Magazine Rifles In War

Effective in Skilied Hands, Kut Not Valuable for Kaw Recruits. A belated report on the Chillan revolution of 1891 has been made to the navy department by Lieut. Jamos !í. Sears and Ensig-n 15. W. Wells, Jr., oí the navy, and the material has been collected in a pamphlet, and issued in a limited edition by the office of naval intollig-ence as Xo. 4 of the war series of Information f rom abroad. The report, says the New Vork Hcrald, is prepared from personal observation, statements of participants, official papers, and from presumably authentic publications. The publication is a carefully-worded acconnt of the operations on land and soa without the comment which has made previous numbers from this office interesting1. The pamphlet will have a place in military libraries simply as a ranged account of the revolution. It gives a few details of strategie conditions and the development of the constitutional and forces. The book is illustrated by maps, charts, plans and copies of photographs. Official papers are reprinted, including1 the reports on the sinking of the Illanco Encalada. There are six appendices, in which are included current manifestoes, notes, etc. The only really important comment is that contained in the appendix on the Mannlicher rifle, which appears to have served the authors and the naval intelligence ofiice with the sole suggestion derivable from the iiilian revolution. The note illustrates, in the language of an unnamed "one who was with the army at the time," the disadvantages of magazine rifles in tfie hands of untrained men, and tlieir reiuarkable efficiency after the troops becorne acquainted with the weapon.