The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-06-03
Written by F. Honore

The bOmbardmenI OF farlS Is gu
ing on internationally. Starting on
Saturday, March 23rd, it continues
through Sunday and Monday. Then
they begin the three alarm signals
given by the guardian Of the peace
at the sound of the drum and whistle.
1t is necessary to look for safety at
once, but in no other respect is the
public life changed thereby. The
autobus and the Metro give the usual
service.
On Good Friday the projectiles are
still falling. The Boches know that
on this day worshipping crowd fill
the churches. The projectile enters a
church and causes the partial falling
of the roof. They pick up rs, people
killed and 80 wounded-most of them
women and children.
Since this achievement of the Ger
man artillery, the cannon of Saint
Gabain continues to roar. I am not
specifying, for the benefit of the en-
envy. further as to the exact number
of effective shots. On Saturday,
March 30th one counts 8 deaths and
81 wounded and most of these hit by
single projectile. On other days
the number is only one or two. 1t
seems to be the practice of the Ger
mans to make grand stroke with
their artillery in order that a great
effect may be made on the Allies and
the neutrals and afterwards to con-
tinue with less shots hoping thus to
incommode public life and to wear
people out little by little.
Nothing of this happens. Apart
from the various decorations with
which they ornament the windows
and doors, the appearance of Paris
has not changed. The traffic is go
ing on in the same intense way; at
the accustomed hours the open air
cafes and coffee-houses are full. At
ter moment of commotion, easy to
understand, one quickly realizes that
with the monster cannon, as with the
: Goths, the normal percentage of vic
tins is very small. This monster
piece of artillery is not more danger
Gus than the howitzers of 1870; ii
confirms at once most military opin-
| ion that the bombardment of cities
kill few people. The Partisan who
is afraid-and he is rare-knows
that there are other places where con-
| ditions are much harder; and so the
Partisan life goes on as usual.
| In the meantime discussions as tc
the gun are not wanting. There are
calculations and observations, while
the explosions Of the projectiIes be.
come more numerous.
The Trajectoire or Curve
SPECIALISTS are not wholly agreed
upon the parth or curve OF the pro-
jectile. Well he knows that it is es'
| sta bIished by mathematical calcula
tons nevertheless.
The essential data which deter
mine a curve are numerous; the angle
of range, the initial velocity, the
weight and density of the projectile
the density of the stratum of all
traversed, the reach. We know thu
reach and more or less aproximateli!
the weight and the density of thu
bomb or shell. That is all. The den
sity of the air beyond 10 kilometer
remains a mystery. Some plummet
have revealed the pressure and thu
temperature at about 10000 metres
we have drawn reasonable conclusion
for the higher attitudes but there i
nothing absolutely certain about it. A
the normal pressure of $50 MILNE
tres and at the temperature of Is de
grees. a litre of air weighs 1 gramm
293 milligrammes. We know tina
. the weight of a body reduces itsel
half at $500 metres, a third at $500
a fourth at 1900. 1t is thought tina
at 20 miIlineteres there is about one
tenth of the normal weight but it j
not certain.
In order to establish the curve O
!; the projectile it is necessary, to cal
! culate in advance the initial ve1ocit
capable to procure the reach that W
desire. This velocity ought to be NOR
or less great according to the angl
of range and according to the actua
l resistance of the air in the unknow
, regions above. One finds then tina
= he must introduce into his calcula
lions some variables or some empiri
e co-efficients leaving a certain libert
: of values in this science of the me
: ton of projectiles. Thus the result
: obtained by two calculators of equs
J. knowledge, will sometimes preser
: differences always nevertheless, with
y in reasonable limits
We hazard a doubt upon the utilit
of adopting an angle of range highe
than AZ or 43 degrees. The schem
above explains under what condition
it would be an advantage to do i
lit shows that the loss of velocity RI
suIting from a range nearer to a rigf
Iangle can be overcome by shortenin
Athe distance in order to reach IL