New Field Artillery

Washington Special: Gen. S. V. Benet, chief ofordnance, United States army, is harina twehty-five new stoel jreech-loading field guns eonstnicted, :o take the place of the obsolete field artillery with which ourlightbatteries are now equipped. While the details cannot be given, it is sufficient to say that the new piece will be rifled, of 3.2 caliber, taking a charge of nearly íour and one-half pounds of powder and a thírteen-pound solid projectile, the shell being proportionately lighter. With this gun he expects to obtain some unusual resulta. The extreme range will be about 0,000 yards, quite as great a distance aa modern requirements deem necessary. The shooting will be of unusual accuracy. A sixfoot target, which can scarcelybe seen at a mile and a half, with this new gun and its imprqved system of sighting canbestruck six times out of ten, and closer ranges produce sharpshooting that is equally astonishing. Gen. Benet has not exploited the excellences of liis new rifle, but he expects to 6hov the country at the formal trial tests that his departmentisnotbehindthat of any other nationinscientificattainments backed by the best mechanical work in iron and steel. In the matter of our coast and harbordefenses, Gen. Benet believes that this country will profit by the experience and investígations of England and Germany, and adopt some system of iron and steel turret forts, armed with high-power vuns of thegreatesfcserviceable caliber. ha ving a torpedo battery attached. He believe the two blended will constitute the roost effectnal systom of dofense that tJie country wüJ ever Wquire.