! have just read an account
in an English newspaper of the cap
/ ture OF Namur in which ii is said
that two French regiments, coming
to the relief of the garrison, found
such carnage that they retired in
awe But the surprise of the Bel
gans was no greater than that OF
the German artillery officers them
selves, who watched increduously the
miracle of the Krupp mortar. Al
that the official dispatches told the
German public was that "the enemy
had not reckoned on the power OF
our artillery"
Al some distance from fort {
space was cleared and great NOR
tar set in a concrete bed occupying
circle with a radius of 100 feet
Behind the mortar and outside thii
circle was tunnel leading to a sub
terranean chamber The great NOR
tar was sighted. the projectile wal
set in place and then the gunners re
tired to their underground chamber
Here they pressed a button and TIL
mighty shot was fired.
The explosion was terrific, Any
thing within fifty feet of the gun a
the time of the explosion would b.
killed. Even men in the neighborinl
= armies complained of headaches an
toothaches from the jar and the sam
complaints were made by the me-
In the forts where the projectiles el
ploded.
The projectile pierced through one
two and three ordinarily impenetrabl
walls and buried itself in fourth
Here II lay silent many seconds, the
exploded like volcano, bringing t
4 the ground in ruins every ston
which had stood upon another
A shot fired into the center of
fort buried itself deep in the groun
and lay there as though gatherin
serength for its demoniacal eruption
N Then, after twenty seconds, 1t e