Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-29

whose shoulders all the blame must rest. If
there is anything in all the broad field Of COM
pany work with which Sergt. Muzzy is I'M
acquainted the men of company A would like to
know what it is.
WILL 1T REALLY TURN BULLETS.
Discussing the buIlet-proof fabric with which
some of the European countries propose to
protect their troops, the London Lancet says:
This subject is still attracting good deal of
attention in Germany and on the continent
We strongly suspect however. that it will be
long time before soldiers 60 TO war as a sort
Of pastime owing to the battlefield having been
robbed of its terrors h. the resistance of the
fabrics worn by them to rifle and revolver
bullets. Even if the bullets do not penetrate
the texture there is the force of impact to be
considered. and we have not vet experimentally
seen what this will be on living animals encased
In a sort of wire netting covering As it was
very unlikely that Herr Dove or any one else
would act upon Prof Bilroths humorous
remark that it would have been more satisfac-
tory if the inventor himself had stood up to be
fired at, and as no one even in that case would
be emulOus of firing at such mark it has been
determined to test the properties of the inven-
tiol by clothing pigs in it and shooting at
them. There does not appear to be any doubt,
according to the accounts of an expert, Capt
Ziegler, that modern rifle bullets are COM
pletely stopped by the newly discovered ma
terial at q distance of 200 yards; but we have
not yet received any particulars as to its
weight and cost or how it is to be worn or
whether it is hot and unc omfortable to wear
not. We shall soon hear, no doubt what
has been fhe result of the numerous expert
mental files that have been instituted with the
Lebel and Mannlicher rifles. and until these
are published it may be well to reserve
our judgment as to what will be
the practical outcome Of the alleged
invention Of a bullet-proof fabric. Meanwhile
Hnr nnt 10 oil iva lail T,-
he has a competitor-also Of Mannheim
named Reidels, and another in the person of an
Austrian engineer named Sarneo. The inven-
ton is supposed to consist of kind of light
mail and hemp woven together. II it be heavy
or at all cumbrous and likely to impede or in
terfere with the soldiers movements or COM
fort even. its use will obviously be Of lin
tied kind; and we do not yet precisely know, as
we have said, what might be the effect OF a
rifle bullet projected with q normal velocity
when stopped by resistant structure re-
CARDS shock to the nervous system, bruising an |
the body generally. The great penetration Of a
bullet is caused by its high velocity, but the
actual impact effect of bullets Of very small
caliber ON living tissues has yet to be de-
termined. 1t is possible if the alleged
properties of these duly invented ornaments
be e1perimentally proved to be well founded,
and If their power OF resistance to the crush
ing effect Of large and heavy projectiles be
also established, that new material has been
obtained for defensive purposes which will al
together alter the aspect OF warfare; but SO far
as anything is actually known at present there
is room for conjecture and but little for ac-
kuowledged and ascertained facts."
THAT CHICAGO ENCAMPMENr.
Gen. Ordway has been very busily engaged
for some time past In endeavor,ng TO secure
camp accommodations at Chicago. but his
off vko hovo s,ofo vat fxvstb a.
cess. A letter received a little while ago from
o prominent officer of the Illinois National
Guard Association says: with reference to
your inquiry regarding suitable tract Of land
on which to encamp your troops, / am Obliged
to say that l am not aware Of any at the present
time suitable for that purpose within any rea-
sonable distance of the exposition grounds. and
which can be secured except upon the payment
Of an exorbitant rent. = The prospects now
are that all visiting troops viii have to chance
q location il they come. - shall be pleased
to follow out any suggestions that you may de-
sire to make, and shall certainly consider it q
pleasure to assist you in any way that lies
within my power. At present. however, the
outlook Is exceedingly dubious."
The ominous sound Of the epistle from which
the foregoing quotation has been made is far
from encouraging, but it IL no worse than the
letter from railroad official in which he declares
that special transportation rates for militia
have not yet been considered by the supreme
authorities. But Gen. Ordway is stiIl engaged
In trying to overcome the adverse circum-
stances.
WHAT WAS THE TROUBLE?
For some reason or other-and the reason
viii be made plain in little while-the hemins
pigeon experiments from Hampton Roads to the
ID. @. N. @. loft were . trihe short of wholly
successful. In . general way IL is understood
that the trouble originated in delay in letting