THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
325 
PRINCIPLES 
OF 
CONSTRUCTION OF FIELD ARTILLERY CARRIAGES. 
BY 
CAPTAIN W. KEMMIS, ll.A. 
In considering tlie construction of field artillery carriages, it will be 
well first to review those principles which, more or less, must be carried 
out in the building of all in common, and then to make a few remarks 
upon the particular requirements which govern the details of construc¬ 
tion of the various descriptions of carriages. 
Essential Qualities. 
The following qualities may be looked upon as the desiderata in a 
field artillery carriage—viz., " mobility,” that the carriage may be 
brought rapidly, and without difficulty, into any required position, or 
change of position; " stability,” that in any movement the carriage 
may be required to make, even if the ground is tolerably uneven, it 
may not overturn; " strength,” " durability,” and " simplicity ” are 
essential qualities, which require no comment; and lastly, " convenience 
of transport ” must of necessity be desirable in a country like Great 
Britain, with numerous large and distant colonies. 
The first and chief point, then, to be kept in view in the construction 
of all field artillery carriages, is " mobility ; ” for without possessing this 
quality in a very high degree, they would be comparatively worthless. 
In the following remarks, the question of the advisability of employ¬ 
ing a two or four-wheeled carriage will not be entered into, it being 
assumed that the nature and purpose of the load compel the latter; 
which is, further, the best for draught, though the less advantageous for 
wheeling. Also, in all cases, the mode of draught will be taken as 
shaft draught, being that adopted in the service, as placing the carriage 
more under control in manoeuvring than pole draught, and as being 
more advantageous for the wheel horses, 
1. Mobility .—The "mobility” of a carriage is influenced by several 
things—viz., by the "traction” (commonly termed the " draught ”), or 
amount of power requisite to put it in motion, and keep it in motion; 
39 
