Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-10-04
KRUPP MOR7ARS
ARE WONDERFUL
Secret of Terrible Explosive in
Shell Closely Guarded; Tri-
umph of Science.

chicago, - Raymond E. Swing,
cabling to the Chicago News from
Berlin, has this to say Of the great
krupp mortars:
If Germany wins the war it will
not have been might but science that
conquered; it will have been the
science of warfare, such as other ma
tons have known and practiced,
though not so we'll, but above all it
will have been the science of artillery,
for the pinnacle of German war
science is the AZ centimeter (16.5
inch) Krupp mortar, the most miracu-
lous and powerful weapon designed in
the history of war.
Mentioped by thousands, the Krupp
mortar is known only by a few. The
gun was invented eight years ago, but
only those. in the confidence of the
Krupps know who the inventor is.
For eight years the Krupps worked
at the secret while guarding it with
most rigorous precautions. This year
they perfected it. This mortar ares
the largest and most dangerous pro-
jectile ever shot from a weapon. In
making it no single workman worked
on mor than one small piece, and
one vital part of the machinery was
made in Austria.
Even the artillery subcommittee of
the bundesrath was not informed this
year. It was merely asked to with.
hold debate on the artillery situation,
as something Extraordinary" was be-
Ing provided. That something extra
ordinary was first seen when the
Liege forts, which could Withstand
any artillery fire known to Belgian of.
fcers, collapsed like shanties, burying
thousands of the garrison under the
wreckage. At Namur the same story
was repeated.
So far as I can learn, what was
done at Liege and Namur swas this:
At some distance from a fort a
space was cleared and a great mortar
set in " concrete bed occupying a
circle with a radius Of 100 feet. Be.
hind the motar and outside this circle
was a tunnel leading to a subterran-
can chamber. The great mortar was
sighted, the projectile was set in place
and then the gunners retired to their
underground chamber. Here they
pressed a button and the mighty shot
was fired.
The explosion was terrible. Any.
thing within fifty feet of the gun at
the time Of the explosion would be
killed. Even men in the neighboring
armies complained of headaches and
toothaches from the jar and the same
complaints were made by the men in
the forts where the %projectiles ex-
ploded.
The projectile pierced through one,
two and three ordinarily impenetrable
walls and buried itself in a fourth.
Here it lay silent many seconds, then
exploded like a volcano, bringing to
the ground in ruins every stone which
had stood upon another.
A shot fired into the center Of q
fort buried itself deep in the ground
and lay there as though gathering
strength for its demoniacal eruption.
Then, after twenty seconds, 1t ex.
ploded and RACED the proudest walls
In Belgium.
Each shell costs $4,000. What 1t
contains nobody but the Krupps know.
It Is brought to the battle field in
pieces and assembled by the highest
paid and most trusted Of the Krupp
engineers. It is aimed and loaded by
them and not one member Of the
artillery corps in the kaiser's army
has anything to do with it. The
slogan of these men is, "One shot for
one fort"
-I G#r9. L ..... 80 -, -~.>. ..H'#HENH