The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1914-09-16
INSTRUMENTS OF
WAR SLAUGHTER
MurderouS New Weapons Of
Battle Now In Use.
DEATH DEALING "GRENADES"
One Modernized Type Fired From a
Howitzer Throws Two Pound Mis-
sile 300 Yards-Explode on Contact.
Scattering 215 Bullets Over a Hun.
dred Square Yards.


At the siege Of Port Arthur the Jap.
anese made such effective use of i'm.
provised hand grenades that the atten.
ton of military experts was attracted,
with the result that this ancient weap.
on has also been modernized. One
type of modern hand grenade, the
Aasen. weighs one kilogram and con.
tains 100 bullets. As these fly In all
directions. says the New York Even
Ing World. 1t can only be used from
under cover. Another form of the
grenade can be fred from howitzer
weighing about twenty-fOur pounds.
which can be carried I'm u case like "A
rifle. 1t throws murderous missile
weighing about two pounds to dis
lance of 300 yards. 1t explodes on con
tact. scattering 2l5 bullets over an
area of about 100 square yards. Still
another type of this so called grenade
can be fired. with the aid of a stick
thrust into rifle barrel. to distance
of 400 yards
Most deadly of all is the mine gre
made. weighing eight pounds and con.
tanning 400 large bullets. This is
buried few inches under ground
When an enemy is over the mine the
touch of an electric button causes it
to spring out of the ground until 1t is
checked by chain at a height Of a
yard above the surface. when 1t ex.
plodes, moving down every man in
the vicinity.
Heavy Shells and Their Targets.
The Belgian resistance at Liege has
drawn public attention to modern for
tresses and their defense. Heavy shells
fred from long ranges will penetrate
as much as twenty feet of sand, which
offers more resistance than other soils.
Moreover, a shell which explodes after
1t has penetrated soil will cause more
damage than If it explodes In the air
on account Of the confinement OF the
earth it has penetrated Walls exposed
to fire are therefore made of from five
to ten feet of concrete, sometimes re-
enforced with steel Over these there
are few inches of dirt as bed for
grass 50 that the fertilization may he
concealed.
In practically every European coun-
try either turrets or iron and steel re-
volving cupolas containing guns such
rs those used at Liege are in use.
The value of night attacks was EN-
phasized in the RuSsiaD-.Iapanese war.
with the result that troops have been
specially drilled in this form Of opera
ton and numerous devices for offense
and defense have been invented One
Of these is the new portable searchlight.
with which all European armies are
provided to some extent ut least. These
consist of generator driven by a gaso-
line engine mounted on an automobile.
These are especially relied upon for
protection in case of attack by dirigi-
bic and also in attacks on the ground.
Parachute Lights.
IN the absence of searchlight
force may be equipped with parachute
lights. II sort of grenade weighing four
teen ounces which with the aid of a
firing stick, can he shot from rifle to
u distance of 30 to 100 yards. where 1t
will tloat in the air and burn brilliant
~ for II half to three-quarters of a
minute. A larger form of parachute
light. fired from n field gun with
small charge of powder. floats In the
mir giving Il dazzling light for several
minutes
phase OF war OF interest TO the mil
tary expert Is the fact that an Amer
ran invention. the gun siIencer. devils
rd 10y Hiram Percy Maxim Of Hart.
ford will be given II thorough trial
some of the silencer's advantages are.
according to official reports. the mpf'
lin: of the noise of firing. allowing
the voice of the officer to be heard
rhus giving better control of firing.