Show AX X X G GENIUS EX I US Equal to IC l Problems of i em Food FOi Ii Lighting ii ami nil 2 J I I I I II Ii I I I iii I i From T. T J. J Gordon Cordon Gardiner's Gardiners The Time American Hero of Kimb In iii the June Junc Century Al Although Mr mIm Labram's services elices were mere known ant and appreciated II by time the authorities 51 it i was nut nol until the time second month of ot time siege that the time people of the time town lown ns as a whole an antho and the Iho rank and amI file 10 of the tho troops lOOpS came to lo realize time versatility of or his genius From th the somewhat prosaic problems of water food anti and lighting th time the chief engineer of De Du Beers sudden suddenly turned to a work worl which set all KImberley al talking When hen time the siege began hogan the artillery artiery strength th of the time town consisted of time the Twenty third Battery Royal Hoal Garrison Garrison Garri Garri- son soul Artillery with wih six poun fo seven pound lii i f uns nn n nn ngi l n In ol I 1 leer teer battery baterY of six or six seven pound g guns These rhese twelve pieces s hud had each nn aim ef- ef range Of or about yards two unreliable Cape police seven seven- poun erN completed time the list rhe Inadequacy In Inadequacy inadequacy In- In adequacy of or such equipment Was a In Itself serious enough It IL I paralyzed time the whole scheme of oC defense The File full ful gravity of or time the situation di did not nol a linear I however ea until time the beginning of of November No No- vember ember when Colonel Chamler who commanded tile the artillery fore fort fort-en tle reported reported re re- re- re ported that the ammunition for Co his guns was giving out A moments moment's reflection will wi show that thai with tier her cannon silenced 1 doom was accomplished Small Smal as her guns were time they prevented the enemy from flOI bringing ti up their hea heavy oa ordnance ord ord- nance nanco to within yards of oC the town and amid tile the they ma made e Jo a num num- ber ler of or minor operations out outside he the time barrier such as recon patrols ant and amid time thu grazing graing of sos imo horse and amid mules In Jim fact their presence Insured insured e ed a marginal aea area round JI jenco time the towne town e essential to defense If I time they w wl l out lilt of lC action acton the would inevitably move up imp UI their artillery artiery and batter batler the lie place Illace from rein blank point range tie The Tho authorities at once re reduced time the expenditure of ammunition but still the supply twIn dwindled lc led Apparently there then sti was wa only one umme possible At a meeting of time the staff Mr risked asked If he hue might see ono one 1 of kell the s seven seven- veum- veum pound shells After Afler II it examining carefully he lie sl said I guess I r can make I things like ilke that all ahi al right Ils Ills con con- con was not Immediately tel c cate to the om officers era about him They he 1 knew that that the time manufacture of shells Is highly specialized oI work and ant Is don don- on- on Jnet fined lo to time Iho great arsenals of time iho world rid On Inquiry it J appeared that the tho only powder procurable in Iii II KImberley was aM intended for blasting and was mas without special preparation wholly unsuitable for or artillery uses uses Mr Labram however howver refused to be lie deterred de tie- e- e erred by such stick considerations That afternoon he lie le obtained a requisition from Crom rein time the military stores of such material ma- ma lerial as was 1 likely to be of or use In iii II the lie experiment and began legan work worl In iii I the time theDo Do fl B Beers ers shops shops His IUs found foundry 1 I ia i ay y be said sid to have been the time child of or his imis brain brin for fOI he lie was without even t reliable handbooks to guide guhle him The most Important part hart of or shell shel manu manu- manufacture i t t facture Is the thc fixing of a 0 s satisfactory satisfactory to 1 fuse Mr 11 Labram overcame this thi by hy Invention lie le designed u IL percussion fuse to bo be 1 in inserted In imm a ahole ahole ahole hole drilled for ro Its Is reception in tho time point of or t the he shell shel The rime fuse fuso consisted I of or a u brass body bOlly with wih a screw thread outside and amid a steel slee block or 01 plunger working freely Creely In iii II an axial direction Inside The rime plunger through which 4 a small smal hole was wa bored was mus pointed at ul time the front end enl In a l recess In front a n I percussion cap cp cpUS was US held In tion ton by bv a n. sn-f sn r il While the time shell shel traveled forward the time plunger el being leing loose remained at the time back of ot the lie fuse Use On a sudden slop stoppage page however it shot mc forward ant and struck the time percussion cp cap calm A spark sparl then traveled along the time hole and ex cx- ex- ex the Lime bursting charge of or gun gun- powder gun gun- I contained In iii the time hod hotly body of oC tho lie shell shel To ro 10 prevent the tho plunger r from moving mo when the time shell shel was han handled lod a light spiral spring was so placed place as lo to r require compression before the time nipple could coull touch time the cap call I s an extra I precaution t nulon safety wires 1108 were welo provided fore which ha lund had to be le broken before beI be be- the time plunger could coult move The Fite united e 10 of I strength these theBe safety safely nl- nl was not nol more than clent to lo prevent premature explosion sul- sul in lii case of accidental fall In Iii practice Mr fal Labram's astonishing astonish astonish- ing hug invention proved cd entirely toa tory tory- Or In an amazingly snort time lame this man luau who had scarcely seen a shell until a four few ow shel days cas ca's before was supplying the him artillery hea tween sixty and headquarters 5 quartes quarte's with wih between be be- seventy every twenty four hours snells projectiles hours more more- over of a quality which time the military authorities after ACer the time exhaustive test of over three months months' months months' continual pronounced pronounce use extraordinarily goo good 1 |